Wernigerode

Today was the first day I didn’t cycle, and it was great to have a break!

This morning I streamed the A minor sonata from St Johannis, which is the oldest church in the city, dating from the 12th century. Bach could certainly have seen it from the outside. Maybe he also saw it from the inside, as the organ there was built by Friedrich Besser, a well-known organ builder in the north of Germany at that time. Bach, I think, can be considered an “organ nerd” alreday in 1700, and might have wanted to check out the instrument.

The Friedrich Besser organ was replaced in the 19th century, but that didn’t detract from the excellence of the location. I set up the stream in front of this stunning 15th-century altarpiece.

Today saw the first true technical hitches of the tour, and hopefully the last! Firstly, the link I’d put on the website was incorrect, and I didn’t actually realise until I had finished playing. Then, 5 mins before the stream was supposed to begin, there was no wifi signal and the hotspot my phone was providing for my laptop also seemed not to be working properly either. In the end I actually went “on stage” not knowing whether the stream was working, and feeling pretty flustered, which is a shame because the A minor Sonata is possibly my favourite of the set. Flusteredness does detract from enjoyment, unfortunately. 

Sadly, the technical hitches didn’t end there – to date the last bit of the stream can’t be accessed, despite the fact that it is, actually, there in my account. I haven’t been able to find out why this has happened.

Otherwise Wernigerode is really picturesque and well worht a visit. The Harz steam train comes all the way here, so I can hear it’s “whoo-whoo” signal as I wirte this post.