Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-24
THE MUSIC WORLD.
An Encouraging Sign Of Growing In
terest in Organ Melody.
POSITION OF THE INSTRUMENT
One of the Chief Factors in Evolving Har-
monious Tones.
THE MUSICAL EVENTS OF TIE WEEK


Pittsburg churches, furnish a most en-
couraging sign of growing interest In de-
partment of music that has hitherto been
too much neglected. A few practical hints
on the subject may not be out of place this
morning.
If you are going to get a new organ, first
be sure you have proper place to put it.
''That's the architects business" say those
are building new church at the same time.
Unfortunately it is left to the architect
most of the time, and sadly enough most
members of that craft seem to know or care
very much less about the sound Of
the organ than they do about the
appearance of the organ or the part of the
auditorium in which it is placed. They do
not want the balance of the walls and open
ings to be disturbed; so where they have to
have door at one side Of the chancel they
put an opening of the same smallness on the
other side for the o;gan; or, if they have
designed low arches for doors and windows
throughout, then a low arch must shut in
the organ. Behind these utterly inadequate
openings the hapless instrument is thrust
awkwardly into thick-walled recesses or
secret chambers, apparently designed to let
as little as possible of the sound escape.
Three of the best organs put up in this
vicinity during the past year suffer mate
rally, one of them almost irremediablY,
from such causes. See to it, therefore, that
the organ pipes, as we'll as the key
boards, are not put in hole, but placed so
that the sound will have free outlet from
every portion directly into the church.
.. ** \
Then comes the all-important question:
Can we possibly pay the prices of the known
best makers for an instrument large enough
to fill this church? If you can, do so BY
all means. IF you cannot now do so, ar
range it by leaving blanks to be filled up
as fast as you can in the future; that is, buy
now from one of the best makers an organ
with as many stops as you can afford and
have it so built that additional sets of pipes
may be put in as soon as you are able to buy
them. Beware of cheap organs put up by un-
known builders. This may seem hard on be-
ginners who are honestly endeavoring to work
up in the business, but as matter of fact you
can have no satisfactory guarantee OF quality
and durability except the experience
organ should last many years; in
most churches it has to do for many years,
whether good or bad. Several organs built
churches. have turned out to be anything but
good investments little as was the price paid
for them and it will be a long while, doubtless,
before they can be replaced.
When you have chosen the builder you think
best, don't beat down his prices much. Good
work costs good money Competition is too
brisk for prices to be extravagant and if you
succeed in getting lower price you are not
unlikely to get lower grade of work. Better
actual efficiency and durability in what you do
get.
In all these matters you will do well to con-
suit an opportunities you are one yourself,
and then you need not read these hints. But
above ALL is it needful to consult an expert in
making out the specification, or list of stops,
etc. A large amount of money is simply thrown
away each year on organs that present an impos-
ing array of stops, not so chosen as to meet the
practical needs of the player. By Judi
eious selection of stops and liberal use of
combination pedals and other mechanical
accessories, vastly greater effectiveness may be
gained for the same money; an organ thus
built may be of much greater use and effect
than one that cost a great deal more. These
are points that none can properly decide except
practical organist of wide experiences;
familiar with the construction and quality of a
large number of instruments.
Then having got your organ, take care of it.
This would seem needless Injunction; vet it
is very doubtful if there is any other species
SO generally allowed to go to ruin for lack of
care. An organ in first-class order. mechanic
ally, is the exception, not the rule; an
organ IN gooa tune is as rare as
mems teeth. 80 intricate and delicate a
mechanism requires more attention than any
other part of the church property. The only
proper method is TO engage a competent
specialist to keep the organ in tune and in re-
pair under yearly contract Such a Specialist
may be had in this city, but if you prefer you
can make such an arrangement with some one
of the leading makers, whose tuners and re-
pairers make regular tours through the coun-
try,
Lastly, but not least in importance, get an
organist who is master of all the resources of
to go into details on this point, but one practf.
cal suggestion should be made. Most of. the
churches have no further idea of how
to care for an organ than to
the regular organist touch it. Now, before you you
can engage the organist you need for your in
strument he must have practiced and studied
long. and hard. There is only one organ
in this city. and it is not a large one,
which any student can practice on
for consideration. 1t is the duty of
andcareful students to practice on its instru-
ment under proper regulatioDs-if for no other
and higher reason, simply because without
such opportunities for practice practice competent
who can control its resources, what is the use
of having an organ at all?
Mr.. G. H. Wilson,. editor of the Musical
Yearbook of the United States" as to the
value of which readers of this column have at
various times been advised. has this to say in
his prospectus for the sixth season. 1889:
The new volume of the Year Book will be
development of the plan upon which the fifth
was prepared, a plan now become permanent
1t will contain about 150 pages, displaying the
happenings in some fifty cities of the United
States and Canada, local events being plainly
classified; table of new compositions by native
writers; table of first performances in the
United States of more important works; table
of first performances In the world OF more i'm
portant works; summary of the proceedings at
the annual meeting of the Music Teachers
National Association; retrospect; several new
features and an index of titles.
Ny manner of dealing with events which
have more local than general value reflects the
amount of local interest in them indicated by
subscriptions. To illustrate: If the book mas
one subscriber in Cleveland, and 20 in Detroit,
the last named will receive more space, and its
record will appear more in detail, names of per-
formers, ETC.. being printed.
The present and future value of the Year
Book needs no urging. have the resources
for a complete success, and while the outlook
is encouraging. and do not lose money IN the
venture, there is as yet no fair return for the
time am obliged to give each year to making
an authentic record.
The price of the new volume, ready about
May 20, will be 81. 1t will be sold by subscrip-
tion and by the compiler only.
sincerely thank those whose subscriptions
have made my book possible: think the new
volume will be worthy increased support.
Crotchets and Quavers.