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Happy memories of an Organist
I am not sure that I can tell you what the exact date was when my fascination with the organ be can. It must have been at the beginning of the war of 1940-1945.
My Dad came home with an old organ, a so called Harmonium or better known as a Pedal Organ. I believe that he obtained this instrument from a client in lieu of payment of furniture sold. It came with a fine looking oak cabinet and although the instrument was in a good condition some work needed to be done such as cleaning some of the reeds and the binding that connected the pedal to the windbag but there was lots of binding in Dad's workshop and after this some cleaning inside was done we were ready to play. Unfortunately none of us knew how to play so Opa Jzerman, my Maternal Grandfather, offered to teach me the different between the big white keys and the smaller black keys above the white. And than Opa explained the different scales and than he let me play!!! and my first music lesson had started and I played a whole scale, c-d-e-f-g-a-b-c.!!! This was it!! I knew how to play the organ!! However, during the organ lessons from Opa I discovered that Opa could only play in a few scales and when it came to more playing a Hymn in a different scales such as 3 flats or 3 or more sharps he would quickly turn the page to another Hymn mostly the ones that were written in C. During on of our lessons I asked Opa to play some song for me that I knew was beyond his scale knowledge. Of course this was a dirty trick but I was very surprised to hear him play it perfectly until I watched his fingers and noticed that he played this song by memory and in the scale of C.
I did practiced a lot at home and soon I was capable of playing some of the easier Hymns and learned to play well known songs by ear and had some good and enjoyable sing-songs with my sister Hannie, Reini and brother Henk. All three had excellent voices.
My Mother started to see me as a world famous organist and sent me to our Church Organist, Mr. Knipscheer for more and better lessons and when my parent had visitors I often was kept home so as to demonstrate how good Reijer played the old Harmonium!!
However, this vision was not shared by the next person that came into in my path of becoming a famous organist. Had Mr. Knipscheer known about the frustrations waiting for him he would have removed my name from his Student List. It did not take very long for both of us, student and teacher, to became frustrated and the future of ever becoming an organist grew dimmer at each lesson. I take most of the blame as I always wanted to play rather than study dead and boring instructional stuff. But Mr. Knipscheer was a very grumpy man and often in a bad and over bearing mood. The end of our relationship occurred soon during a Worship Service in our Church. As students {?} we were at times invited to be with him at the organ site, way high up at the organ bench. This Sunday was my time to be there and to observe his playing and watching his hand, his feet. As I was standing beside him with my back to a large panel with several different holes, some small, some bigger and at the same time watching the feet of Mr. Lknipscheer pressing down on these large wooden slats I knew to be the pedals I noticed air sucking through those large holes behind me. I put my hand over one of the larger holes, knowing it to be one of the louder pedal basses and watched until his feet would press down on that pedal which was blocked by my hand. What happened next I will never forget!! When the moment came the congregation heard a terrible sound, almost like a large fart, Mr. Knipscheer turned to my innocent looking face and his face turned from white to purple but I give him credit, he was a good organist and continued the required number of verses of the Hymn. However, once the singing was finished so was my presence at the organ loft. Leaving the organ bench he went to the door, opened it and invited me to pass through it. I never went through that door again,
nor through the door of his Music Studio. End of Organ lessons No. 2. In 1951 and being engaged to Mies Dussuljee we made an enormous decision to Immigrate to New-Zealand. Leaving Holland in June 1952 and in Dec. 23, 1953 we married in John Knox Presbyterian Church. Before our marriage I met up with another immigrant, Chris Van Der Oest and we became very close friends. We found a boarding place with an old lady, Miss Villiers. She was a very and often over-religious member of the Baptist Church and constantly was trying to convert us to the one and only Church on earth, the Local Baptist Church.
It was about that time that I heard that the local Anglican Church had an organ for sale. A two manual organ with an electric motor. I went to see it and the price was unbelievable!!. Only 5 Pounds!! I grabbed it quickly and they stored it until further notice as I had to speak to Miss Viliers first and ask for permission to have this rather large instrument in our room, which was a combination of living and bedroom quarters. Miss Villiers was thrilled with the idea of an organ in her home. Any Christian home {Baptist of course} should have such an instrument to sing to the Glory of the Lord. I made arrangements for delivery with my employer's truck driver Bill, a kind hearted but often 'rough mouthed' man. On the day of delivery Miss Villiers, all excited, opened the door and seeing the rough looking Bill saw an opportunity here for her evangelism.
