Organ Study Tour of Europe
Topic: Tour CalendarSeptember 10 to 24, 2007
Directed by Rena Bakhuyzen Holst, this delightful tour to scenic Northern Spain and Southern France is perfect for organ enthusiasts! With an itinerary featuring numerous organs, you will have many opportunities to hear and play the famous instruments of historic Spanish and French churches, along with a visit to the Grenzing Organ Building Company to see the process of restoration.Confirmations for some of the organs to be visited have already been received, while others have been requested and are not yet confirmed. If there is a conflict obtaining confirmation, changes will be reflected in the final itinerary.
Some of the cathedrals and organs we plan to visit are as follows:
- Cathedral Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona, Spain
- Iglesia de Santa Maria in Castelló d'Empúries, Spain - Cavaille 13th-century; restored in 1976 by Grenzing
- Cathedral Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Perpignan, France - Cavaille-Coll 1857
- Cathedral St. Just in Narbonne, France - Moucherel 1739; restored in 1985 by Soutoul
- Saint-Nazaie et Saint-Celse in Carcassonne, France - gallery organ Joyeuse/Cavaille 1680 with most recent restoration in 1982 by Formentelli; chancel organ Cavaille-Coll 1858
- St. Pierre des Chartreux in Toulouse, France - Delauney 1677; last restoration in 1982 by Grenzing
- St. Marie Cathedral in Auch, France - 1688 Joyeuse; last restoration in 1958 by Gonzalez
- Cathedral Notre Dame in Dax, France - gallery organ 1786 with final restoration in 1987 by Chauvin; chancel organ Puget
- St. Marie Cathedral in Bayonne, France - Cavaille-Coll 1862
- St. Maria del Coro in San Sebastian, Spain - Cavaille-Coll 1860s
- San Vicente and Cathedral del Buen Pastor in San Sebastian, Spain
- St. Maria La Real in Azkoitia, Spain - Cavaille-Coll 1898
- Cathedral in Burgos, Spain
Day 1 ~ Monday, September 10 - Departure
Check in at the airport of your choice for the overnight flight to Amsterdam.Day 2 ~ Tuesday, September 11 - Barcelona
Upon arrival in Amsterdam, we'll have time to stretch our legs while walking to our connecting flight to Barcelona. Following passport control and customs in Barcelona, we will meet our local guide and board the waiting motorcoach. We'll drive along the harbor and Las Ramblas, a long pedestrian street filled with flower stalls, vendors, and a unique street theatre. We will also visit the La Sagrada Familia (Church of the Holy Family), the most important and yet unfinished work of turn-of-the century architect Antonio Gaudi. After our familiarization tour of Barcelona, check in at the hotel for a two-night stay. Joop Timmers, who will again be our driver/tour manager, will meet us at the hotel for a welcome dinner.Day 3 ~ Wednesday, September 12 - Barcelona
After a good rest and breakfast, we're ready to do some exploring! Start the day with a morning drive to nearby Monasterio de Montserrat, the spiritual capital of Catalonia and one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Spain, where we'll have a spectacular view of the Catalunya Mountains. A visit to the organ is planned and we'll also hear The Boys Choir, which sings every day at 1:00 p.m. After taking in the breathtaking beauty, we'll return to Barcelona to visit the Cathedral Santa Maria del Mar. This 14th-century church is the only perfectly finished Catalan Gothic church. Our host organist will be Mr. Neil Cowley who will give us a presentation of the organ and church history. We will also have an opportunity to play along with his assistance. Following an enjoyable day, have an independent dinner in Barcelona.Day 4 ~ Thursday, September 13 - Barcelona, Castelló d'Empúries, Perpignan
This morning we'll visit the Gerhard Grenzing Organ Building Company, designed for restoration, organ pipe workshop, and a 17-meter high assembly hall with 18 professionals at work. Following this visit, we'll travel north to Castelló d'Empúries, a medieval town that lies between the River Muga and the Rec del Moli millstream close to the Gulf of Roses. We'll enjoy the surroundings and have lunch before our church visit to Iglesia de Santa Maria, an astonishing Gothic structure and an excellent piece of art. Its organ is from the 13th century by Jean Pierre Cavaille. It has 59 registers, four manuals, and was restored by Gerhard Grenzing in 1976. After enjoying this wonderful instrument and our visit with the organist, travel farther north and cross the French border to reach Perpignan. The narrow streets of the old city with its many markets and bodegas make one feel as if we were still in Spain. We'll check in at our hotel and have dinner.Day 5 ~ Friday, September 14 - Perpignan, Narbonne, Carcassonne
