It’s Day Six of the 2018 Historic Organ Study Tour and we saw and heard four fine organs today but what impressed me the most today was an empty church—the site of the former Abbey at Payerne. The Romanesque building was as old as the 11th century and at one time served as a bell foundry, a granary, and even a fitness center after the monks were expelled in 1536 due to the Reformation. In 2014, though, it was determined that the building was deteriorating and in danger of falling over, so a massive restoration project was begun, and is scheduled to be completed in 2020.
Normally visitors are not allowed to go into the construction site, but our group got special permission to see the work in progress. The building is absolutely huge: 67 meters or 219 feet in length and is considered one of the finest examples of Romanesque interior design in Switzerland.
Our guide asked us to guess how many monks were in the former abbey, and we gave answers from 100 to 400. The correct answer was 12-30 and we were so surprised at seeing such a huge building for so few people. She also said that the monks were not saints, and there were all kinds of accounts in the archives about women in the monastery, and children that were sired there!
We began the morning at the Cathedral Church of St Nicholas in Fribourg where we first heard the Renaissance organ in the front of the sanctuary. It was built in the Italian style by Sebald Manderscheidt in 1637, with 2 manuals and pedal with 18 stops.
Next we heard the large 1834 Aloys Mooser organ, 4 manuals and pedal, one of the Romantic organ treasures of Switzerland. Unfortunately my number never came up so I didn’t get to play this instrument, but I did take pictures.
Notice the unusual pulls on the keyboard, known as the “shove” coupler!
Lunch was at the Holy Cow restaurant nearby then we drove out to Payerne to see the Église Paroissiale (the parish church), adjacent to the Abbey church. I was able to play the 1784 Melchior Grob organ which was restored by Jürgen Ahrend in 1993. It was a wonderful Baroque organ on which I had chosen to play Bach’s “Christe, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit.” I normally use a Cornet solo on this piece, but Christophe Mantoux encouraged me to only use the 8′ Principal so I was a little disappointed.
Our last church was the Reformierte Kirche (Reformed Church) at Köniz, and I think it was the first time I’ve seen a blue organ! This was a wonderful 1781 Josef Carl Maria Bossart organ and it was beautifully restored in 1985 to a Baroque instrument.
What was interesting was that there were two angels on the pedal towers which raise their trumpets as soon as the organ has sufficient wind. In the days before the electric blower, this was an important “wind indicator” for the organist, as well as for the minister and congregation!
Speaking of indicators, there was a huge hourglass on the pulpit to keep time for the preacher at the Parish Church at Payerne. Everyone supposedly was taking pictures of it which I missed. But it seems pretty funny that a preacher would have such an obvious timekeeper in full view of the congregation which he had to turn over at the beginning of his sermon! At least, that’s what we guessed it was for.