A Bit of Twentieth Century History: the Revival of the Organ

Readers who may have stopped by here in recent months may have wondered what ever happened to the author.  The answer is I am still here but have been pre-occupied with other matters, including other blogs.  With this post I am happy to return here and to revive the discussion about the relevance of church music, along with its challenges.  


T he pipe organ is called the king of instruments for a reason.  But if we can't have kings in America, we need a different moniker.  Calling it the "President" of instruments won't do.  Maybe, for now, we can just call it God's instrument.  Well, perhaps that's not humble enough, but it is certainly a truthful description of so mighty and useful an instrument.

At the article linked to below, you can find a fine history of the organ revival starting with Albert Schweitzer in the last years of the nineteenth century on into the twentieth century including the post-war years in America.

Sadly, the author, Lawrence Phelps, is no longer with us.  We will need to pick up this subject later in order to provide a bit more history of the most recent years.

Still, the direction of American organ building, while not entirely clear, does seem to be heading in a very good direction -- one of greater clarity of tone as well as an appropriate richness of tone.  These are opposites, of course.*  I hope to have more to say about all this later.



The Organ Revival Movement Explicated


*For more on opposites in music I recommend the writings of composer Edward Green, some of whose work is listed here:  <  http://www.edgreenmusic.org/1-technique-beauty.htm  >.     

Still Here After All These Years

You blog author is still alive and well, although sometimes kicking and screaming. My personal life continues to develop and shouldn't be of much concern here. However, my new church job provides for a better selection of music coming from the organ console and this is certainly satisfying. Issues in church music remain but are beginning to be subsumed by a major greater discussion over the nature of the church itself. This discussion will have to develop further before it is clear where church music is headed next. I am continuing my research on these matters and expect to have more to say in the fairly near future. Best wishes for a safe summer. The CCM

9/11 Truth: Why Musicians Should Care

At this time I am continuing to read the important work of  David Ray Griffin* called The New Pearl Harbor Revisited. It was already apparent to me after thirty pages that there was sufficient question about the official story that a completely independent and new investigation was needed. Now, after many more pages, my feeling is only stronger: the official story is not now and never has been truly credible.


As a person of faith, I have had particular concerns. Being a creative individual, and musician, there has long been something in the eye of this beholder suspicious of the official line.  In the transcript linked to below, David Ray Griffin talks about some of these concerns.

The G. W. Bush administration put forward draconian cuts in social programs.  Arts programs certainly were not plentifully funded during his Presidency.  The War on Terror drained funds away from many needed social programs.  In short, this is the reason why musicians should care about the issue of what really happened on 9/11.

*former professor of theology
David Ray Griffin Article

Words of Hope for the World Now

As these last days of winter flow by and spring draws nearer, worry about the world economy is stronger than it has been in months.  Protests are erupted, especially in Portugal, as well as other places. 

It thus seems timely to reflect on the state of the world and the state of one's own mind, for these are indeed trying times.  His Eminence Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch, offers a message for Great Lent.  The opening of this message is below.  For the full message, click on the highlighted text at the end of this post. 


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Beloved brothers and sisters, children in the Lord,




The holy fathers, who arranged everything in an orderly manner, instituted a period of ascetic discipline and spiritual purification for forty days prior to the great feast of the Lord’s resurrection. This ascetic rule assumes the form of a limitation on foods through fasting, but especially an abstinence from evil. The saintly hymnographer characteristically emphasizes that a genuine and favorable form of fasting for God is the estrangement from wrongdoing, control of the tongue, alienation from anger, separation from evil desires, including gossip, deceit and swearing, restoration of justice, disengagement from passionate thoughts, fervent confession, cleansing of the conscience, “which there can be nothing more difficult,” refraining from “harmful passions, from envy and hatred, indeed from every wickedness,” shunning of “the mind’s perversion,” admission of transgressions. For “the Judge is close, at the door,” and he tries hearts and minds, since “He is everywhere present and fills all things.” (Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete)

Message for Great Lent

Chicago Musicians Attacked for Standing Up for Themselves

Recently, the musicians of the world-renowned Chicago Symphony went out on strike. As music is rarely a front-page issue, I had not heard about this until reading of it today at the site linked here.



Evidently, local press in Chicago printed many comments critical of the musicians' union. As a former and to-be member of the American Federation of Musicians I can attest to the fact that the musicians' union helps to provide a minimum level of support for musicians.



And as the author says here, it is all about power. Anyone who has been employed, especially in a large corporation knows what it means to be in the loop or out of the loop regarding such issues as how the corporation's money is spent, for example. A union, then, restores some sense of balance in the relationship, helps assure a minimum salary, and supports contributions to pension plans.



Working in a major symphony orchestra is very rewarding, but it is very much a job. Musicians at this level must practice at home, usually balancing this with teaching, and family duties. Like anyone else who has a degree, younger musicians must re-pay loans. If you think "sawing away" at a string instrument for several hours a day isn't work, I don't know what is. And to be able to keep feeling the music no matter what is going on in one's personal life is an absolute triumph!



As a fellow musician, I can speak for the physical wear and tear on the part of the musician. And I can speak for the other stresses musicians endure. Yes, the rewards of music are wonderful, but high-level musicians deserve fair pay just like any major professional sports athlete.



Debating the Musicians Union

Thanks to Readers

The latest version of this blog's mechanics allows me to see how many persons have been viewing a certain post.  (The identity of viewers, by the way,  is never shown.)   I am being informed that there has been a steady number of readers, but that certain blog posts have had much higher interest. 

Without going any further into such details, I say thank you most heartily to those who have read this blog over the last five years.  Although I have not been able to post often it is gratifying to see there has nevertheless been a certain steady interest.  I will do my best to present views and resources of general interest as often as deserved and as often as possible.

In the meantime -- Best Wishes to All.   

Episcopal Church Committee Recommends Go-Slow Approach to Any New Hymnal

In a recent report a national Episcopal committee has urged caution before rushing any new hymnal into print. The report runs to 70 pages as posted on line. So far I have read only its conclusion. However, I received a good summary of it by e-mail. For now I post here the beginning of that e-mail. Included in the excerpt is the URL for the actual report. The report states that a majority of those under 30 oppose a new hymnal. This includes both clergy and laity under 30. My first inkling of this new interest in tradition came in an A.G.O. study of a few years ago. This study bolsters those of us who for many years have decried the head-long rush to appeal to the young solely on the basis of newly-composed liturgies and hymns. This report is welcome news indeed! -- Thanks to Henry Evans for making me aware of this report. -- CCM (Concerned Church Musician) **************** From my e-mail box: Highly recommended reading! including comments. ~ djd+ Original URL: http://thecuratesdesk.org/2012/05/15/dont-do-it-for-the-kids-of-hymnal-revision-and-young-adults/ FROM BLOG thecuratesdesk.org Don’t Do It for the Kids: Of Hymnal Revision and Young Adults As part of the preparation for this summer’s General Convention, the Standing Committee on Liturgy and Music has a report detailing the results of a survey conducted that was designed to ascertain the level of support or lack thereof for a revision of the Hymnal 1982. There was little by way of huge surprises in the report. Below, I offer a few highlights from the report without too much comment. One factor emerged which seemed a surprise to those administering the survey. The group that was most resistant to the idea of revising the hymnal are those under 29 years of age. They are the most resistant by a large percentage.