As we struggled to get through the door into our room she asked Bill: '' Mister, do you like music?'' to which Bill answered: '' I sure do Mam!!'' and Miss Villiers pounced on the moment and said:'' But, Sir, music should not be the main thing in your life'', to which Bill happily answered: '' Off course not, Mam, the main thing is money and loads of it!!'' Poor Miss Villiers looked horrified and left this heathen with us and disappeared into her own living room. I did feel sorry for her, although often misguided the poor soul meant well. And, she never complained about the mess I made in our room when working on my very own 2 manual organ. I dismantled, cleaned and re-installed the parts, cleaned and polished the wood and one night already in my pajamas and putting the last screw it was all finished and the moment had arrived!!
Although rather late I could not wait and switched the motor on, pulled some stops and put my fingers on a cord but there was dead silence, although the motor ran rather noisily but no music was heard!!
What now? What was wrong? Where did I goof up into replacing all those parts? As it was by now rather late at night I decided to go to bed. I will solve the problem tomorrow. I turned of the light and crawled into bed. Turning on to my left side I was suddenly and painfully stabbed by something rather sharp. Turning on the light and holding my hand on my painful chest there was a lump on my pajama pocket and lo and behold I fished out a large screw and immediately I knew that screw would solve my problem of the organ not responding as it should. This screw belonged the organ's wind chest and not being there and instead in my pajama pocket no air could stay in this wind chest and no air would flow into the organ pipes. I could not wait until the morning, got up and opened up the organ works again and installed this small but very imported organ component.
This did not take very long but what now? It should be working now but would it? By now it was after midnight, my friend Chris was away and not sleeping here that night but what about Miss Villiers? Would I wake her and face her wrath? But I could not resist the temptation and switched on the motor, pulled a few very soft stops and put my fingers on the keyboard and IT WORKED!!
I felt like Mr. Knipscheer, sitting behind a great console and playing a great big pipe organ!! And in my happiness and enjoyment I became a little too
en fused and pulled a few more stops when suddenly the door opened and a white ghostly figure entered the room. Miss Villiers in long night attire, complete with nightcap. Here I had an old Baptist lady, in night clothes in my bedroom.
Expecting her to be very upset with me and bawl me out as she sometimes did but she said: '' O, this is so nice, this sounds so good'' and play some more!!'' and proceeded to sink down on the couch to listens to some more!!
Some years ago Chris, my best friend and my best man on my wedding went to be with the Lord. But some years before that we went back to New-Zealand and had a great time with him and his wife Alyson. We reminiscent about our good old days in Dunedin but I don't think he ever believed my story about my first ''concert'' on my 2 manual organ with Miss Villiers in attendance complete with nightgown and cap. ''But Miss Villiers always said you were an unbeliever, Chris, because you smoked!!''
As my parents 25th Wedding Anniversary appeared and we could not be there we decided to send them an unique message. We called on a recording firm and we
recorded our message and congratulations on a 12 inch waxed record and I finished it off by playing on this organ the Hymn: ''Our God and Help in ages passed''.”
When this recording arrived in Holland I believe that every member of the family, uncles, aunts and neighbors alike heard this recording or heard about it!!
'' This is our Reijer playing the organ.'' This wax recording proved to my mother that I had become a good Organist!! ''Hello'', Mr. Knipscheer, ''against all odds and your foreboden , my son is an Organist!!''
When we got married the organ came in very handy besides the enjoyment of music. As our ''flat' had a very large living room it served also as a divider between the living are and our bedroom.
