Cathedral organist

According to Langgaard, the function of music in connection with a service was to create the right mood and provide a setting for devotion. As a rule he improvised his own voluntaries, but he also composed many organ and choral pieces for use in church.

Shortly before Langgaard took up his post, the organ of Ribe Cathedral had been renewed and enlarged, and he was very pleased with the instrument, but he did not like giving concerts in the cathedral. However, on a few occasions he did play Late Romantic music by various composers, including Louis Vierne, for short radio concerts which were broadcast directly from the cathedral. In 1950 he started the tradition of playing the frist part of his organ work, Messis, in the cathedral on the evening of Good Friday. At the performance in 1952 he was very weak, and only succeeded in completing it with great difficulty.

Rued Langgaard photographed at the organ in Ribe Cathedral, September 1942.

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