Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and the Dutch Reformed Church Summerstrand will celebrate 25 years of the acquisition of the organ that was urgently needed for the training of organ students with a 25th anniversary organ festival on 16 May 2013.
The acquisition of the organ in 1988 was an important milestone for both the DR Church Summerstrand and the University – then still known as UPE. As a result of wonderful co-operation between church and university in which each partner paid half of the organ purchase sum of R 360 000, the church obtained a lovely large organ and the university got the first-class instrument it urgently needed for the training of organ students.
This win-win situation has proved highly successful during the past 25 years. Through these years a great number of excellent organ students were trained here and were afforded the opportunity to play their examinations and recitals on a properly equipped instrument. Through careful planning, e.g. the installation of high wooden ceilings and a hard tiled floor, excellent acoustical surroundings for both organ and choral music were created.
On 4 December 1986 a contract was signed with Pretoria organ builder Jan Zielman, by the then Rector, Prof. Hein Redelinghuys and the Church Minister, Rev. Dave Marais. The installation of the organ during which local organ builder, Jan Pekelharing, also assisted, took 3½ months. A French organ builder, Jean-Pascal Villard, expertly voiced all of the 3591 pipes. The organ was inaugurated on 23 October 1988 by Gerdi Troskie (UPE Organ Student) who performed Poulenc’s Organ Concerto with the East Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Chris Dowdeswell.
The organ has three manuals (Great, Swell and Positive) and Pedal. The organ case, made of Iroko, stands 8m high and 6½m wide, and the façade pipes are made from polished tin and zinc. The longest pedal pipes are nearly 6m long. Noteworthy are the horizontal copper Spanish Trumpets, the interesting woodcarvings and the elegant letters, Soli Deo Gloria – To God all the Glory!
On the console woods such as iroko, tamboti, yellow-wood, olive-wood, leadwood and granadilla were used. This is the largest tracker action church organ and the second-largest tracker action concert organ in South Africa.
A pipe organ is of precious cultural value and can give service for hundreds of years. It continually increases in value and is of great educational importance, since it is used not only for the training of NMMU organ students, but also for organ recitals, choir festivals and CD recordings.
The event – at the DR Church in Louis Botha Drive, Summerstrand – will include an academic procession and a festival of organ, choir and classical music.
