Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-07-28
THE WEEKLY Srak
THE GREAT ORGAN AT rRYsupc

A lady correspondent Of the N. Y Inden.n.
denqwriting from Fryburg, (Swisse, gives the
following graphic account Of the great organ
in that place, which has long been considered
one of the most famous Of the splendid instru-
ments on the continent:
AS usual in q Dew city, we wandered around
in the crooked, up and-down-hill streets. of
Fryturg, and just at evening went TO the
caIhedral TO hear the great organ. The streets
were dusky in the twilight as We walked along,
ana when We entered the church il was so
dsrK that we could rot distinguish the faces
OF those that were assembled. man with a
lantern met Us at the door and took our tick
eS, ana we passed up the sombre isle towards
ene altar' Funeral services were to be per-
formed on the morrow, and a coffin covered
with pail stood on a bier at the unner end
OF the aisle. The white embroidery of a skull
ana cross bones shOne out strangely in tho
twilight - WV
We we're hardly seated when the organ
pesied forth AT hrst il was too powerful:
its iuli sven pained the ear and seemed 20
overwhelm the cathedral. Anon the sound
died away, and a sweet song, as of human
voices, rose from the heart Of the organ Now
the chant swept into the far distance so that
the ear strained in listening, vet still one
clear female voice came distinct and tender
sustained by other voices in a harmony, so
faint that it seemed like the anthem Of a dis
tant angelic choir. Anon il broke forth full
and strong as though the singing company
had come to the hither side of some mountain
which before kept their voices from US Again
1t swept away and again returned, the notes
so sweet and unearthly that the organist had
power, not only over the keys Of his instru-
ment, but over the emotions Of his hearers.
and moved them to involuntary tears There
was pause and then the triumphant hal
lelujah in the messiah" burst from the or
ipo al
words; the music rolled through the church
in sea Of sound and throbbed and broke
against the arches of the roof The whole
building seemed TO pulsate, and then again
the sound died away and all was still The
sweet notes Of pastoral next arose, and the
pipe of the shepherd called to the Alpine
echoes which answered him in tones of GriaI
melody. Again and again he piped, and
again and again the voice replied, till be
threw aside his instrument and shouted 10
the echo a song of the mountains which it re-
turned with the same sweetness and precision
Ii was like standing again in the Alpine pass
and hearing the notes shouted close beside us
mount far above and cling in wierd, unearth-
ly and Oft-repeated tones around the Jagged
peaks Of the WettenhOrn.
Everything about us made the music i'm
pressive; the vast cathedral with its dim col
umns and arches, lighted here and there
where the pale moOnbeams struggled in the
heavy shadows couching in the distant sisles
and trembling anear the organ, where the
faint light Of a lamp made the gloom only
more manifest the slow vibrations of the
holy oil, burning before the altar; the still
ness Of the assembled listeners; ard the
deeper stiffness and moro utter darkness Of
the velvet pail whose folds rested mOtionless
on the cold pavement and told of a house
where the light of day comes not where mu-
sic, whether Of gayety or worship, sounds not.
where no ear listens where no eye weeps,
where no heart throbs in emotion and in life
And yet that eloquent hallelujah bursting
forth IN faith and certainty above this symbol
Of the grave, aroused the soul TO holy enthu-
siasm and to rejoicing sense of Him who is
resurrection and the life; and il seemed as il
In far-of notes we heard a voice chanting:
" know that my Redeemer liveth and that
he shall stand at the latter day upon the
earth and though after my skin, worms de-
stroy this body, yet in my flesh shall L see
God"