Het Orgel in Vlaanderen ("The Organ in Flanders") is a non-profit association founded in 1990 in order to maintain and to improve the organ culture and the organ heritage in Flanders. This organ heritage should be re-valuated and brought to the attention of people who are not so involved like organists and musicians. The heritage contains a.o. organs who need to be restored or are already restored. A broader view contains the whole organ culture in Flanders, the instruments, the organists, as well professionals as amateurs, the organ students, and also the historical musical manuscripts and documents.

 

Between 1990 and 2000 the most important issue was the realisation of "the Day of the Organ", organ concerts with free entrance (at first in Bruges, later on in different cities of Flanders), the making and distributing of photographs of Flemish historical organs, and the publication of a magazine for the members.

 

In 2000 the Board of directors was joined by some deputies of the cultural world in Flanders, mostly people who were involved in the care of the monuments. The office moved from Bruges to Antwerp. The "Day of the Organ" became part of the yearly "Day of the Monuments", and was renamed "Organ on Open Monument Day". The website www.orgelinvlaanderen.be was started and since 2005. This website contains also the monthly organ mail newspaper.

The magazine for members changed from two-monthly to three-monthly and was named "Information magazine of Flemish Organ culture".

 

The association grew and other activities were organised, such as the "Flemish Organ Days", when every two years a city was chosen where "The Organ in Flanders" organises a weekend with a competition for non-professional organists, and with different concerts and workshops. There is also a Summer Academy.

Since 2004 the association has an own cd-label "Vision-Air", with recordings that are called "Flemish Organ Treasures", in co-operation with radio Klara, the classical Flemish radio.

 

Another part of the work of the association is advising and helping local projects that bring the organ heritage to a larger public, and co-operates in the exploitation of the organs in the Congres Center Elzenveld, by contacting organists and drawing up programs. In the context of the re-use of churches, finally, the Organ in Flanders support to church councils and others replacements of instruments and exploitation of organs.

 

In 2015 a project to raise awareness children and young people for the organ was started: Orgelkids. A next step was the development of a digital app for children and young people. In 2018 an educational booklet "Het Orgel" was published in collaboration with The Cathedral of Antwerp and Orgelkids.

Pedagogical seminars for organ teachers are annually realized the in coöperation with OVSG. 

“The Organ in Flanders” is a partner of Herita and also works closely with the Parcum (Leuven) and Open Churches. It is also a member of Interpret Europe and Future for Religious Heritage

 

In all of this the Flemish Government, department Heritage, is partner of "Het Orgel in Vlaanderen".

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All images: Het Orgel in Vlaanderen