Halberstadt’s 639‑Year John Cage Organ Performance Adds New Tone

The John Cage organ project ORGAN²/ASLSP, staged in the Burchardi Church in Halberstadt, Germany, is designed to last 639 years, ending in 2640. Initiated in 2000, the piece has now run for 25 years, completing about four percent of its intended duration. On 5 August 2024 the 17th tone change was carried out, inserting an “a′” pipe that expands the sound from seven to eight simultaneous tones. Project director Anneli Borgmann, chair of the John‑Cage‑Organ‑Foundation, said, “Es wird einen schönen Klangteppich geben” (It will be a beautiful sound carpet) and added, “Wir sind in bewegten Zeiten.” The next scheduled changes are slated for October 2027, 2028 and 2030. The work follows Cage’s instruction to be played “as slowly as possible” and runs continuously without an organist, drawing visitors from around the world. Former artistic director Rainer O. Neugebauer oversaw the project for more than two decades, adapting the original 1987 Metz performance to the 639‑year timeline.