I connect it of course to the Mass, for as a teen I was a cantor mostly accompanied by the Pipe Organ, always wondering why my Mom was head-over-heels for it. In my life it seemed merely consequential. In fact, at the time, I hated cantoring for the Organ and preferred piano for its unwavering 5th grade simplicity. It didn't challenge me, ergo I could sing with it, without ever being challenged beyond the level of elementary music.
Now, as I hear the gloriousness of the Pipe Organ through August Rush, even though my own parish has the premier Pipe Organ in the entire Archdiocese, I so rarely hear it. Every time I do, via film or in real life, I am brought to my knees, and when is my own parish, and I hear it during the Sacred Liturgy, I am not just brought to my knees, but to tears for it so brings me to God as it is designed.
You see, the Pipe Organ hearkens back to Genesis...it gives back to God what He gave to Man (to US as humanity for the theologically-challenged among us).
God gave us (Man) life by breathing into Adam and therefore, all his progeny (US!).
The Pipe Organ is man expelling that breath back to God in holiness, a response of thanksgiving, supplication, praise, and sacrifice in ultimate worship.
Take a deep breath. Now expel it with all your force, knowing others are doing so the same time as you during Mass - all over the world, in every time and every century, including now and eternity beyond us all.
That is what the Pipe Organ represents and why, as described in Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Vatican II document on the Mass, holds it in such high and necessary regard.
When such a noble instrument falls silent we lose our liturgical life and the worship due unto God in its complete fullness.
Explains a lot about our sad liturgical times, doesn't it?
4 comments:
I love pipe organs too! Even played a couple of them many years ago in college. Do you ever listen to Pipe Dreams on Public Radio? They have a lot of beautiful music and interesting background info.
It's a lucky parish which has a pipe organ; they aren't cheap. New ones start at over $100K.
Melody K ~ Nice to "see" you again, and thanks for commenting on this so incoherent post!
I have never heard "Pipe Dreams", will look for it...thanks!
Please write to my parish and explain to the music director and choir, most especially, why the pipe organ behind the choir altar is being put to financial and spiritual waste!
I'm sure the original organ at my parish was well over $100k and in fact, it had to go back to France for repair and maintenance for far more than $100k just a few years ago. And now it gathers dust because the choir complains it drowns them out and they can't hear themselves.
To that I say, "PLAY THE ORGAN!" lol
I agree! I used to play the organ at my parish, but then the music director started only letting me do it with the choir when she was playing the piano(AS I PLAYED THE ORGAN!!!!!!!!!!) and she basically destroyed the choir. There are so few people that you can't hear them with the piano even. Whenever I would play the organ, I would get SO many people coming to talk to me afterwards saying stuff to the extent of "It's so good to hear the organ again! Too bad the director never plays it...." A director from another parish has approached me to ask me to play at that parish, but with taking AP classes at my high school, it's just too much.
Gabby~ Oh my goodness, God bless you and for the love of God and all that his Holy in HIs name, KEEP PLAYING!
And thank you! :-)
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