Sonorous improvisations: Ruben Sturm inspires in St. Jakobus!

Sonorous improvisations: Ruben Sturm inspires in St. Jakobus!

On Saturday, April 1, 2025, a very special concert will take place in the parish church of St. Jakobus in Schifferstadt. The Munich cathedral organist Ruben Sturm will design an evening with organ improvisations on topics of fasting and passion time. Born in Speyer and Grew in Schifferstadt

Sturm, who once worked as an organist in the St. Jakobus parish church, is now returning to the organ, which he himself planned 25 years ago. This Vleugels organ, which has been used for services and concerts since its inauguration in 1999, is known for its variety of timbres. Kirchenmusik St. Jakobus the organ considers the organ as an important musical work.

a program full of improvisation

The concert will start at 7 p.m. and admission is free. Nevertheless, a donation for the organ is asked. Ruben Sturm will present different styles of improvisation as part of its program, including baroque, romance and neoclassical. Melodies are used from the praise of God, such as "Du sun of justice" and "O man, whereas your 'sin big". The improvisations also remind you of the composers Erhard Quack and Josef Stein, whose influences on the work of Sturm cannot be overlooked.

In order to understand the importance of the organ in St. Jakobus, it is important to look at the history of its origin. In 1993, organ expert Manfred Degen found that Paul Sattel's previous organ had serious defects in 1952 and that a renovation did not make sense. As a result, the parish decided to commission a new organ, and the Vleugels organ was chosen as the best result of a selection process.

the Vleugels organ and their history

The old organ was dismantled in 1999 and the new organ was installed in a complex process between August 14 and September 24, 1999. Both the then organist Huber Mayer and the then 19-year-old Ruben Sturm were involved in this project. Since then, the organ has enjoyed great appreciation and has been recognized as sound and technically outstanding by well -known organists like Felix Hell and John G. Scott.

The Vleugels organ is not only a central element of church music in St. Jakobus, but also part of a long tradition that up to the origins of the organ in the 3rd century BC. BC goes back. The development of the instrument, which was considered a status object worldwide, is remarkable, as The organ page . In the West, the organ found a comeback and began its triumphal march through large town churches in the 14th century. This tradition and continuous development now leads to the upcoming concert with Ruben Sturm, which underlines the importance of the instrument today.