Daar is uit 's werelds duist're wolken

This is a good example of Dutch organ art in the 19th century.
Bastiaans (1812 - 1875) was a renowned organist in his time playing the Muller organ in St. Bavo's Cathedral in Haarlem, one of the most famous organs in Holland.
Festivals and masterclasses are regularly given there every summer.
He wrote this beautiful melody, a Christmas song, the text of which is difficult to translate.
The jist of it is, that a shining light came from above to save all mankind etc.

The melody is still sung in Dutch churches; it has a lot of quality
Bastiaans also wrote a choral prelude to it.

I recorded it as follows:

The Choral Prelude.

The setting Bastiaans' wrote for it.
Rather simple and conventional ( as is the prelude) as was the habit of those days under the motto: “Do as normal as you can, then you are already doing silly enough!”, a famous Dutch saying.

A contemporary setting by Reitze Smits.
Reitzes' setting is excellent in my opinion, drawing bass lines all over the place and adding a lot to the melody. Hats off!!

I probably play it too fast for Bastiaans liking. Slow for today but not in the genteel way of yore.

Imagine about two thousand people sitting in the dark high church, only lit by a few candles, on christmas eve, preparing themselves for a service of about 2 to 2 ½ hours in the freezing damp church.
And then this came floating from above.