I still love the Sigma 8-16mm as it is able to pull in so much detail and create such an amount of depth. This past weekend I visited the Grote Kerk in Alkmaar, a church which is predominantly used for expo's and fashion shows nowadays. I went to see an exhibition of refugee portraits, each with a short personal story by Dutch photographer Rick Akkerman. Very impressive but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to squeeze off a few interior shots of this monumental church either:

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3.

[normhead]

It is difficult to comprehend in this day and age, the reason for these buildings. I guess, the simplest view is that before the internet, before the press, before literacy, these buildings we the hubs of communication. You didn't post on Facebook to stay in the loop. You went to church. And communication being so difficult, it only made sense to set aside a day to do it.

In a movie last night I saw an image of a grand building like this in Chicago, that was completely deserted, and falling apart. The "church builders and owners" of the day, are perhaps the internet and phone manufacturers of today. We still spend billions, but on different things.

Still, the grandness of the structures is a testament to cheap labour, and 10% of everyone's income going to the church. These days I think the 10% goes to the television. cable and phone companies.

[newmikey]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grote or Sint-Laurenskerk (English: Great, or St. Lawrence church) is a landmark Protestant church in Alkmaar, Netherlands. The building is located on the Koorstraat, named for its choir.

Organ
The Grote Kerk (1470–1498), dedicated to St Lawrence, is a handsome building and contains the tomb of Floris V, Count of Holland (d. 1296), a brass of 1546, and some paintings (1507). The church was built by Anthonius Keldermans (c. 1440–1512), from a church building family from Mechelen.

The two organs are world-famous. The smaller one, called the "Koororgel", was built in 1511 by Jan van Covelens, and is built against the North wall of the church. It is the oldest playable organ in the Netherlands. The larger organ at the west end of the church is one of the most famous, significant and beautiful organs in the world. It was built by Jacobus Caltus van Hagerbeer, finished in 1645. The magnificent casework, which unusually stretches from floor to vault and makes the organ part of the architecture of the church, was designed by Jacob van Campen, a leading architect of the time. The enormous canvas shutters were painted by Caesar van Everdingen.

The organ was rebuilt in 1723 by Frans Caspar Schnitger. He left the casework much as it was, but created an organ in the North German style within the old case. He reused much of the old fluework, but all the mixtures and reeds were new. The organ has not been changed much since then, and is rare in that 90 percent of the original material, pipework, action, soundboards, case, survives. As such it is one of the most important organs in the world. It is the subject of a documentary made in 2013 and released on DVD by Fugue State Films as "Alkmaar: The Organs of the Laurenskerk".

Carillon
The bourdon bell by C. and J. Moer cast in 1525 (photo c. 1900 when the turret was restored)
The hour bell (bourdon) was made by Casparus and Johannes Moer in 1525, with a diameter or 130 cm.[3] tone Cis1. ±1950 kg. The bell was given by the abbot of the monastery in Egmond near Alkmaar. The text on the bell:
Ick heet Saligmaeker. Als ick geluydt word bedrijf ick rou over de dooden. Door mijn clanck verdrijf ick de listen en plagen des Satans. Heer Meiard Man Abt tot Egmond heeft mij gegeven. Casparus en Johannes Moer fecerunt 1525.
Translation in English: (My name is Saviour. When I am rung I morn over the departed. Through my sound I drive the wiles and pests of Satan away. I was given by Sir Meiard man abbot till Egmond. Casparus and Johannes Moer fecerunt (made me) 1525.)
The carillon under the bourdon has 35 bells. The largest 16 by Melchior de Haze (1688/89) were made for this turret. 12 smaller bells from de Waag (the weigh house) also cast by M. de Haze, and 7 modern bells by Eijsbouts. In 2014 the turret is undergoing restoration; the bell part is by Clock o Matic from Holsbeek Belgium.

Church function
The church is formally owned by the "Stichting Behoud Monumentale Kerken Alkmaar", which conducts restoration activities and rents it out for weddings and concerts, but also facilitates various cultural initiatives of the city.

[slowpez]

Really great interior shots. The last one makes me dizzy just looking at it. Well done.

[Adam]

That's some crazy field of view. Very impressive technique & perspective!