Commission hopes to document all Dutch pipe organs

DRIEBERGEN – The Commission Organ Causes (COZ) wants to document all the pipe organs used in church buildings belonging to the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN). The commission is hoping to get volunteers to create a complete organ data bank. It already has gathered information on the country’s historical pipe organs which were built before approximately 1850. Another concern to the commission is the upkeep of the organs, which tends to be a costly budget item. The 2004 merger of three denominations into one is causing an ongoing realignment on the local level where dropping memberships are forcing congregations to merge as well and many (historic) churches are being or have been decommissioned. There is a concern also as to what happens to the organs which do not have the status of a monument. Cultural heritage agencies not only rate the music instrument status but also the architectural and artistic qualities of the organ frame. The website www.godutch.com offers two titles on monumental Dutch pipe organs.