What did the Middle Ages sound like?
An unprecedented investigation to recover the voice of an 11th-century organ, the oldest surviving in Christendom.
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The project
The Terra Sancta Museum in Jerusalem holds the archaeological remains of an 11th-century organ brought to the Holy Land by the Crusaders. Used in the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem during the 12th century, it is the oldest and best-preserved organ in Christendom. David Catalunya and his team are carrying out the first in-depth study of this instrument with the aim of recovering its sound. The team recently discovered that some of the original pipes still work, which means that for the first time in modern history, we can hear an original medieval musical sound without having to go through a hypothetical recreation. The project will culminate in a replica-reconstruction of the complete instrument.
Rewriting medieval music from its own sounds
Despite its extraordinary relevance to the history of music, the Bethlehem organ has remained virtually unnoticed by the scientific community for over a century. Its in-depth study has only recently begun thanks to the initiative of David Catalunya and his team, which combines experimental archaeology, history, science, music theory, and acoustic reconstruction. The research is based on meticulous work: more than 5,000 measurements, metallographic analyses, 3D modelling, acoustic studies, and international collaborations with experts in historical organ building.
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