24.09 2026
New research highlights the main organ of Roskilde Cathedral as part of the world's sonic heritage
The Raphaëlis Project in Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral in the city of Roskilde, Denmark, was long ago inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List due to its brick architecture and royal tombs. But what about the music that has resounded within this impressive building over the centuries?
This is precisely the theme of the recently launched research initiative known as the Raphaëlis Project. The Royal Danish Library will lead the research and the task of uncovering the sonic heritage of Roskilde Cathedral during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Forty Danish kings and queens are buried in Roskilde Cathedral. There is uncertainty as to whether Harald Bluetooth is also laid to rest in the church.
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Also, Roskilde Cathedral, the opera company Kind Of Opera and musicians from Concerto Copenhagen will drive the staging of concerts and other forms of outreach designed to keep the audience closely connected to the progress of the research.
On Sunday, September 27, 2026, the first concert in the series titled Klang af Verdensarven #1 (Sound of World Heritage #1) will take place. Cathedral organist Bine Bryndorf is among the leading forces behind the initiative; here, she discusses the program for the first concert and the broader significance of the Raphaëlis Project unfolding behind the impressive scenes at Roskilde Cathedral.
There is something special about the Raphaëlis organ in Roskilde Cathedral. Dating back to 1654, it is considered one of the finest Baroque organs in the world. It serves as the church’s main organ and features 33 stops — or tonal colors — with half of the pipes being original. Named after the Dutch organ builder Herman Raphaëlis, who rebuilt the existing organ in 1654, the instrument is situated in the middle of the nave on a small gallery. Today, the Raphaëlis organ is played during both concerts and high mass, and it is now taking yet another solo role in the Raphaëlis Project, which runs until 2030.
“The organ is the starting point for the Raphaëlis Project, as we regard the Raphaëlis organ as a form of sonic documentation,” Bine Bryndorf begins. “We know very little about the original sound. But we do have organs and instruments from the era of early church music. The organ is therefore part of our audible world heritage,” she says. The organ can thus offer us insights into what sound was like in the 17th century. “It is excellent that we have the sound,” Bine Bryndorf continues, “but what did they do with that sound?” she asks with a curious laugh over the phone. “Why was the organ built in that part of the church? What was the instrumentation and the context?” she asks openly.
Her curiosity is infectious; she also notes that there were instruments prior to the organ, and that there was a gallery before the organ was added. But let's get back to the unique placement of the organ and the gallery within the space.
“The organ hangs like a swallow’s nest, high up in the middle of the church, so the sound disperses throughout the space in a unique way. It is ideal,” Bine Bryndorf explains. “However, the organ has a small gallery, so an orchestra or choir cannot stand right next to me. There is only room for a limited number of additional musicians. Four singers and three musicians — that is what fits there,” she says. Consequently, large-scale choral works were likely never performed in the church during the 17th century. But then, what was on the program back then?
Bine Bryndorf often plays the Raphaëlis organ at Roskilde Cathedral, where she serves as cathedral organist. In addition, she is professor of organ at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Photo: Philip Jørgensen
“That is what it is all about: Practice and sound. Our researchers are diving into this,” says Bine Bryndorf, referring to researchers Bjarke Moe — postdoc at the Department of Arts and Cultural Studies at University of Copenhagen — and Peter Hauge, PhD and researcher among other disciplines specialized in music philology.
To offer a glimpse into the research itself, she can explain, for instance, why a motet by the Italian composer Orazio Vecchi (1550–1605) is being performed at Sunday’s concert. “We found the Italian motet at Roskilde Cathedral School,” Bine Bryndorf says. In the school’s book collection, the team discovered a bookbinding in old paper containing musical scores—including the motet Cantate Domino, which will be performed this Sunday.
“These were songs that were quite common at the time. However, we do not know for certain whether this motet was actually sung in the church. But it was found in the book collection— as a binding,“ says Bine Bryndorf. A local connection is a promising lead.
Another avenue the researchers intend to explore is the royal tombs. It may be possible to find records in the archives detailing which music was performed in connection with past royal funerals. “In the National Archives, one can find church accounts that shed light on what took place — which composers were paid, and which works might have been involved?”, Bine Bryndorf explains.
The Raphaëlis Project launches in the spring of 2026 and runs until 2030. Plans are in place to hold approximately five concerts a year, each reflecting the project's progress. Research thus dictates the concert repertoire, which Bine Bryndorf helps select. However, the audience will also get to participate. “We will also include communal singing later in the process, so the audience can get an idea of how people sang together in the 17th and 18th centuries. What were the different ways people sang together back then?” she asks, offering a sort of teaser.
A in general accepted music-historical fact that the team is referring to, is that music from the 17th and 18th centuries is flexible in terms of instrumentation — a fact which will also be reflected in the concerts. “We perform music using various instrumentations“, Bine Bryndorf tells me. “Back then, there was more freedom regarding how musical roles were assigned. Later in music history, the requirements became much more precise”. For the second concert in the series, taking place in November 2026, the team will perform the same work twice, each time with a different lineup of instruments. However, on closer reflection, something similar is actually happening at the concert on September 27th.
“Actually, we’re doing a bit of that in the first concert, too,“ says Bine Bryndorf. “We’ll be performing A Pilgrimes Solace (1612) by John Dowland (1563–1626) — the last work he published. It includes three motets where we also vary the instrumentation, as we go. With his music, you can choose the instrumentation yourself based on the resources available to you“, says Bine Bryndorf, noting that this work will be performed in the middle of the church, without the organ.
You automatically lose a bit of your connection to the ground when you step into Roskilde Cathedral. The cathedral is the first Gothic brick church in the Nordic region, and its vaults speak a language of their own, telling a story that stretches back more than a thousand years.
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The Raphaëlis organ may be small in physical size, but it is rich in ornamentation, tone, and historical value.
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The orchestra also performs music by the Italian composer Orazio Vecchi and by Nicolaus Bruhns. The latter was a student of D. Buxtehude and spent some time in Copenhagen, notes Bine Bryndorf. She adds that, through these project concerts, the orchestra has expanded its repertoire to span the period from the Reformation up to 1800. This offers the audience a broader experience of the organ's capabilities.
Let's get back to the matter of congregational singing.
“We are also performing a simple hymn for the congregation to sing on Sunday, September 27, to demonstrate that, by that time, the organ had begun to be used to accompany congregational singing. Initially — that is, before the Reformation — the organ was reserved for priests and monks, not the congregation. But after the Reformation, it was increasingly used in conjunction with the congregation,“ explains Bine Bryndorf, discussing one aspect of the evolution of the organ's function.
It wasn’t just that the organ may have lost a bit of its exalted sanctity after the Reformation; the problem was also that, in the 17th century, the congregation sang so slowly, making it difficult to lead and unify the singing. “The larger the gathering, the greater the challenge. From a purely practical standpoint, therefore, the organ was beneficial for congregational singing,“ says Bine Bryndorf.
You can come and experience the tempo for yourself on Sunday, September 27. In addition, Bine Bryndorf will perform a solo recital on the Raphaëlis organ, featuring works by Dietrich Buxtehude and improvisations that bring the musical practices of the era to life.
You can read more about the Raphaëlis Project on Roskilde Cathedral's website:
https://www.kindofopera.dk/raphaelis