Catholic Church
Built between 1884 and 1887, the St. Nicolaaskerk is the most well-known of the 'new' Amsterdam churches. It is a tall and spacious building, standing at a spectacular position diagonally opposite the Central Railway Station in the Old Centre district of Amsterdam.
Officially the church was called Saint Nicholas Church but in the 125th year of its existence (in 2012) the church was elevated to basilica by the Vatican.
The architect, Adrianus Bleijs (1842-1912) designed the church basing himself on a combination of several revival styles, predominantly Neo-Baroque and Neo-Renaissance. The basis of the groundplan is the scheme of the classic three-aisled cross-basilica.
Choral Evensong
Choral Evensong - in use in the Anglican church tradition - is the name given to the service when a choir sings the majority of the service to musical settings. It was first published in 1549 and later revised in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. It is sung every Saturday at 5pm from September to June in the Saint Nicholas Church in Amsterdam. Entrance to the evensongs is free.
Organ
The organ in the Saint Nicholas Church was built by the leading German organ builder Wilhelm Sauer in 1889. It is the only major work of Sauer in the Netherlands, and one of the very few of its period that remain in original state anywhere.