Sometime after our wedding on Dec.23rd. 1953 at Knox Presbyterian Church and attending a Sunday morning Worship Service I walked over to the very front of the Church were the Church organist, Mr.Roy Spackman was just wrapping up. This Church had a great big pipe organ and a fantastic console with 3 manuals and an enormous amount of stops and gadgets. which, to me, the owner of a 2 manual harmonium, was rather overwhelming just to look at. As I feasted
on this scene, Mr. Spackman, who was dearly known in this Congregation as ''Spacky'', looked up and smiled. ''You look bewildered', he said. This was an understatement. He did recognized me as he had played the organ on our wedding and asked: '' Do you play?'' ''No'', I said:'' I just play the old pedal organ'' { should have added: ''but it got 2 manual organ!!''} ''Well'', came the answer, '' ''This is just the same. You play the harmonium, you can play this organ!'' O. sure, look at my little squeeze box and look at this monster. Noway, Jose! Mr. Spackman than explained that he sometimes is badly in need of someone to take his turn but there are so few that are able to play a pipe organ. Well, I am one of those. But here comes an offer that changed my hesitation somewhat. ''How about I give you a key of the Church and a key of the organ and you can practice'' . ''But what about all these foot pedals'' I asked. ''Nothing to it'' says this professional organist, ''I will give you a few lessons and you be on your way''. Well, is this not something!! In the early days of my musical adventure I get kicked off the organ bench and here is a guy that begs me to come and sit down!! A bit shakenly I took him up on his offer and during the following few weeks Spacky introduced me to the pedals of this great organ. Working close by the Church I sometimes dropped in the Church for a quick practice and playing a few Hymns or some short pieces on this magnificent instrument. What a thrill!! ''Mother, you should see your son now!! And tell Mr. Knipscheer!!''
I believe the following happened no more than 4 or 5 weeks later and on a Thursday evening. While at our home at Garfield Ave somebody knocked on the door. Opening I saw to my surprise the Rev . Ian Matheson, the Pastor of Knox Church. He had a message for me. Mr. Spackman ,while in Wellington as a Judge in a Choir competition had a heart attack and was fortunately recuperating in a Hospital in Wellington. The person designated to play in case of an emergency was also out of town and since I was ''in town'' , ''I was it'' ''I was what??'' I was to play this Sunday for the Worship Service at Knox Presbyterian Church. The Pastor left me with the ever assuring New-Zealand expression: '' You'll be alright, mate!!'”
“”””
The following day and right after work I went to the Church for some more practice but knowing what was ahead for me I did not do too well and the scary thoughts and forebodings remained with me. I just practiced the hymns for that Sunday and returned the following Saturday morning, practiced, practiced, went across the street for lunch and practiced some more and some more and came home more nervous than before and had a big blister on my bum from sliding across that organ bench.
{Knox Church Organ consul at right}
Well, Evening passed on and made way for the night and slowly the night gave away to a new morning and it was a Sunday Morning and we had to go to Church, and that big Church with that very big organ, with it's many stops and with that very large pedal board and: And I had to play!!. I remember sliding over onto the organ bench and drying my hands with my handkerchief. I should have brought a sheet!! Before the beginning of the service I had chosen and practiced a simple and well known Hymn with very soft stops and suddenly during this Prelude I seem to loose that scare feeling, managed to find another beautiful stop and repeated this Hymn several times with yet another stop and even dared to fantasize a bit on this Hymn. Most of the Hymns during the main Service were mostly well known to me and the Congregation, and bar a few small boobies I think I did not too bad. This was confirmed to me by my employer, Eric Hill, a man known not to pass on compliments too easy. Meeting up with him after the Service he tipped me on the shoulder and said: '' Not bad, no not bad!''. Than I knew I did alright!!. ''Hear that, Mr. Knipscheer?'' After that first time I was really privileged many times to sit on that bench and play that great instrument at Knox Presbyterian Church, George Street, Dunedin. New-Zealand.
However, it was good to see Mr. Spackman return to his rightful place completely recovered from his heart attack. ''Thank you, Spacky, for the opportunity you gave me. I will never play like you but I learned a lot and my love for the pipe organ will be for ever.
As there were many Dutch Immigrants in Dunedin and many more to arrive, the Presbyterian Church had invited a Dutch Pastor from the Dutch reformed Church in Holland to come and work among those Immigrants. This Pastor, Tom Everts and his wifeAnn became good friends of ours. At one time I had the opportunity to travel with him for a week all through to Province of Otago to visit those Dutch immigrants who lived too far away to attend Church. He also started a monthly Dutch Service, this being held at the St. Kilda Presbyterian Church. Since I received my ''Organist baptism'' at the Knox Presbyterian Church I was invited to play for the monthly Dutch Services. Another Church, another organ and a new experience and more learning opportunities. I remained connected with these Dutch Services here in Dunedin until a great job offer came my way and we moved to Auckland in December 14th. 1959.
I became an employee of Kelvin Manufacturing Ltd and subsequently with Kelvin Industries Ltd at Queen Street, Onehunga, Auckland. This importing company dealt with many countries all over the world including Holland and we imported many goods from the well known firm of Honig's of Zaandam. I had the opportunity to travel a lot and visiting many grocery chains to promote all our famous Honig's products to the New-Zealand stores.
