Øsby Church
4. November 2025
Lyngby Church
7. January 2026
In 2025, we delivered a new organ to Højvangen Church in Skanderborg Parish. The church was built in 2024. Both the church building and the organ façade were designed by Henning Larsen Architects.
The organ comprises 21 stops + 2 transmitted stops, on 2 manuals and pedal, with mechanical action and electric stop action (prepared for a setzer system). The console niche can be closed with doors, which, when open, slide into ‘pockets’ on the side of the console. Access to the pipes is via a door in the base of the organ.
The swell is built into a swell box with horizontal shutters at the front. The main organ wind chest is supplemented with a pedal tone channels and action for the transmission of Trompet 8' and Bordun/Subbas 16'.
Off-board pipes (Bordun/Subbas 16' C-H, Præstant 16' C-gs0) are supplied by separate pallet boxes, which are controlled via Barker bellows (‘Moteur pneumatique’). The pedal section's Præstant 16' is located in the façade (from E). The organ’s base contains windchests for the pedal voices Octave 8’, Octave 4’ and Trombone 16’.
The bellows and blower are located above the ceiling in the adjacent foyer.
The disposition was developed in collaboration with the parish council’s organ consultant, Svend Prip.
In his approval statement, Torben Krebs, organ consultant to the Ministry of Church Affairs, writes:
The principal voices of the Great Organ blend together admirably. In addition to being the organ's ‘backbone’, the Principal 8' is also very well suited as a solo voice. It works tremendously well as a mixing register – also when it is supplemented with Flute 8' in the same division and/or in combination with all the organ's 8' voices, which is wonderful in a romantic context.
Bordun 16' in the Great gives breadth and depth, but does not ‘muddy’ the sound. Thanks not least to mixtures in the Great and in the Swell, the organ sound is given a mild and beautiful light – never sharp!
The organ's reed voices, with their balanced sound in relation to the rest of the disposition and the room as a whole, are very successful. The Great's Trumpet 8' (with transmission to the pedal) blends beautifully and contributes to giving the overall sound gravity and ‘punch’ and, as a solo voice, it works well without becoming too dominant in the room. The swell section’s Bassoon/Oboe 8' as both a solo and mixed voice paves the way for a substantial repertoire that includes French music. The Trombone 16' in the pedal sounds with authority, firmness and warmth – perfectly balanced in terms of power in relation to the room.
Mechanically, there is nothing to complain about: the action is fast, well-repeating and comfortable. With coupled stops, there is certainly ‘something to get hold of’, but the good repeating ability makes the playing feel pleasant and predictable.
Specifications:
I. manual
Great Organ:
Bordun 16’
Principal 8’
Fløjte 8’
Oktav 4’
Cornet (4’-2 2/3’-1 3/5’)
Superoktav 2’
Mixtur
Trompet 8’
II. manual
Swell Organ:
Quintadena 8’
Viola 8’ (conical)
Bordun 8’ (dobb. labium from a1)
Piffaro 8’
Coppula 4’
Waldfløjte 2’
Larigot
Mixtur
Fagot/Obo 8’
Tremulant
Pedal:
Præstant 16’ (facade)
Subbas 16’ (tr.)
Oktavbas 8’
Superoktav 4’
Basun 16’
Trompetbas 8’ (tr.)
Couplers:
I+II, P+I, P+II