This morning's excursion takes us through Perpignan to the Cathedral Saint-Jean-Baptiste, dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, and is the most beautiful in the Mediterranean area. The organ is an 1857 Cavaille-Coll with four manuals, 74 stops, and 91 ranks. After our visit, we'll have some time to browse before traveling north to Narbonne. Relax and enjoy the countryside on the way to the oldest town in Southwest France. We will enjoy lunch here and some time to shop before our visit to Cathedral St. Just. In High Gothic style, the cathedral was built beginning in 1272 with cloisters from 1349-1417. The organ was built in 1739 by Moucherel and restored in 1985 by Soutoul. It has four manuals, 67 stops, and 89 ranks. After hearing and playing this instrument, we'll have time to browse before traveling on to Carcassonne, the famous fortified town.Day 6 ~ Saturday, September 15 - Carcassonne, Toulouse
After a good night's rest and breakfast, we'll visit Saint-Nazaire et Saint-Celse. Elevated in 1898 and a perfect masterpiece of elegance and splendor, this cathedral has two organs. The gallery organ was built in 1680 by Joyeuse and restored in 1772 by Cavaille. It was restored most recently in 1982 by Formentelli. It has four manuals, 40 stops, and 59 ranks. The chancel organ is Cavaille-Coll, built in 1858. It has one manual, nine stops, and four ranks. After this visit, we will take some time for shopping, browsing, and lunch. Then we'll travel to Toulouse where we'll visit the Church/Museum des Augustins. Housed in the 1793 Augustinian monastery building, we can stroll in the finest group of monastic buildings from the 14th and 15th centuries. Our host Jean-Baptiste Dupont will be our church guide in this city. There will be more information forthcoming on the organ and church. After listening and playing this wonderful organ, we'll have some time to enjoy beautiful Toulouse before we check in at our hotel.Day 7 ~ Sunday, September 16 - Toulouse
This morning we will worship at St. Sernin Church, the greatest and largest of its style in Western Europe. The well-cared for appearance and inviting ambience of this church is striking. The organ is 1888 Cavaille-Coll. We'll enjoy the service and hopefully be able to also visit with our host organist Jean-Baptiste Dupont. After lunch and free time, we'll visit St. Pierre des Chartreux, which was consecrated in 1612. It is beautifully decorated with frescoes, paintings, and a lavish marble altar. The organ by Delauney, 1677, was last restored by Grenzing in 1982. It has four manuals, 51 stops, and 78 ranks. Afterwards, we'll take some time to enjoy more of the city and have our independent dinner.Day 8 ~ Monday, September 17 - Auch, Pau
This morning we'll travel west to Auch, a charming medieval city. We'll visit St. Marie Cathedrale, one of the last Gothic cathedrals built on a steep hillock above the valley of the Gers River. The gallery organ is by de Joyeuse, 1688, and it was last restored by Gonzalez in 1958. It has four manuals, 43 stops, and 62 ranks. The chancel organ by Cavaille-Coll, 1860, has two manuals, 15 stops, and 15 ranks. After listening and playing, we will have some time for sightseeing, shopping, and lunch in Auch. This afternoon we travel southwest to Pau to visit the 13th-century Notre Dame Cathedral. After this wonderful experience, we'll have some time to enjoy this delightful town before checking in at our hotel.Day 9 ~ Tuesday, September 18 - Lescar, Dax, Bayonne
After breakfast we'll depart for Lescar, located a short distance away. The narrow streets of the historic and ancient town on the hill help it maintain its own identity. We'll visit the 12th-century Cathedral, which became a Protestant temple for a while in 1563 and was later restored by the Catholics. After this visit, we'll have some time to browse before leaving for Dax, an important spa town positioned in the heart of the Landes pine forest. We'll have some time here for shopping and lunch, before visiting the Cathedral Notre Dame Dax. The 17th-century cathedral, in classical style, replaced the collapsed Gothic church and took 275 years to build. The gallery organ was built in 1786 with a final restoration by Chauvin in 1987. There are four manuals, 56 stops, and 73 ranks with mechanical key and stop action. The chancel organ by Puget has two manuals, three stops, and eight ranks with electro-pneumatic key and stop action. Following this interesting visit and an opportunity to browse, we'll drive south to our hotel in Bayonne.Day 10 ~ Wednesday, September 19 - Bayonne, San Sebastian, Irun
