The Claus Jensen organ at Ilen church, Trondheim, Norway

Ilen church

Ilen church is located in the eastern part of central Trondheim, between the Nidelven river and the Trondheim fiord. The building was designed by the architect Eugene Sissenére in neo-gothic style, built of stone with wooden ceiling and was consecrated June 7. 1889. The organ, built by Claus Jensen, was finished early in the summer the same year.

Claus Jensen

Claus Jensen was born about 1817, in Schleswig-Holstein in North-Germany. His native language was probably Danish. At the age of about 30, when he came to Norway, he was a fully trained organ builder. During the first years in Norway he was an associate of the originally Danish organ builder Peter Adolph Albrechtsen, who at that time was well established in Norway. Jensen's first appointment as an independent builder in Norway was for the organ at the Church of the Cross (Korskirken) in Bergen (1854). With 24 stops, this was a comparatively large organ. It must have been good - otherwise it is hard to understand why the young, recently arrived Jensen was awarded the contract for the organ at the new and prestigious Church of the Trinity (Trefoldighetskirken) in Christiania (now Oslo, 1856-58). The reviews of this instrument were very favourable. After this, he was asked to take on a comprehensive repair and enlargement of the 1741 Johann Joachim Wagner-organ at Nidaros cathedral, Trondheim. When this was finished, he was given responsibility for the maintenance of the organs of Nidaros Cathedral and the near-by Church of our Lady. These were the two largest and most important churches in Trondheim. At this time, he settled in Trondheim for good. In the years towards his death in 1892 he built 24 organs. Most were small instruments with 4 to 5 stops for rural churches, mostly in central and northern Norway, but he also built some larger organs, such as the organs for Tromsø cathedral (1863), Sandviken Church in Bergen (1882), and Ilen church. Claus Jensen based his work on classic ideals. He combined good organ traditions with the musical demands of his time without ever becoming experimental. The only progressive trait of his organ building is the introduction of free reeds. He was highly respected in his time, and has later been counted as an organ craftsman of a high international level, and the greatest Norwegian artist in the field of organ building. His instruments were of very high technical as well as musical standard.

The Ilen-organ

The Ilen-organ may be called early-romantic in style, with all pipework within a single, free-standing organ case. There is no swell. Each division ("Hovedverk", "oververk" and pedal) has its own windchest. Inside the organ case, the "Hovedverk" is located in front, right behind the facade. The "Oververk" is behind the "Hovedverk", and the Pedal division is located against the back wall of the organ case. The organ has purely mechanical action and slider chests. Almost every part of the instrument, except the pipes, is made of wood. Air was originally supplied by three box bellows located in a room behind the organ, but in the 1960s the bellows were moved to an upper floor in the church tower, because of a wish to use the room behind the organ for sunday school purposes.

Restoration 1977-79

After 80 years of wear the organ was in a poor state. The windchests were thoroughly dried out, and had many cracks and air leaks that produced a lot of ciphers. The installation of an air humidifier had improved the situation somewhat, but nevertheless major repairs were necessary. Some people were of the opinion that the organ should have been removed a long time ago, while others - including the organist of this period - wished for the addition of a Positiv ("Rückpositiv") division, i.e. a separate division on the gallery edge behind the organist's back, and for enclosing the "Oververk" in a swell cabinet.

In the end, the organist and the organ builders "Brødrene Torkildsen" (The Torkildsen Brothers), who were chosen to do the work, agreed that the best course of action would be, as far as possible, to preserve this historical instrument in its original state. The whole instrument was taken apart and repaired so that most of it was to be left unchanged. The only major alteration was with the windchests, where the bottom boards were replaced with plywood. Also, new elastic sealing washers were introduced between the sliders and the upper-boards. Since the removal of the bellows to the tower room, air supply had been insufficient. To amend this the Torkildsen Brothers installed a completely new electric blower and folding bellows under the gallery floor behind the organ.

