After nearly two years of silence, the baroque pipe organ at St Norbert Catholic Church in Kommetjie will fill the air with the timeless sounds of Johann Sebastian Bach for the church’s Christmas Day Mass.
The congregation and the public will be treated to a special pre-mass performance by William “Bill” Robson, 81, the man who built the organ by hand over three-and-a-half years.
Mr Robson will play a selection of Christmas carols such as In Dulci Jubilo by German organist and composer Samuel Scheidt and Jesu, meine Freude by Bach, among others, before mass begins, to set the tone for the festive celebration.
The service starts at 8am, and Mr Robson encourages everyone who wants to attend to be there at 7.30am for the pre-mass performance, which will be followed by a rendition of Bach’s Toccata in D minor after mass.
The organ was commissioned in 1991 by Father Smeets, who was from Belgium. He wanted to import a 1680 organ from the Norbertine Abbey in Belgium, but the Belgian government refused his request due to restrictions on exporting historic instruments. Father Smeets then persuaded Mr Robson to build an organ in the same style.
Mr Robson meticulously crafted every part of the organ himself, using tools that belonged to his grandfather, William Selway, who had purchased them second-hand in the 1880s. The oldest of these tools date back to 1735, adding an extra layer of historical significance to the project (“Echoes of the past in Bill’s handmade harpsichords,” Echo, February 10, 2022).
“This organ is completely handmade, and the final stages of its creation took place right here in the church,” said Mr Robson, adding that it is a pure baroque organ, tuned in the way they were in the 17th century, which makes it perfect for baroque music.
The church’s parish priest, Father Sebastian Pettapuzha, said the organ had been an integral part of the church, although it had not been used for almost two years as the church’s organist had been ill and then died about six months ago.
Father Pettapuzha said he was excited about Mr Robson’s return to play the organ, particularly for such a special occasion.
“He is the best person to play it, as he knows everything about it,” he said, adding that it would be wonderful if Mr Robson could play every Sunday.
Mr Robson said he would also be tuning the organ ahead of the service and had constructed special scaffolding to help him reach the higher pipes, as he was no longer able to climb ladders.
Father Pettapuzha said everyone was welcome to attend the service.