Again we connected with the Presbyterian Church in Auckland and met and made many new friends among the Dutch immigrants as well New-Zealanders. Also here in Aucland, the Presbyterian Church had ''imported' a Dutch Pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church. And we soon made contact with this Dutch Pastor, Bert Denee and his wife Mia. Also here in Auckland there would be a Worship Service in the Dutch language once a month. And would you know it? There was a shortage of organists in many of Auckland's Churches including at this monthly Dutch service so when Bert Denee heard that Ray Hulstein could play the Pipe organ I heard the same words here as in Dunedin: '' You are it'' and I became the chosen one to play for these monthly services, this time in one of Aucklands oldest and most beautiful Churches, the Khyber Pass Presbyterian Church. Although the organ was not as large as the Church in Dunedin it still took me awhile to start feeling comfortable with but after a few times leading the singing in those worship services I felt ''at home on that bench''.
One of our good and many friends in Auckland were Joop and Ans Schmit. Joop also had a great ''musical hobby' and he played the Trumpet and, boy, was he ever good at it. What a joy it was to be in that great Church and play the Organ and Trumpet together!! I don't think that both Joop and I will ever forget the Easter Service of 1958 in this Khyber Pass Church. We really had to practice for this Service as we were told that this Easter Service would be recorded and
broadcast in Holland via the Dutch Radio Station, the NCRV, these initials meaning the Netherlands Christian Radio Company. Not only did we think we did alright but many years later while on our regular visits from Canada to Holland we met some old friends who told us: ''Yes, we heard this broadcast and you guys did alright!!''. I remember Joop's comments after the Service: ''What do you know!! '' Not bad for 2 amatures''. I always will have very fond memories of that time in Auckland's Khyber Pass Church, leading the singing and with the accompanying of Joop Schmit and his Trumpet.
In 1954 my parents, brother and 9 sisters had immigrated to Vancouver, Canada. In the year 1959 we, here in Auckland, well settled and surrounded by many friends and some of them indeed very close friends we made the nevertheless very difficult decision to leave New-Zealand and join the family in Canada. One of the reason was father Hulstein's illness and the many request we received from the family to join them there. We left Auckland on December 14, 1959 and sailed for 14 days on the P and O liner, the Arcadia, via Fiji and Hawaii to Vancouver.
A totally new life, first for us a hard life with many moments of home sickness to New-Zealand, which had really become ''Our Home''. But while I am writing this I am thankful to the Lord, Who accompanied us here like He did in New-Zealand. And we have many reasons to be thankful.
Having arrived in Vancouver we again started to look for a Church as where to worship. My family here in Vancouver belonged to the First Vancouver Christian Reformed Church and they were hoping for us to join with them there. But we, still being Presbyterians, we ''shopped around'' a bit for a Church where we would feel at home and comfortable. But at the end we made the decision to become also members of the Christian Reformed Church. This Church had 2 Organists, Mr. Sellers and Mr. Dick Vos. This Church had at the time of our joining a rather small but nice sounding organ. It was bought from a local Radio Station, CJOR and it was one unit, the organ works and the bench with the pipes built on top. Even before joining this Church this Congregation was well informed that Mother Hulsteins son, Ray, who had recently arrived from New-Zealand was an Organist. And Mother Hulstein said that he was good!! She could vouch for that because she had a 12 inch wax record on which his playing was recorded!!
The call for ''the Bench'' came soon but unfortunately because of the sudden death of Mr. Sellers through a serious heart attack. Mr. Sellers had been the Organist at Vancouver First for many years and this Congregation always spoke very highly of this gentleman, as a person and as an Organist. Beside Dick Vos later on we also had Dick Van Randen as an Organist and the three of us really got along good together. I so remember so well the night the three of us went to a concert at the Queen Elizabeth Theater were the world famous and our very favorite Organist, Virgil Fox gave a concert on his enormous Allan Organ. After seeing this man play, watching his hand and feet fly all over the organ and leaving the theater Dick Vos remarked: '' Well, fellow organist, are we continuing on or are we quitting??'' A few year later Dick Vos left us as he decided to worship at another Church and another denomination. Dick van Randen continued for many years until his death in Feb. 2005. Dick and I had become very close friends and his passing away was a great loss to me. Often when getting together after Church with our families we spend great times behind his organ and afterwards we would sit down and reminiscen and laughed a lot about some of the bad moments ''while on the bench''. Yes, funny things, embarrassing as well awkward things do happen while behind the organ.
