Cathedral's musical heritage is brought to life
New research project aims to bring the music from Roskilde Cathedral to life. Researchers from Royal Danish Library will map out what music was heard in the cathedral from around 1500-1800.
Photo: Phillip Jørgensen
Published 14 January 2026 | Revision 20 January 2026
With DKK 4.8 million from the Augustinus Foundation, the Raphaëlis project at Royal Danish Library will make us more aware of the sonorous cultural heritage from Roskilde Cathedral. It is also a significant financial boost for music research in Denmark.
Roskilde Cathedral has had a crucial place in Danish history for almost 800 years. Despite the cathedral's central importance, there is currently no comprehensive knowledge about the music which has sounded under the cathedral's vaults – and which has united and moved Danes for many hundreds of years. The new research project aims to change that.
““Our cultural heritage is incredibly important – it makes us wiser about ourselves, about Denmark and about our place in the world, and it helps bind us together as a people. We are happy to be part of this exciting project, where professionals work closely together to bring the cultural heritage of Roskilde Cathedral to life, so that it can be experienced by all interested parties. A big thank you to the Augustinus Foundation for the great grant,
Based on Roskilde Cathedral's historic Baroque organ – the so-called Raphaëlis organ, named after the organ builder Hermann Raphaëlis – researchers from Royal Danish Library will map out what music was heard in the cathedral in early modern times from around 1500-1800: What was played, who played – and what role did music have in contemporary religious, social, and ceremonial life?
As part of the project, the opera company Kind Of Opera and Roskilde Cathedral, which has taken the initiative for the project, will, in close collaboration with musicians from Concerto Copenhagen, bring the music from Roskilde Cathedral to life - so the notes which brought people together 500 years ago can also be experienced by Danes anew in the coming years.
““It is exciting to have the opportunity to explore completely unknown works, which are among others in the collections of Royal Danish Library - and to work closely with talented musicians to bring the works to life. By experimenting with performing the music in different places in the church, we also get the opportunity to understand how people have previously perceived and experienced the music in the monumental church space - and this will give us a completely new understanding of our musical cultural heritage,
The project contributes new perspectives in Danish music research by combining musicological and practical research. Furthermore, the project aims to expand our understanding of cultural heritage. By combining historical documents and classical archival and source research with live music, where it was originally performed, knowledge is created not only through text, but also through sound, space, and bodily experience.
““Music has always moved and brought people together for great experiences. I am very pleased that the historical sound from the unique Roskilde Cathedral is now also included in the research notes on a larger scale and with more nuances,
The research project will begin in the spring of 2026 and will last for three years. The plan is for the research to be continuously translated into live music, including concerts in the cathedral.
Facts
- The project is initiated by the opera company Kind Of Opera and Roskilde Cathedral and anchored at Royal Danish Library. It is a broad collaboration between Royal Danish Library, Roskilde Cathedral, ROMU, the Danish Language and Literature Society and Kind Of Opera.
- The project group consists of the two researchers from Royal Danish Library, Bjarke Moe, and project senior researcher Peter Hauge, editor Claus Røllum-Larsen, cathedral organist Bine Bryndorf and producer Trine Heide.
- Danes will be able to follow the project continuously through concerts and dissemination initiatives until 2030, where the research is translated into living experiences in sound and space.