the surrounding cathedral was part of the instrument
This is absolutely the case. I studied organ during my high school years. The instrument where I took my lessons was a large church and the instrument had an antiphonal section. The time that it takes for the pipe to begin speaking and for the sound to reach the console is enough to upset the ear-brain-hand connection.
To a certain extent this interaction is true with any acoustic instrument. I’m mostly a pianist now and I’d say that so many aspects of technique that are altered by the acoustic qualities of the venue - pedalling, legato, spacing.
So many Catholics may focus on things like the removal of altar rails, but it would seem that the decay and removal of working pipe organs has been a significantly painful loss for many parishes.
Often these organs were too massive, specialist, and expensive to maintain (or even just to operate them) and that lack often prompted a complete overhaul of a congregation’s repertoire, as guitar-strummers and tambourine-clappers would be called in to fill the gaps.
Even electronic organs could not suffice, as they proved harder to maintain as their unique technologies aged poorly.
Nothing against folk music, but the transition and loss of continuity has really messed with some of us, spiritually.
I am thankful that around these parts, we’ve had some responsible pastors who not only cared about music, but also found the resources to rehabilitate several churches and get their pipe organs updated for the 21st century, with a firm establishment of music ministers who could carry on that legacy for the foreseeable future.
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I had always understood that the surrounding cathedral was part of the instrument, too.
Imagine my surprise when we went to hear Robert Plimpton work out in Balboa Park...
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-plimpton-0802761b/
https://web.archive.org/web/20141129041425/https://www.sandi...
This is absolutely the case. I studied organ during my high school years. The instrument where I took my lessons was a large church and the instrument had an antiphonal section. The time that it takes for the pipe to begin speaking and for the sound to reach the console is enough to upset the ear-brain-hand connection.
To a certain extent this interaction is true with any acoustic instrument. I’m mostly a pianist now and I’d say that so many aspects of technique that are altered by the acoustic qualities of the venue - pedalling, legato, spacing.
Outdoor pipe organs are really impressive, but a pipe organ tuned for an acoustically matched building is something else.
So many Catholics may focus on things like the removal of altar rails, but it would seem that the decay and removal of working pipe organs has been a significantly painful loss for many parishes.
Often these organs were too massive, specialist, and expensive to maintain (or even just to operate them) and that lack often prompted a complete overhaul of a congregation’s repertoire, as guitar-strummers and tambourine-clappers would be called in to fill the gaps.
Even electronic organs could not suffice, as they proved harder to maintain as their unique technologies aged poorly.
Nothing against folk music, but the transition and loss of continuity has really messed with some of us, spiritually.
I am thankful that around these parts, we’ve had some responsible pastors who not only cared about music, but also found the resources to rehabilitate several churches and get their pipe organs updated for the 21st century, with a firm establishment of music ministers who could carry on that legacy for the foreseeable future.