Covelens, Jan van (1470-1532)

Dutch organbuilder. Other spellings include Covelen, van Covelen, van Coblenz, and van Kobelentz. Jan van Covelens's family must have come originally from Koblenz (Rhineland), but he was probably born in the eastern Netherlands. He had his workshop in Amsterdam, and built a large number of instruments. He may have been the builder of a new organ in the St. Michaelskerk in Zwolle in 1504, but definitely worked on the organ at Utrecht, Janskerk (1507-8). In 1511, he built the still-extant one-manual organ for the St. Laurenskerk at Alkmaar (rest. Flentrop, 2000). The Alkmaar organ, the smallest and earliest known Covelens instrument, is also his best preserved work and the oldest playable organ in the Netherlands. In 1518, Covelens rebuilt the anonymous 1446 organ at Leyden, Pieterskerk (incorp. van Hagerbeer, 1643; extant). The Leyden organ and those for Rhenen, St. Cunera (1521-23) and Kampen, Bovenkerk (1524; incorp. Hinsz, 1743) had a Principal chorus (16' or 8') on the Hoofdwerk (II), a Bovenwerk (III) with Flutes, Cimbel, and Trompet, and a Rugwerk (I) with a smaller Principal chorus, several Flutes, and probably a reed (Schalmei 4').