The Claus Jensen organ at Ilen church is a very important instrument from a historical point of view, and a masterwork of organ handicraft by one of Norway's best organ builders ever. It is even today considered a very good organ from a musical point of view, and is used for concerts as well as regular church services.

Sources:

Runa Skramstad: "Ilens kirkes orgel 100 år 1889-1989". I Ilen Menighetsblad, Vol. 65, Nr 3, Trondheim, 1989
Stein Johannes Kolnes: "Norsk orgelkultur". Det Norske Samlaget, Oslo 1987

Disposition
Ilen church, Trondheim, Norway - Claus Jensen 1889
Hovedverk
(Man. I, C - f''')
Bordun 16'
Principal 8'
Rörflöite 8'
Octav 4'
Flöite 4'
Octav 2'
Cornet 2 Fag
Trompet 8'
Oververk
(Man. II, C - f''')
Principal 8'
Gedakt 8'
Gamba 8'
Octav 4'
Spidsflöite 4'
Clarinet 8'
Pedal
(C - d')
Subbas 16'
Gedakt 8'
Octav 4'
Basun 16'
Couplers (hitch-down pedals)
Pedalkoppel (I-P)
Octavkoppel (Sub I)
Manualkoppel (II-I)
Single-acting combination pedals
Forte (draws HV Octav 4' and 2', Cornet 2 Fag and Trompet 8')
Piano (cancels HV Octav 4' and 2', Cornet 2 Fag and Trompet 8')
Miscellaneous
Hovedverk Ventil
Oververk Ventil
Pedal Ventil
Calcant Vekker

Notes:

The organ is totally unenclosed.
All pipes are of metal, except Pedal Subbas 16', Gedakt 8' ans Basun 16', which are wooden.
OV Clarinet 8' has free reeds.
The "Ventil" stops operate valves that shut off the supply of air to each of the divisions of the organ.
The so-called "Calcant Vekker", literally "Bellows-man awakener", operated a small bell, signalling the bellows-man to start pumping. This was in use until the organ was supplied with an electric blower some time during the 1920's.
On each side of the music rack there is a row of small stopknob-like buttons or pegs. These have no function inside the organ, but are intended for use as hymn verse counters. At the start of a hymn, the organist pulls the number of counters corresponding to the number of verses to be sung, and at the end of each verse, he pushes one counter back in. When all counters are in, he knows it's time to stop playing.

Ilen church is located in the western part of central Trondheim, between the Nidelven river and the Trondheim fjord.

The organ case and facade is simply and cleanly designed, with pipes from HV Principal 8'.
A colser view of the upper central part of the facade.

A full view of the console. Excepting the electrical fixtures, very little is changed since the organ was new.
A closer view of the manuals and stop jambs.

Over 100 years of wear has left its marks in the bone covering the keys. This is the middle part of Man. I (HV).
The pedal keyboard is also worn. Note the combination and couplers pedals above the keyboard: To the left "Piano", in the center "Pedalkoppel", "Octavkoppel" and "Manualkoppel", and to the right "Forte".

Right and left stop jambs.
The small pegs or buttons on either side of the music rack are the hymn verse counters. Hymns with up to 30 verses may be accomodated.

Inside the organ case: The Hovedverk division. At the back of the chest - i.e. closest to the viewing position - are the Trompet 8' pipes. In the bottom left corner, the top of one of the OV Clarinet 8' pipes is visible.
A slightly different viewing position - the Oververk division in the left foreground.

The Oververk Clarinet 8'. The s-shaped tubing and attached fixtures on the wall are remains from the time of gas lighting.
Here we are looking in through a door in the back corner of the organ case. The Pedal windchest is in the middle of the picture, with Subbas 16' in front ( i.e. to the right) and Basun 16' at the back (to the left).

Screws of this type are used to secure the windchests' front boards. Note that the screw is made out of oak.
A memento from this organ's early years - the "Bellows Man Awakener" or Calcant Bell.

