The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1859-04-06
Eeuty Word T3eecher on Church
organs.

holding o discourse With the readers OF
the Independent Oh church organs, He
does not entertain mach reverence TOR the
instruments at least as 1t Ia usually played,
his description Of which operation is hi.
morous and amusing.
! He describes the grand exhibition Of
tho new organ, in which the great players
of the region about take part, and put the
instrument through all its PAGES. He says
At length fhguc is to shcw the
whole scope and power Of the instrument.
! The theme, like cautious rpt, peeps ont
to sec if the coast s clear, and, after n
few hcstatioos, comes forth aud begins TO
! irisk lit,lo md run up and down to sec
what il can find. II finds just what it
did not want--a purripg tenor lying in
ambush and waiting for spring, and as
the theme comes incautiously near, the
savage cat Of tenor pitches at it, misses
its hold, and takes after it with terrible
earncstness. But il has miscalculated
the egility Of the theme, All that it cod
do, with the most desperate effort, was to
keep the theme from running back into its
hole again, and so they ran up and down,
around and round, dodging, eluding, whip.
ping in and out Of every corner and nook,
till the whole organ was aroused, and the
base began to take part, but unluckily
slipped and rolled down stairs, and lay at
the bottom raving and growing in the
most awful manner, and nothing could ap.
peaseit.-Sometimes the theme was caught
by one part and dapdled for moment,
when, with snatch another part took it
and ran of exultant, until unawares the
same trick was played on il, and finally
all tho parts being greatly exercised in
mind, began to chase each other promis.
cuously in and out, up and down now sep.
arsting and now rushing in full tilt to.
gether, until everything in the organ lost
patience. and all the stops were drawn.
and, In spite Of all that the brave organist
could do--who Aew about and hobblsd
up and down, feet, hands, head and all
the tuns broke up into real row, and
every part wss clubbing every other one,
until at length patience being no longer a
virtue. the crgsnist, with two or three ter.
rife crushes, put an end to the riot, and
brought the great organ back to silence !"
In another part Of the same articls he
describes the organirt who have bsen at
various times installed over this magni6.
cent instrument. introducing in connection
with one Of them, n very ludicrous incident
He says:
Then came young man of true
and deep nature, to whom music was
simply symbol Of something higher,
language which in itself is but little,
but glorious thing when laden with the
sentiments and Thoughts of a great heart.
But bo was not Christian man. and tho
organ was not 10 him a Christian instru.
ment, but simply a grand gothic instru.
ment, to be studied, just as Protestant
would study cathedral, in the mere spirit
Of architecture, and not all in sympathy
Of religious significance or uses. And be.
fore long he went abroad to perfect him.
self in his musical studies but not till
most ludicrous event befell him. On
Christmas day great performance was to
be gwen. The church was full. All was
'muiicslly expectant. II had been given
out that something might be expected.
And surely something was had little more
than was expected. For when every stop
was drawn. that the opening might be
with a sublime choral effect, the down
pressing Of his hands brought forth not
only the full.expocted chord, but also
cat, that by some strange chance had got
into the organ. She went up over the top
as if gunpowder had helped her. Down
she plunged into the choir, to the track
around tho front bulwark Of the gallery,
until opposite the pulpit. when she dashed
down one of the supporting columns, made
for the broad aisle. when little dog
joined in the ARRAY, and both went down
toward the street door at an astonishing
pace. Our organist, who, on the first q p.
psarsnce Of this element in his piece,
snstched back his hands, had forgotten to
relax his muscles. and was to be seen fol.
lowing the cat with his eyes, with his
head turned, while his astonished hand.
stood straight out before him rigid a.
marble !"