My Love/Hate Relationship With Pipe Organs

 

                                                           Bridge St. United Church, Belleville 

The other day I saw the New York Times headline 5 Minutes That Will Make You Love the Organ and I couldn't resist taking a look. The title might have been more accurate by using the term "pipe organ" because that's what it's about. The article reminds us the pipe organ is the largest and potentially loudest musical instrument and they can be astoundingly complex. 

I ventured into the piece knowing that I have a love/hate relationship with pipe organs. I have been fascinated by the music and the instruments themselves since my late teens. While moseying about Paris at age 19 I attended an organ recital at Notre Dame Cathedral with thousands of people in the audience. This instrument survived the massive fire of 2019, some would say miraculously. 

I served four congregations through the years which had organs built by the world-famous Casavant Freres company which has been building the instruments since the 1870's. The organ at Bridge St. Church here in Belleville has more than 4,000 pipes and the congregation has another much smaller tracker organ in the chapel. There is a rank of trumpet pipes for the larger one which are aspirated by a separate wind chest so they are truly horns. 

I love the "surround sound" of a pipe organ and I have many happy memories of Easter hymns sung to the swelling music along with tympani and brass -- some larger congregations had substantial music budgets, often a source of contention at congregational meetings.

 Here's the reality, though. Pipe organs are finicky living, breathing entities which require lots of medical attention, sometimes in the ICU.

                                                            St. Andrew's UC Sudbury

At St. Andrew's UC in Sudbury we actually purchased a pipe organ (used, from the States) and I realize now that we might have been one of the last congregations in our denomination to do so. The organ at Bridge St. underwent a major refurbishment which cost most than $300,000, most of which completed before I arrived. The organ at St. A's Halifax was a money pit as well. I have questioned the morality of spending so much money in a world of need and I quickly wearied of the squabbles over the cost of maintaining them.  

And who can actually play a pipe organ with skill anymore? In different congregations we were blessed to have some brilliant organists, although they could be as tempermental as the instruments. In a couple of those churches when these exceptional musicians departed it was next to impossible to find skilled replacements. The ability to address multiple keyboards, stops, and pedals, along with musical sensitivity for leading choral and congregational singing is a rare combination of skills which is fast disappearing. 

I have seen the term "orphan organs", referring to musical instruments which are dismantled and stored when churches are closed and sometimes demolished. 

Attend an organ recital today and there certainly aren't many teens, or those in their 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's...This doesn't mean the end of organ music, but the musical sensibilities have certainly changed. Is this good, or bad? I suppose it just is. 

                                                                 St. Andrew's United Church Halifax