HAARLEM.

GROOTEKERK (St. Bavon).—This famous organ stands in a marble gallery at the west end of the Church, but the effect of its grand case is somewhat marred, by the Dutch want of taste, in the way the case is painted. The wall behind the instrument is painted a glossy black (the rest of the Church being whitewashed). The statues, coats-of-arms, &c., on the top of the instrument, are painted bright white, their bases grey marble, and the remainder of the case is painted with a light tint of dull pinkish drab. The mouths of the pipes and the carving at their tops and feet, are all brightly gilt. The support of the Choir Organ is bronze, with a large and two small gilded angels on it. Under the gallery is a white marble allegory, which I will not attempt to explain, and the entire top of the case, except the outer towers, is crowned with a mass of carving, with the arms of the town supported by lions. The central tower consists of two tiers, the lower of seven, the upper of nine pipes. On each side is a narrow flat, divided into five compartments, the next but one to the top being occupied by a statue playing on a musical instrument, and the rest filled with small pipes. Next are angular towers, with their pipes arranged in the same mode as the centre, beyond which is a flat, containing two tiers of pipes, above which is a niche with a statue. Beyond this are the two outer towers of seven great pipes each, the feet of which commence at a much lower level than the rest of the pipes, so that the summit of these towers is not so high as the rest of the instrument. That on the south side is crowned with King David, and that on the north with a figure, but whom it represents I never could find out. Outside the great tower, on tall pedestals, stand angels with trumpets. The Choir Organ has its tallest tower of seven pipes in the centre; a flat of three tiers of pipes on each side; then an angular tower of seven pipes, and curved ends. These last are surmounted by sitting figures. The balustrade of the gallery has some elaborate carved open work above it, and its supporting columns are of some sort of dark marble. The general tone of the instrument is very good, but the vox humana is bad. The player, though he could hardly be called first-rate, was very skilful in showing off the quality of the instrument. All the fittings about the key-board are clumsy; the black keys are topped with tortoiseshell. The cornices of the towers greatly overhang, but the flats between being small in proportion to the towers, and the intricacy of the general forms, prevent the usual ill effect. 1872.

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S^T. BAVON HAARLEM.

23^RD. SEPT^R. 1872.