Like the wedding of a couple in our Church. Having been asked to play for this wedding I met with the future Bride and Groom, and discussed the music before the Bride's arrival, the preference of which Wedding March and how many Bride Maids will go before the Bride. A very important question for the Organist as he will start the ''arrival of the Bride'' music when the last attendant has arrived at the front of the Church. Well, I was told, just one Brides Maid and one Flower girl. Well, that makes two persons, right?. So here comes that day and that moment. While softly playing some music and watching the aisle through the mirror I see the flower girl entering and walking slowly to the front and when she arrived there I see the Bride Maid appearing in my little mirror and the moment she reached the front I pull some nice and loud sounding stops and start off: 'Here Comes The Bride''. Not quite at the end of the first bar I glanced in my mirror again and could not believe what I saw!!”The Bride whom I had known for quite some time and spoke to her yet that same week, had suddenly grown into a very large, very big and rather old looking Bride!!
I immediately knew that something was not right here and pushed back most of the stops and returned to me nice and soft music. When this, to me unknown person had reached the front I looked into the mirror, expecting more surprises but saw a person waiting who looked like the girl I knew and once again I pulled all the stops and played the requested :'' Her comes the Bride'' again and this time
for the right person, the real Bride. Later during the reception I asked the couple if there had been a misunderstanding as I believe that 2 person were supposed to enter before the Bride. ''O, we are so sorry'' My auntie suddenly turned up for this wedding and we asked her to be the Matron of Honor. But we forgot to tell you!!'' Then I find out that ''Auntie', well over 50 year old, is single and never married. Here I was playing the ''Here comes the Bride'' for Auntie!!. I might have given her a thrill but I was a bit ''shaky' during the rest of the wedding procedure, I tell you!!
And than there was the other wedding!! Bride and Groom and attendants nicely lined up at the front, some large silver stands with beautiful flowers in front of them. The Pastor {I will not divulge his name} has a long, long sermon and kept all the wedding party standing while he preached and preached until the Bestman while keeping his body straight and stiff landed with his face into the flowers, knocking the stand and flowers to the floor and he himself out cold among the mess!! He must have had enough of it!!. But he revived and survived this wedding!!
Have you ever noticed that in many of the older type Churches the Organists are often hidden away? Sometimes you find the organ console on the left side of the Church with a curtain hiding the Organist, some times you find the organ on the right side again and the organ player hidden behind a wooden trellis. Sometimes you do not see the organ console and the Organist at all because they have the poor man hidden away high up in the loft and behind a nice row of organ pipes.
I do not really know the reason for keeping him out of sight of the Congregation. Maybe they do this since there are people like me who love to watch an Organist sitting behind the organ and that may make them nervous? Or could it be that our attention should be on the Preacher and his sermon rather than the Organist and that great looking instrument? In any case, having been hidden away myself many times I do know that although you may not see me, I can see you!! Because all hidden Organists have a little ''spyglass' in the form a mirror. This is so that he can see when the Deacons are just about finished with the collection, also that Mr. Jones who always sits 5 pews back from the front in the middle aisles had as usual fallen asleep again and another reason and a very important one, he can see in that little mirror that the last person has gone out of the door and he can stop playing because by that time certain part of his autonomy has had enough! In Vancouver First I was only partly hidden but did have that mirror that allowed me to watch the procedure of the Deacons and to see when I could stop playing. But one day fine Sunday morning I wished not to have had that mirror. After the sermon the Minister announced the next Hymn and that Hymn had 7 verses and pretty long ones for that. Just after verse 2 I was distracted by some odd movement in that mirror but had to keep concentrating on the music in front of me. By about verse 4 I happened to glanced again into the mirror and saw the oddest thing!! Let's keep the man nameless but here he was singing his heart out while with his left hand reaching up into the air making a squeezing movement, retracted his arm downwards and repeating this odd movement over and over. I thought first that he had become a Pentecostal list but they do this mostly with both arms and hands in the air, don't they? This going on started to get me nervous and told myself not to keep looking as I was going to goof up and than all the attention would than be on me, partly hidden or not. But I did reach the end of verse 7 and the rest of the service went all well. After the service I found out that the reason for the '' hand and arm action'' was as follows: This gentleman had been bugged for the longest time during the sermon by a spider that had started to come down from the ceiling and this spider decided to hang exactly in the line of his vision between him and the Pastor so during the singing this gentleman saw an opportunity to deal with this most annoying spider once and for all. But the spider played '' You catch me, you catch me not'' and therefor this continuous action of this arm and fist going up and down!!.
