By the end of the Great War the town  had been reduced to little more than a heap of rubble by the German bombardments.  The magnificent Cloth Hall was rebuilt in its original form between 1920 and 1962, and opposite it in the Grote Market  we visited the very attractive Chocolaterie  of Peter De Groote, where our indefatigable President had arranged a group discount, and posters in the windows showed  Welcome to the Kent County Organists ' Association.

As we had arrived promptly at 11.00am local time after travelling on the 7.51am Channel Tunnel shuttle, there was time for coffee or a museum visit and lunch before we visited St. Martin's Cathedral at 1 pm.  The 13th century cathedral was completely destroyed in the war, but was rebuilt in the late 1920's and has a splendid light Gothic style interior.

We were welcomed to the cathedral by Paul Andriessen, the organ builder who is responsible for the maintaining the organ, and Jan D'hulster who was to demonstrate the instrument.

Paul Andriessen gave a brief description of this 1931 instrument built by Jules Anneessens of Menen. It has  3 manuals   (Grand Orgue  14 stops Positif Expressif 7 stops Recite Expressif 14 stops Pedal  8 stops),  and replaced the organ built by Pierre Van Peteghem in 1832, which had been totally destroyed. The organ stands in a spacious gallery in the north transept and we were able to climb inside it to admire the quality of workmanship which is such that no major work has been necessary since it was built. 

The organ demonstration given by Jan D'hulster was an improvised symphony  (Lento Scherzo Adagio Toccata) in the French style starting with soft shimmering strings and then building through the choruses showing every facet of the organ.  It was a dazzling display of colour and cross rhythms, which filled the building with a warm rich sound, the pedal basses being particularly full in tone.  The improvisation finished with full organ as the pedal Bombardon 16ft was added, the final chord taking some six to seven seconds to die away in the sympathetic acoustic of the cathedral.  After the demonstration, several members enjoyed playing this fine romantic style organ.

In the north transept six to seven seconds to die away in the sympathetic acoustic of the cathedral.  After the demonstration, several members enjoyed playing this fine romantic style organ.

In the north transept  by the steps leading up to the organ gallery there is a striking plaque bearing the inscription To the Glory of God and to the memory of one million dead of the British Empire who fell in the Great War 1914-1918 many of whom rest in Belgium. One of these is Gary's uncle Charles Tollerfield, 1st Battalion Irish Fusiliers, who was killed  on 1st October 1918 aged 18 and is buried in the New British Cemetery at Dadizele, some 12 km east of Ypres.  Our coach drivers kindly agreed to take Gary and Janet to see the grave which Gary's father, who would have been 100 on 12th October, could never bring himself to visit.

St. George's Memorial Church stands on a corner almost opposite the cathedral and was built 1927-29, the architect being Sir Reginald Blomfield.  It is a memorial to all who died in the Salient and the windows and furnishings all commemorate a unit or an individual.  More recent plaques are in memory of Sir Winston Churchill and  Field Marshall  Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, both  having served on the Western Front in the Great War.  There is also a memorial to Field Marshall Sir John French, 1st Earl of Ypres (1852-1925) who was born in Ripple near Deal, and died at Walmer Castle.

We were greeted by the Chaplain, the Revd. Ray Jones who spoke about the church  The organ was given  in memory of a lieutenant who died in the war and possibly came from a country house.  It stands in a tiny chamber behind the south choir stalls and  bears no maker's name, but recent opinion strongly suggests Bevington circa 1880,  and it is a single manual instrument of 7 stops, with an octave of pedal pipes. The organ was demonstrated by  our President and in total contrast to what we had just heard in the cathedral we found ourselves listening to a typical pleasing Victorian village church organ.

Our final visit of the day was to see the historical Van Peteghem organ in the village church of Haringe, where we were greeted by the parish priest, Father Jozef  Van Acker. He explained that the present church dates from the 11th century, but earlier foundations dating from 847 have recently been discovered.  It has a small crypt and many interesting features, not least of which is the magnificent organ case and gallery.

The organ was built in 1778 by Pieter and Lambert-Benoit Peteghem and has escaped any modification or revoicing, making it unique among Belgian organs.  Organists of international repute take part in the recital series given each summer. There are two manuals (Great  17 stops Positif 10 stops Pedal /Echo 2 stops)

It should be explained that the pedal /echo is controlled by 26 small wooden studs and is intended to play a simple melodic line only, perhaps plainsong, and not a bass part. Father Vormezele, the parish priest at the time, was suffering from tuberculosis, but put in hand the building of the organ and paid for it.  He died two days after it was first played on 17th April 1779.

At the time of the French Revolution Haringe was in France, but the church and organ fortunately escaped any depredations.  This was due to the fact that the parish priest and the captain of the local militia were cousins and an agreement was made between the two men that the church should be left untouched.

Dirk Coutigny, the organist of the church, demonstrated that this is the perfect instrument for French baroque music by playing movements from the Organ Mass on the 8th tone by Michel Corrette (1709-95), followed by three short pieces by Abraham Van den Kerkhoven.  Few us can have heard such authentic sounds, from the Voix Humaine to the brilliant choruses.  It was an unforgettable experience.

Brian Moore

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