This morning we enjoy Bayonne, famous for its chocolate and leather goods. The distinctive half-timbered houses, vestiges of a rich past, and elements of town fortifications from Roman times provide an interesting historic overview. We'll visit St. Marie Cathedral, built in the 13th-15th centuries and restored in the 19th century with its impressive Gothic buttresses, a 13th-century Cloister, and massive 14th-century oil paintings. The organ is by Cavaille-Coll from 1862. We'll have some time to walk through this city and do some shopping, sightseeing, and have lunch. Then we'll travel south to San Sebastian, nestled at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains. San Sebastian has the warmth of a provincial capital, a gorgeous setting, friendly people, relaxed pace, and lovely beaches. We'll visit St. Maria del Coro, built in the mid-16th century with twin towers, three naves, an elaborate interior, and beautiful stained-glass windows. The organ is from the 1860s by Cavaille-Coll. Following our visit, we will tour the city on the way to our hotel in nearby Irun, where we will check in and have dinner.Day 11 ~ Thursday, September 20 - San Sebastian, Irun
We will enjoy the day in San Sebastian by visiting two interesting old churches. We plan to begin the day with a visit to San Vicente, the city's oldest monument dating from the 15th and 16th centuries and built in the Guipuzcoan Gothic style. After time to browse, shop, and have lunch, we'll visit the Catedral del Buen Pastor, located across from Santa Maria Basilica. Construction began in 1889 in the Neo-Gothic style with three naves. It is the largest church in San Sebastian with exceptional interior height. After this visit, we will explore more of the city and have an independent dinner. Later we'll return to our hotel in Irun.Day 12 ~ Friday, September 21 - Bilbao, Azkoitia, Irun
First on our agenda is a visit to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, a unique blending of architectural styles in a most dynamic city. After touring the museum and having lunch, we will drive a short distance to Azkoitia where we'll visit St. Maria La Real with a Cavaille-Coll organ from 1898. We'll listen and play this organ, followed by some time to walk through the town and shop. Return to the hotel in Irun for dinner and overnight.Day 13 ~ Saturday, September 22 - Burgos, Madrid
After breakfast, we'll travel to Burgos to visit the Cathedral. Built from the 13th to 16th centuries, it contains superb architecture and unique collections of art, making it an outstanding showcase of European Gothic sculpture. Information about the organ will be forthcoming. There will be time for independent lunch before continuing to Madrid, a glamorous, bustling city with spunk and vitality whose Old World look is most pervasive. After a long day of traveling, we'll check in at our hotel and have dinner. This evening you may want to go for a walk and enjoy this majestic city.Day 14 ~ Sunday, September 23 - Madrid
This morning we will worship at the Almudena Cathedral, situated next to the Royal Palace. The interior is modest and modern. From 1883 until 1944, when it burned, construction continued until 1993 with more classical elements inside. The organ is by Grenzing and it was built in 1999. After the worship service, we hope to work out a visit with the organist so we can enjoy hearing more about this organ and the church, and also be able to play. After lunch, we'll have time to browse and enjoy this wonderful city before returning to our hotel for a farewell dinner.Day 15 ~ Monday, September 24 - Return
After breakfast, transfer to the Madrid Airport. Here we check in for the return flight to the U.S. Our musical heritage tour of Northern Spain and Southern France has come to an end. With fond memories of various cathedrals and organs visited, we say farewell to one another. Hopefully we will meet again on a future Organ Study Tour!| CONTACT US: for more information regarding this tour or to have the brochure mailed to you |
| FAQ: Frequently asked questions about joining a Witte Tour |
| DOWNLOAD: the brochure and application form (Adobe PDF) |