H Happy moments of an Organist??
In the year 1967 we bought our first home in Richmond but continued worshiping
at Vancouver First. Beside playing the organ a few other commitment such as the Calvin Cadets and being a member of the Consistory of Vancouver Firstit was not until May 1968 we transferred our Church membership to the Richmond Christian Reformed Church. This also because our son, Robert, who turned 6 years old in March was enrolled at the Richmond Christian School, te start his schoolling in September. Barely settled in this for us, a new Church and Congregation, I received, although not unexpected, a call for ''The Bench'' to join up with Gerda Bosma, However, this time not behind a Pipe Organ but a 2 manual electronic Allan Organ with a large speaker hung overhead on the wall behind me. I must admit that for an electronic organ it sounded quite nice and had some very fine stops but with, at least that time,a large congregation, one had to be careful not to pull all the stops and '' burped'' the speaker. And this time the Organist was not hidden but sat on his organ bench in the back of the Church. The only face to be seen by me belonged to the Pastor although also 
somewhat far away and for the rest, rows and rows of backs belonging to this Richmond Congregation. I love to lead in singing but I really prefer to face the singing Congregation.!'' When their voices are coming towards you, you can so much better gage their response as you lead the singing. When your Hymn is like a prayer and you have turned down the volume you want them to respond to this and at other times when the words of a Hymn speaks of God's Greatness and His Majesty and you sing : ''How great Thou art'' than you not only want to hear their voices responding but I love to see the corresponding expressions on their faces while singing ''full out!'' I always missed that while being somewhat stuck in the back of the Church. But this has now all changed and today, and as an Organist, I feel that where the consul of the Organ is today, the Organist is with the Congregation.
In the years that we lived in Richmond we were fortunate to make holiday visits to the Hawaiian Islands. In one of the earlier trips to Oahu and while strolling through the old part of Honolulu we came across the beautiful Kawaiahao Church at Punch Bowl Street. This Church was built by the early missionaries and opened in the year 1842. This impressive building of worship was build by Hiram Bingham and built with more than 14000 coral blocks all taken from the reefs of Honolulu. As we entered the Church we heard some beautiful voices coming from the Balcony and my eyes fell on a choir group and a great big pipe organ. As I saw the choir members leaving I found the stairway winding up to the Balcony and noticed that the Organist was just about closing the Organ consule when he waived me on to cone forward and invited me to have a look at this real big keyboard!! After I introduced myself and mentioned that we came from the Vancouver area I was surprised to hear that the Organist was well aware of the beautiful surroundings of Vancouver and that he had visited our area a few times and was very impressed with that part of BC. After asking me :'' Do you play?'' and I told him that at the present time I was an Organist in Richmond. He than asked me were I was staying. As I informed him that we were staying at the Royal Kuhio in Waikiki he than said;' I am sorry, but I have to leave now and have to close up but if you would like to tryout the organ why don't you meet me here tomorrow morning. Take the no. 8 bus from Waikiki and meet me here just after 8.30 a.m. and I will open the organ for you, give you some info and off you go''. ''When you are finished leave the key at the office''. ''And if you want to play later, get the key from the Office and I will put your name in the ''Allowed Book''. You bet that I was there in the morning, arriving on the No. 8 bus right on time and after have been shown the workings of this magnificent instrument he left me with: ''See you later and have fun'' And fun I had. I played for more than 2 hours. I also found out that those rows of Trumpets sticking out of the wall and way behind me at the other end of the Church, were no ''dummies' but real State Trumpets!! What a sound and what a thrill to play this great instrument at the Church known as theWestminsterAbby of Honolulu. I did return for another day before returning to Richmond and ourElectronic Allen Organ.
