Inauguration new Romantic organ Tangen kirke Drammen
On Sunday, September 6, 2020 the new organ in Tangen kirke has been inaugurated during a festive service in which Provost Kjell Ivar Berger, organist Gróa Hreinsdóttir, pastor Marit Skaar …
organ masterpieces
The organ builders Van Vulpen of Utrecht (the Netherlands) have almost 80 years’ experience in making pipe organs of outstanding artistic merit for churches, concert halls and private homes.
All parts of the instruments are produced by skilled craftsmen in the company’s workshop, using first-class materials to create organs of character, which inspire music making and will last for generations.
Every part of our instruments is made in our own workshop: design, metal casting, pipe making (essential for an individual sound), furniture making (the case), chests, action and wind supply. This enables quick delivery. The same applies to maintenance and restoration work. If something needs to be replaced, we make the new part ourselves in the style of your instrument. We have our own stock of wood, tin and lead.
We have learnt much from our numerous restoration projects. The finest organs so often prove to be the result of an unequivocal approach to tone and quality. It is this unity that we aim to achieve in our own work. To this end, a harmonic cohesion between all elements of a new or restored organ is absolutely essential. Read more about our approach below.
In the 75-year history of our company we have acquired much experience in restoration and have gained great respect for the work of our predecessors. We treat your instrument as a valuable and integrated work of art, the fruits of the creativity and skill of organ builders through the ages.
You are involved in the design of your instrument. Its appearance and sound must be adapted to the space in which it is to stand. Each of our new organs is unique.
Effective maintenance will increase the life span of your organ. We have employees with wide experience of tuning and maintaining all sorts of instruments. You receive a free-of-charge Quick Scan in which any particular problems are analysed and a clear-cut maintenance advice is given, enabling you to make your own decision on work required.
The first option is a tuning session. We tune according to traditional, well-tried procedures, without electronic aids. The pitch of each pipe is checked in relation to another one in order to achieve maximum stability. The pipes stay in tune longer and therefore have a longer life span.
A second option is to undertake extensive maintenance. This includes thorough cleaning, repairs to the action, winding and pipes, and, where necessary, equalisation of the voicing. All this is carried out with respect for the instrument and its builder. Such major maintenance will give new life to your organ and many more years of enjoyment.
On Sunday, September 6, 2020 the new organ in Tangen kirke has been inaugurated during a festive service in which Provost Kjell Ivar Berger, organist Gróa Hreinsdóttir, pastor Marit Skaar …
We were commissioned to build a new instrument for the Tangen Kirke in Drammen (Norway). This will be an instrument that is inspired by German organ building of the first …
We have restored the 1768 Johann Heinrich Hartmann Bätz organ in the Petruskerk in Woerden (NL). The reinauguration took place on June 18, 2019. We have restored the bellows and …
Our staff consists of specialists – skilled craftsmen who have every knowledge of metal, wood, furniture making, voicing, design etc. Many of them are organ lovers, people who appreciate organ music and some who play themselves. They realise only too well the importance of their contribution to your instrument and the way it will sound. The same is even more true of our maintenance staff.