Upon the removal of the music rack, parts of the playing- and stop-action becomes visible. Everything here is purely mechanical.
The manual coupler machanism, located above the inner parts of Man. II keys, is of the "sticker" type.
Thanks to organist Oddbjørn Sæbø for helpful assistance,
and to Donald Pole and Charles F. Swisher for reviewing the English translation.
Kyrre Svarva 25. April 1998

Disposition Ilen church, Trondheim, Norway - Claus Jensen 1889
Hovedverk (Man. I, C - f''') Bordun 16' Principal 8' Rörflöite 8' Octav 4' Flöite 4' Octav 2' Cornet 2 Fag Trompet 8'	Oververk (Man. II, C - f''') Principal 8' Gedakt 8' Gamba 8' Octav 4' Spidsflöite 4' Clarinet 8'	Pedal (C - d') Subbas 16' Gedakt 8' Octav 4' Basun 16'
Couplers (hitch-down pedals) Pedalkoppel (I-P) Octavkoppel (Sub I) Manualkoppel (II-I) Single-acting combination pedals Forte (draws HV Octav 4' and 2', Cornet 2 Fag and Trompet 8') Piano (cancels HV Octav 4' and 2', Cornet 2 Fag and Trompet 8') Miscellaneous Hovedverk Ventil Oververk Ventil Pedal Ventil Calcant Vekker
Notes: The organ is totally unenclosed. All pipes are of metal, except Pedal Subbas 16', Gedakt 8' ans Basun 16', which are wooden. OV Clarinet 8' has free reeds. The "Ventil" stops operate valves that shut off the supply of air to each of the divisions of the organ. The so-called "Calcant Vekker", literally "Bellows-man awakener", operated a small bell, signalling the bellows-man to start pumping. This was in use until the organ was supplied with an electric blower some time during the 1920's. On each side of the music rack there is a row of small stopknob-like buttons or pegs. These have no function inside the organ, but are intended for use as hymn verse counters. At the start of a hymn, the organist pulls the number of counters corresponding to the number of verses to be sung, and at the end of each verse, he pushes one counter back in. When all counters are in, he knows it's time to stop playing.

Ilen church is located in the western part of central Trondheim, between the Nidelven river and the Trondheim fjord.
The organ case and facade is simply and cleanly designed, with pipes from HV Principal 8'.	A colser view of the upper central part of the facade.
A full view of the console. Excepting the electrical fixtures, very little is changed since the organ was new.	A closer view of the manuals and stop jambs.
Over 100 years of wear has left its marks in the bone covering the keys. This is the middle part of Man. I (HV).	The pedal keyboard is also worn. Note the combination and couplers pedals above the keyboard: To the left "Piano", in the center "Pedalkoppel", "Octavkoppel" and "Manualkoppel", and to the right "Forte".
Right and left stop jambs.	The small pegs or buttons on either side of the music rack are the hymn verse counters. Hymns with up to 30 verses may be accomodated.
Inside the organ case: The Hovedverk division. At the back of the chest - i.e. closest to the viewing position - are the Trompet 8' pipes. In the bottom left corner, the top of one of the OV Clarinet 8' pipes is visible.	A slightly different viewing position - the Oververk division in the left foreground.
The Oververk Clarinet 8'. The s-shaped tubing and attached fixtures on the wall are remains from the time of gas lighting.	Here we are looking in through a door in the back corner of the organ case. The Pedal windchest is in the middle of the picture, with Subbas 16' in front ( i.e. to the right) and Basun 16' at the back (to the left).
Screws of this type are used to secure the windchests' front boards. Note that the screw is made out of oak.	A memento from this organ's early years - the "Bellows Man Awakener" or Calcant Bell.
Upon the removal of the music rack, parts of the playing- and stop-action becomes visible. Everything here is purely mechanical.	The manual coupler machanism, located above the inner parts of Man. II keys, is of the "sticker" type.
Thanks to organist Oddbjørn Sæbø for helpful assistance, and to Donald Pole and Charles F. Swisher for reviewing the English translation. Kyrre Svarva 25. April 1998