{see below: The Hawaiian Organ}
The following year we returned to Oahu for another holiday and this time I had taken with me a copy of one of our songs in our Hymn Book, No 518, and known to us as ''The Creedal Song'' and the words of :'' In God the Father I believe” The tune and the words were written by Frank de Vries, some years ago a teacher of our Vancouver Christian School and in Smithers. Meeting the Organist at the Kawaiahao Church once again I presented him with this copy of the Creedal Song and he played this music composed by Frank de Vries on the Organ. I wished that Frank could heard this!!. Being very impressed with the words and the melody the Organist than decided that the Choir should practice this Hymn at their regular Thursday evening practice and would perform this on the following Sunday. And would you know it!!! Our flight back to Richmond was on Saturday evening and we missed this great opportunity to hear Frank de Vries his Creedal Song performed in this Church and with this great choir and organ!!! Today in Richmond we often have the pleasure of having Frank de Vries with us at our our weekly '' coffee klats'' at the Dairy Queen here in Richmond with members of our Church and nearby Churches. But be informed! This is a male affair!!. Men only!!
I knew that Gerda Bosma was not too keen on the Electronic Allen Organ and so were a few more people such as Gerda's Dad, Mr. Van Dop, my good friend Ray Koot and a few other members. So these people got together and looked in to the possibility of a Pipe Organ. And early 1980 an Organ Fund was established. Donation were received, Gerda started selling teaspoons but the main contributor to our Organ Fund was Mr. Martin van Dop. Being a Nursery man he cultivated a piece of land and planted many little trees and when grown to the required size he sold them and and he contributed the profit to our Organ Fund. I do believe that some of this amount in the Fund came also out of his ''back pocket'. And one day Mr. Van Dop, Gerda Bosma and Ray Koot went to Victoria to visit a well known Dutch Organ builder, Mr High Spilker to investigate the possibility of a Pipe organ to be built in our Church. After this Mr. Spilker made a visit to our Church to see for himself as to the best possible place to build an organ and he had a plan for our Church ''handy men'' to erect a structure on which to build the organ. Quite some preparations!!. The pulpit was to be removed, and u-shaped structure, about 10 ft. high and 15 ft. wide to be build on which a platform should rest to hold the Organ loft. Below this high platform, chambers should be made in which to place all the electrical components needed for this organ. When this structure would be finished the installation of the organ could start. Mr. Spliker quoted the First Christian Reformed Church for the installation of this 12 rank organ for the sum of $40.000 . {Today worth around $.100.000??}
For many Sunday worship services we could watch the progress being made by 2 of our members, Hans Verhoef and Fred Kolkman just to get this Organ housing build. And a beautiful job these gentleman made!!.
And once they were finished Mr. High Spilker came in and started the installation of our new Pipe organ. And every following worship service we were able to watch the progress that was being made during the week. A big thank you also goes to Ray Koot who spend so many days and hours to assist Mr. Spilker in building this beautiful instrument. I would drop in many times to watch the progress made and to learn many aspects of the workings of this organ. The consul itself was placed at the front of the Church and at the right hand corner where one would have a clear view of the Congregation while playing. Standing at the back of the Church and viewing the installed pipes it looked very impressive. The smallest pipes were placed at the left and right hand side of the organ and the next size placed beside it and so on until both the right and left hand placed pipes came together at the very top where 2 letters are place. An A and an O, the two letters of Alpha and Omega, ''I am the Beginning and the End''. Mr. Spilker explained to me that as your eyes follow the pipes upwards you cannot help it but end up giving all the Glory to Him, who is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.
And so came the long anticipated day!! The inauguration of our Pipe Organ on Pentecost Day, 1987. And what a great worship Service it was. I felt very honored to be chosen to play this new and great sounding instrument at the opening of this special day. For an extra dramatic moment in showing of this organ we decided to first use the Electronic Allen Organ for the Prelude and the first Hymn and a short Prayer after which I than closed the Allen Organ walked through the aisle towards the new organ consul at the front and right hand site of the Church. I felt all the eyes of the Congregation on me as I moved on the Organ bench. I paused for a moment just to check my emotions and to stop shaking and than put my hands on the keyboard and played a short interlude of the Chosen Hymn for this occasion and than opened up the volume of Organ and we sang for the very first time with this Organ: ''When morning gilds the sky, our hearts awaking cry; May Jesus Christ be praised!!'' Since many people from other areas had joined us on this special day our Church was filled with worshipers and the singing hit the rafters!!''. You could feel the emotion in their singing!! And when we came the last Stanza: ''Then let us join to sing to Christ, our loving King'' and coming to the last bar I really opened up and the Organ thundered: ''May Jesus Christ be praised!!''. The emotions of that moment were well described by one member of our Church who said after the Service: '' This was a great moment I will never forget and I had the goose pimples all through the singing!!''. Believe me. John van der Graaf, so did I!!. What an unforgeable moment!!. Gerda Bosma also
played during this Service ands I remember how she so ably showed of the softer and finer tones of this instrument during the offering. When a few years later, a well known Dutch Organist, Mr. Zwart, came to our area he also gave a concert in our Church. And, he of course was just the right man to show the capabilities of our Organ. The day before the concert I was sitting beside him while he did his practicing and made this comment to me:'' I am playing on many larger Organs, in Canada, Holland and many other European countries but I tell you that you have a real fine and great instrument here. Very good to handle and a beautiful romantic sound'. And we in Richmond say: '' Amen'' to that!!
