In the summer of 1949, the Dutch composer Hendrik Andriessen stayed at Cleveland Lodge, Dorking, Surrey, the home of the Austro-English organist Susi Jeans (1911–93).  There he composed his Thema met variaties [Theme and variations] for organ and dedicated it to Jeans in gratitude for her hospitality. Although this acquaintance led to performances of other works by him, Andriessen’s organ music has not become well known in England.

Andriessen’s organ works amount to some thirty works in total, composed between 1912 and 1968. His works for organ are often played in The Netherlands, but he is also widely known as a composer of innovative church music, and of songs, piano music, chamber music, orchestral works, concertos, and operas. In this article Lourens Stuifbergen gives a biographical sketch of the composer and discusses his organ works.

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