A New Practice Organ for the Royal Academy of Music
The Piet Kee Organ
For some years one of the 2 practice organs at the RAM has been on loan from a private individual. This organ is now required by its owner for his new house; but fortuitously the practice organ of the famous Dutch organist Piet Kee, now almost 90 and no longer able to play the pedals, became available and has been purchased by the Academy.
The organ was built for Piet Kee in 1968 by D A Flentrop of Zaandam, The Netherlands, and has the following specification:
Manual 1 (C-g’’’) Manual ll (C-g’’’) Pedal (C-f’)
Roerfluit 8’ Gedekt 8’ Subbas 16’
Prestant 4’ Koppelfluit 4’ Gedekt 8’
Octaaf 2’ Woudfluit 2’ Quintadeen 4’
Piet Kee was born in Zaandam and studied piano, composition and organ at the Amsterdam Conservatory where he won the Prix d’Excellence; and first prize at the Haarlem International Improvisation Competition for 3 successive years, 1953-1955. This signalled the start of his career as a worldwide concert organist. He was the organist of St Laurens Alkmaar from 1952 to 1987 and the city organist of the St Bavo church in Haarlem from 1956 to 1989. His numerous recordings on the Chandos label cover repertoire from Sweelinck to Messiaen.
Piet Kee with Andrzej Malitowski, James Orford and Joseph Beech
The organ was inaugurated at the Academy on 22 February with a recital by 4 of the organ department students playing works by Vivaldi, arranged by James Orford, Bach, Vierne, Eben and a piece for organ and harmonium composed specially for the day by Piet Kee, who had travelled from his home in Haarlem to welcome the organ to its new home. Pat Hurford, wife of Peter Hurford, who founded the St Albans International Organ Festival in 1963, was also present, together with Frits Elshout, Managing Directot of Flentrop Orgelbouw. Piet Kee served on the IOFS Jury a record 10 times.
Piet Kee with Organ Department Staff and Students
It is a delightful instrument with a clear sound and a remarkably warm and rich full ensemble despite its small size. The stops all blend in a variety of combinations and at different pitches to produce multitude colours. The touch is beautifully balanced and exact; and it will teach many generations of Academy organ students how to perfect their articulation with precisely controlled attack and release of the keys.
The Piet Kee organ now joins the Peter Collins organ formerly owned by the late Kenneth Ryder of St Peter Mancroft, Norwich, as the second Academy practice instrument. And the students also have the new Kuhn organ in the Dukes Hall and the Rieger of St Marylebone Parish Church to hone their skills.
David Wakefield
| I was the President of the Organ Club of Great Britain from 2009 to 2012 and I am a Vice president of the Eric Thompson Trust, which provides bursaries for specific educational projects for young professional organists; and I chair the Larkin Trust with similar aims but associated with St. Giles Cripplegate and the Royal College of Organists, of which I became a Trustee and Council Member in 2013. I was elected to the committee of SSLSO at the 2016 AGM.My interest in all things “organ” has gone from being an occasional hobby to something of an unpaid profession, through which I have developed a range of contacts and informants. I will try and find relevant items from the world of organs, organists and organ music to entertain and inform you each month. |
