Diatonic

Through mediation of Christophe Deslignes the friends of the Instrumentarium de la cathédrale de Chartres asked for the construction of a very small organetto after a simple 16th century sculpture within the cathedral. Since this image is very late for a portative organ, I suggested to carry it out with stopped lead-pipes. With my project I could prevail against my competitors and built a diatonic instrument of yew with 14 pipes. Right after the delivery of the instrument Christoph was filmed while testing it.

Stefan Madrzak of Soest got so excited about this, that some years later he ordered a similar organetto with two more and slightly lower pipes. His instrument has contemporary design and is introduced by him in this little film of improvised music.

Finally the leader of the Belgium ensemble Psallentes, Hendrik Van den Abeele, asked for this kind of instrument and I suggested to have the same lay-out with open pipes, whose sound are more coherent with the character of his group. I look forward to hearing it used with it.