​THE ORGAN TODAY

 

In 2016, the Jordi Bosch Organ Commission of the Parish of Santanyí was created due to the need to combine work and knowledge, to establish a common criterion for its maintenance and improvement and for the organisation of activities to achieve greater publicity of the organ, one of the most important assets of Santanyí and also Majorcan heritage.

 

The Commission meets to discuss all issues concerning the organ. Over these years, work has been done in the following areas:

 

1- Organ maintenance

 

Care is taken that the overall maintenance of the organ is carried out every year by the Gerhard Grenzing Company which, since 1978, has done all the instrument’s repairs and improvements.

 

2- Projects to improve the instrument

 

To this day, there are still the manuals (keyboards) that were installed on the organ in the 1957 restoration. These need to be replaced with a replica of the original ones. These have been conserved and although they are old and damaged, will serve as a guide.

 

In order for Jordi Bosch’s organ to once again shine in all its splendour it needs to be completed with the third division – the echo division – that has never been assembled in Santanyí. The fact of conserving (in the vaults above the chapels in the Church of Santanyí) relics as valuable as the old windchests of this part of the organ and also historical written documents means it is possible to understand how this part was, which is still missing from the instrument.

 

The Gerhard Grenzing Workshop has carried out a study on how this division should be and how it could be mounted in the organ.

 

3- Organ use

 

Apart from its liturgical use, the organ is also a concert instrument. We have three Festivals that serve as an introduction to it for the public:

 

PLENUM ORGANIS FESTIVAL

 

This has been held since 2015. It consists of around fifty concerts each year lasting thirty minutes which take place at midday on market days in Santanyí (Wednesdays and Saturdays) between the months of May and October, taking advantage of the large influx of visitors. Organists from the island and other locations who want to play this instrument take part in this cycle, as do organ students who are studying more advanced courses at the professional music Conservatoire.

 

AUDI SPIRITUS

 

This is a series that takes place in winter (usually one concert at Christmas and another at Easter) aimed primarily at local residents. These are concerts/shows where lots of people from the municipality take part, serving as a vehicle to bring everyone together. The idea is to show off the many features of the organ and to educate people about it. There have been various shows:

 

- Consueta de la Nit de Nadal, where around 50 people including actors and singers took part. Christmas 2017.

 

- Concert by Polissonia and Cor Marçal: Easter Week music. Easter 2018.

 

- Lecture: “Un orgue i un organista” about Father Aulí, organist at Sant Domingo, by Joan Ciria. May 2018.

 

- Organ and Christmas concert, by Bartomeu Mut. This concert inaugurated the exhibition “Bernat Vidal i l'orgue de Santanyí”. Christmas 2018.

 

- Plant de la Mare de Déu, that once again brought together around 60 people from the area, including actors and singers. Easter 2019.

- Set-cents anys del cant de la Sibil·la, a show conducted by Francesc Crespí, with the collaboration of the Sybil singers of Santanyí, Campos and Lluc, and the rendition of the Sibil·la de la Concepció (14th century). A choral consisting of members of the EMMS and Sant Andreu choirs also took part, as well as Rafel Riera, organist at the Santuari de Lluc. Christmas 2019.

 

- Confluències: de la música culta a la música popular. Concert with the participation of the group Entreveus plus Victorí Planells and Inés Mas. Christmas 2021.

 

FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE MÚSICA VILA DE SANTANYÍ

 

Each year this includes organ concerts. Below is the list of concerts held.

 

2016

 

Rafel Riera (organ) and Pep Burguera (trombone).

 

Lecture by Gerhard Grenzing on the recognition of the Jordi Bosch Organ and concert by Francesca Suau.

 

Organ concert by Tom Koopman.

 

2017

 

Organ concert by Martin Schmeding.

 

Organ concert by Jürgen Essl.

 

2018

 

Lecture by Gerhard Grenzing on the echo division. Concert by Juan de la Rubia.

 

2019

 

Organ concert by Miquel Bennàssar.

 

2020

 

Organ concert by Andrés Cea Galán.

 

2021

 

Organ concert by Tomeu Mut.

 

 

Bibliography:

 

Separata Estudis baleàrics no. 25. MIQUEL PONS i BONET.

 

Llibre d'orgues de les esglésies de Mallorca. ARNAU REYNÉS I ANTONI MULET

 

Documents from Santanyí Organ Archive.