Large and massive and yet so sensitive: the long drought of the summer has taken its toll on some of the organs in Bavaria. What helps against this and why the problem with autumn has not been solved.
Munich (dpa / lby) - Instead of festive sounds, only hissing and whistling - because of the heat, some church organs in Bavaria no longer worked properly. The drought this summer was a particular challenge for the musical instruments. The Diocese of Würzburg received reports of damaged instruments almost every day, as reported by Rainer Aberle, regional cantor and official organ expert. In the archdiocese of Munich and Freising there were also "in some cases" indications of heat-related damage.
According to the diocese of Eichstätt, the musical instruments react so sensitively to the weather because of the sensitive components and materials. Wood, in particular, reacts as an organic material to changes in temperature and humidity, explained a spokesman from Munich. This could temporarily or permanently affect the shape, sound and durability of instruments.
If the humidity drops below 55 percent, shrinkage cracks could occur in the wood, for example, explained Aberle from the Diocese of Würzburg. With humidity below 30 percent, which was partly the case this summer, “the situation becomes dramatic”. The mechanics warp, the technical system gets mixed up, howlers occur and registers can no longer be switched on, Aberle listed possible damage. In the worst case, wooden pipes and windchests could tear, making the instrument unplayable.
In the St. Bartholomew's Church in Bergrheinfeld, south of Schweinfurt, the organ only functioned "very, very limitedly", as organ expert Aberle reported. Two out of three keyboards "just cried" and sometimes played by themselves. The organists often only had to improvise and dampen. Because, as the spokesman for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria said, it often helps to wipe out the galleries with a damp cloth or set up water tubs for evaporation. Proper ventilation of the churches is also important.
But the greatest relief was the rain. With the increased humidity, most of the damage has corrected itself, Aberle reported. The organ of St. Bartholomew's Church was also fully operational again after two to three days - without any off-key notes.
Only one organ in the diocese of Regensburg needs a major repair and the drought also seems to have caused long-term damage to the organ in the St. Lorenz Church in Nuremberg. Otherwise, the Bavarian dioceses reported no permanent damage.
The spokesman for the Evangelical Lutheran Church said the problem was not over with the end of the dry summer months. According to the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, too little humidity can also occur in winter during the heating period.