Later on Gerda and I were joined by Mell Ras, a very good Organ Partner and friend who is also very able to express himself on this Organ and we all enjoy his playing. All through the last years I have greatly enjoyed the partnership and friendship of Gerda and Mel and continue to do so even after me retirement as an organist on March 24th. 2002. After more than 30 years playing here in Richmond I felt the need to take things a little easier and since I also served as an Elder in this Church I informed both organist and the Church Council that I would like to retire and play for the last time on Sunday, March 24th 2202. On this, for me, the last Sunday as an organist I had asked permission to read a short story which was called: '' the Parable of the Pipe Organ'', a beautiful description of the relationship of a Pipe Organ, the Congregation and the Lord Jesus Christ, written by Rodney. C. Murrow. At the finish of this reading I was stopped from returning to the Organ bench by Carl Grootendorst, a member of our Music committee, as he came forward and spoke of the many years I had served this Church as an organist and offered words of appreciation on behave of the Music Committee and the Congregation. Carl than handed me a beautiful plaque in the form of a scroll which states:
Presented to Ray Hulstein. We thank God for the many years of faithful service as Organist in our Church. Your music was an inspiration and a blessing to each one of us. With heartfelt appreciation,
Richmond Christian Church, March 24th. 2002.
I than returned to the Organ bench, played the last Hymn and Doxology and while the Church slowly emptied I played my last Postlude: '' Joyful, Joyful we adore Thee'' and closed the Organ, went home and hung this beautiful and much appreciated plaque on the wall of our den. This plaque means a lot to me for several reasons. The appreciation as expressed by the Congregation of Richmond for one, but for me personally, it means even more than just that. It answers a question that I have asked myself many times: '' Lord, why have You in your Wisdom given some Organists, such as Mr. Gerrit Janz. Zwart, Power Briggs, Feike Asma, Virgil Fox and so many more other, well known Organists, talents of a hundred fold and me just, may be a one, may be a five fold only?''. It would have been so great I I had been able to play like them!! It would have been so great to have been able tot tour the world and give concerts in famous Churches!!. But one day when I read the inscription on this plaque again I found the answer. There is this beautiful parable in the Bible about the talents given to each one of us. Some a hundred, some fifty, some only five talents. The question is: '' What are you doing with the talent given to you?
As an Organist I always asked for the Sunday Hymns a few days before the Service. I always wanted to know the text that is being preached on and the name or caption of the Sermon. I always want to read over all the verses of a Hymn so as to decide the volume of the Organ in the leading of the singing.
Prayerful? We sing this softly. Does a verse speak of the Majesty of God?
Does it say;'' How great Thou art?'' Let's open up and really sing to his Glory!!
And something I always found very important is the moment when the Church is quiet during the time the offering is being taken. This why it was so important for me as an Organist to know the text being preached on and the heading of the Sermon so that at that time we do not give a performance but a message and a link to the Sermon just preached. And many times after the Service I have received comments of appreciation by members of our Congregation who felt blessed by the music being played during the offering. Comments like: "You and the Pastor must get together before, because so often your offertory playing complements the Sermon''. And those comments and the words on the plaque such as: '' Your music was an inspiration and a blessing to us'' has stopped me from asking; ''Why did You give me such a small talent compared to others?''
Today, looking back over all those years of playing the Organ and in my own small way having been able to play to His Glory and having been able to leave a message and bless some one with the music of the Pipe Organ I can truly say now; '' Thank You, Lord, for having given me the talent, the capability and the enjoyment of making the Organ sing to Your Glory and to Your Honor.''
Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer's praise,
The glories of my God and King
The triumphs of His grace.
My gracious Master and My God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honor of Your Name.
Ray Hulstein. Email:
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Richmond April 2007
