Halberstadt organ adds new pipe in 25‑year‑old John Cage performance

The John Cage organ project in Halberstadt, Germany, has reached its 17th chord change. On 5 August 2026 a new A‑pipe was added to the Burchardi Church organ, expanding the chord from seven to eight notes and marking roughly 4 % of the 639‑year composition’s total duration. The piece, titled ORGAN²/ASLSP (As Slow As Possible), began on 5 September 2001 – Cage’s 89th birthday – and is scheduled to conclude on 4 September 2640.

Project chair Anneli Borgmann said the added pipe will create a “richer sound carpet.” Executive director Jeffrey Lependorf of the John Cage Trust noted, “You feel it through your whole body.” The next planned chord change is expected in October 2027. The organ, built specifically for the project, uses an electric blower to sustain continuous tones, and the performance has transformed the medieval Burchardi Church, which was restored for the work.

The long‑term experiment links the 1361 historic organ tradition with contemporary avant‑garde music, attracting visitors who experience the evolving sound as they move through the church.