What is in the sound of a pipe organ?

August 24th, 2018

What is in the sound of a pipe organ?

Well, let’s see – there’s lots of pipes, cabling, magnets, bellows and increasingly more and more electronic components…how about beyond that? When all these pipes and cabling are all correctly assembled, then what is there?

Then this construct of human ingenuity and workmanship is brought alive by the efforts and inspiration of another human – the organist – who plays this instrument and makes what we call music.

But is it just music? Just beautiful sounds diligently prepared and well played?

Let’s consider Widor’s famous ‘Toccata’ from his 5th Symphony – a stupendous piece of music – is it really just an incredible ‘moto perpetuo’ or is there more to it?

When we hear this piece, it’s almost as if the music speaks of a ravishing, uncontainable joy – perhaps the joy of the soul somehow sensing and being truly in touch with the Divine – perhaps it’s like creation rejoicing in its Creator – and the thunderous melody is its foundation – like God himself reminding us HE alone is the foundation of everything. Indeed, the entire massive texture of this piece stems from this foundational melody perhaps reflecting the words of scripture: ‘the spirit of the Lord fills the whole world, it holds all things together…’ (Wisdom 1: 7)

Or let’s consider Dupre’s ‘Elevation No 1’ (Op 32) – one of my favourite short pieces of organ music – is it really just a beautiful series of melodic fragments strung elegantly over a pulsating note?  When this piece is played, for example at Mass during the Offertory, it becomes quite clear that this seems to be an aural backdrop to something and those who are experiencing its sounds are being moved and lifted into another realm as they watch the sacred actions taking place in the Sanctuary – bringing us in touch with something unearthly – the melody’s rising and falling like the incense we see gently playing through the air immersing is into and, indeed, uniting all of us with the action taking place in the Sanctuary.

Vatican II documents tell us: ‘the musical tradition of the church is a treasure of inestimable value…’ (Sacrosanctum Concilium 112) and on consideration, this instrument, the pipe organ, with its power and capability truly can ‘lift up man’s mind to God and higher things’ (Sacrosanctum Concilium 120)

Jacinta