Den Versen Eins orgeln

‘Organ & Poetry’ brings two great arts into dialogue with each other: the organ – revered by Mozart as the “queen of instruments” – meets contemporary poetry, spoken by authors of our time.

A concert format that opens up spaces for sound and thought.

Each event is a composition in its own right: the dramaturgy contrasts organ works – from Bach to Beat – with contemporary lyrical voices, sometimes in contrast, sometimes in echo, often in dialogue. Many of the contributions arise from a collaborative process – with specially developed improvisations between word and music.

Participants:

Jack Day (Great Britain), cantor of the Luisenkirche and master of organ improvisation, plays the historic Reil organ. Thomas Wohlfahrt, founder and long-standing director of the Haus für Poesie, is responsible for the literary selection and curatorial direction.

Dates:

6 July 2025: Norbert Lange

• poet, translator and essayist, known for his sonorous, experimental texts
  

On 6 July, poet Norbert Lange will be our guest, accompanied by classical organ works and improvisations by Jack Day.
With this concert, ‘Orgel & Lyrik’ is expanding its repertoire and inviting a poet who brings with him the peculiarities of another language area, which impressively enrich his linguistic art. Norbert Lange was born in Gdynia, Poland, in 1978 and grew up in the Rhineland as the child of late repatriates. His poetry is archaeological language work. It sets a high and calm tone, evoking myth in verse as well as its philosophical penetration, paired with often existential sensuality. This ‘condensation’ in the truest sense of the word is carried by a surprisingly high awareness of sound in his language.

The following organ works will be performed:

• Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, NL (1562 – 1621), Psalm 116
  
• Julius Reubke, D (1834 – 1858), Sonata 94, third and fourth movements
  
• Olivier Messiaen, F (1908 – 1992), Messe de la Pentecote, fifth movement: Sortie
  
• As well as improvisations by Jack Day