Swiss music lovers to hear oldest playable organ in the world

The fifteenth century organ can be tricky to play, but the festival gets requests from all over the world. © Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott

The oldest playable organ in the world is at the heart of an international festival that kicks off on Saturday in the southwestern Swiss city of Sion.

Built in 1435, the organ in the Basilica of Valère is at the heart of the Valère Organ and Ancient Music Festival. The 180 organ pipes – for as many different notes – from that period still exist, and around 180 additional pipes have been added over the centuries.

The event, which has been held every year for over half a century, attracts musicians from all over the world. Organists performing this year come from Switzerland, Austria, Spain, France, Italy, the US and Brazil, according to the event’s head of communications Aurélie Fernandez.

This festival offers seven concerts until August 26, every Saturday at 4pm in the Valère basilica. The musicians will be covering a range of musical styles from the Middle Ages to the present day. Several instruments will be combined with the organ.

Not everyone can play the Valère organ. The keys are short and a certain amount of fingering is required, as you can’t use your thumbs as you would on a piano, for example.

But organists are jostling for the privilege of playing on the venerable instrument. “We get an enormous number of requests to take part in the festival, but also simply to see this unique instrument,” says Aurélie Fernandez.

Since its inception, the festival has always taken place in summer. But that could change in a few years’ time, as the precious organ does not appreciate heat waves and drought.