Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-07-28
[From the Independent, May 25th.l
The Organ,
BY HENRY WARD BEECHER.

the mother of all things good, shall itself be
served by the noblest servants And, surely,
in music, without which it would seem impos
sble to express the deepest and diyinest emo
tions, He has appointed the worthiest servant
of all For music is itself the language that
the soul talks in-the inarticulate speech of
feelings too subtle and pure for expression by
coarse words Aud yet God has joined to
music the divine thoughts of hymns For
what music is to feeling poetry is to thinking
And of all poetry none is so spiritual and uni
YerSal as a hymn mot alone those which are
cast to the mould of some tune, but those
other noble strains hymns in spirit and not 10
form, irregular and untunable scattered up
and down through all fervent and deep relig-
ious poetry, and which move the heart 10 mu-
sic if not the tongue such music as nature
inspires in birds, in soft sounds of moving
trees and murmuring brooks, wild, and not yet
tanned and broken in to the bit and harness Of
the schools. A hymn is taken ont of the hu-
man soul as Eve was from the side of Adam
And music is the paradise where voice aud
hymn walk entranced
Likewise hath it been appointed to the
Church of Christ to possess the SublimeSt in
strument of the world-the organ 1t is
not so much a single instrument as multitude
of them, dwelling together-a cathedral of
sounds within cathedral Of service.
1t would seem as if a Divine Providence
had permitted men, in the outward world, TO
devise and perfect musical instruments for
every quality of sound, and with every degree
of power, that then they might be gathered
up into one maHy.voiced orchestra. The flute
and harp for love, the trumpet for battle the
clarionet for the march, the violin and yols
for festive gaieties but all OF them for relig-
ion, when gathered together and ranged by
the side of other instruments without names,
expressing all the sounds which Nature knows;
some of birds, ,some of sharp and piercing
winds, fy;Dg high in the air or sighing around
old and desolate places some of moving wa
tiers, of human voices, OF nameleSs sounds, az
all tempered to a harmony with vast and
thunder-rolling basSeS, so that every living
thing and every object in Nature hears the
sound OF devotion in his own tongue
Ii that mysterious element which the hu-
man will eXertS upon a single instrument or
orchestra, and which makes n violin speak
like a spirit-vOice, instinct with human feeling,
be wanted in an organ. so, too, in the caprice
Of irritable musicians the wilful temper, the
Spteful neglect, which have always made mu-
ScianS the most nharmoniOuS aud diScordant
people in the world.
To the service OF religion has this nobest
of all instruments been preserved, without be-
ing defied by any evil associations Of secular
service or perverSion. And it stands in the
churches, with its massive harmOnieS, to excite
and express the noblest feelings which the
human soul ever experiences !
But it is to be feared that, except in a few
instances this instrument is almost useless for
religious purposes, and in a great many cases
positively injurious Indeed, the mea that
play the organ, in hundreds Of instances. seem
utterly unconscious of its moral functions -
The service of the organ in non-Episcopal
churches Is usually an opening piece or pre-
lude an accompaniment to the singing Of
choir or congregation interiudeS aud a clos
ing voluntary.
What IS the use Of the opening organ piece?
Is it amusement a musical luxury
When men enter the house of God upon
the Sabbath, they come from care. from buSi-
ness, from secular pleasures and duties And
the two things needed at the beginning Of
public worship. are. first transition from or
diRary thought and feeling into IA higher aud
more devout frame Of mind, and, secondly,
unity OF feeling: a fellowship in tue whole
assembly Now. it is in the power Of music.
10 arrest the attention, 10 change the current
of feeling. TO draw off the thoughts from
common things, and to give 10 the mind. if
not a religious tone, vet state higher than
before, and from which the transition to wor-
ship will be easy and natural. Nothing will
bring men into a state Of feeling common to
all sooner than ft organ music. This, then.
is the object Of the opening piece UpOn en- :
tering the house of God there Is, as it were,
q screen of sound rolled down between the
audience and the outward world
Every susceptible nature is drawn out from
Sordid or sad thoughts. the careless are inter
ested. and the attention of all is attracted 10
a common influence which IS moulding them
gtntly to holy thoughts and feelings or
course this object viii determine the fitness Of
an opening piece 1t may be slow aud soft
it may be grand aud majestic; it may be per
suasive and soothing or it NAV be jubilant.
as celebrating the incoming Of Chrisl'> Day /
But the end TO be gained is the hearts of the
audience. not the ears Of conuoisSeGrS That
is good which gains the audience to a prepar
alton for worship, and only that is good. No
man that knows the almost omnip0tent power
of association, will greet the audience with
marches. or opera airs, which take the thoughts
right back to the world No man either, who
has religious senSibility, will take such time
laboEiOusly TO perform intricate pieces, which /
are, perhaps, masterpieces Of skill, but v hich /
are about as fit for the church as Paradise
Lost would be for hymn This opening or
gan-piece, admits OF as great range OF use
fulnesS as any service OF music in the church |
And it is a thing to be studied and remedied. |
II organ-playing is but organ diversion in
church, if it is only stupeudous method of
gratifying the taste. the organ had better be !
SiIenced But if the organist feels the power