'The pipe organ should be held in high esteem in the Latin Church as the traditional musical instrument, which by its sound can give special splendour to the ceremonies of the Church and fiercely stir hearts towards God and the things above.'

So says the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.

An organist in a church is often the first to look at the organ. Usually the organ is at the back of the church, high up on a gallery. But in the Krijtberg, it is on the first gallery on the right. Only in 1985, partly as a result of liturgical innovations in the 1960s, did it get its current place. Church members then become more involved in Mass in many ways. To accompany them properly, it is better if the organist sits closer to the people. So this arrangement was devised: the organ on the gallery, the console with the organist at the front of the church downstairs. From the console, the organ is electrically 'controlled'.

In the Cretaceous Church, Mass is celebrated every day. This is a given. However, the musical accompaniment to the masses is not fixed and is subject to change. The Krijtberg had a good choir that sang polyphonic masses, often with works by Dutch composers. Midway through the second decade of this century, a desire arose to give the congregation more opportunity to sing along. Now more Dutch hymns and single-voice masses are sung. Eventually, the permanent, polyphonic choir also disappeared. Nowadays, Mass on Sunday mornings is provided by a Gregorian choir. Saturday and Sunday evening celebrations sometimes feature a guest choir or singer. The choir is at the front of the church behind the organ console, close to the organist.

Wondering what the considerations were for moving the organ? Then listen on. There you can also hear part of the mass, recorded during a Sunday celebration. In it, a guest singer sings the Agnus Dei by Jean Langlais (1907-1991), accompanied by one of the organists of the Krijtberg.