Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-08-02
Pittsburg Newspaperman Writes
OF the Instruments Glory
And Enchantment.
THIS A CITY OF MUSIC,
Correspondent Hears the Ocean Roar
And Listens TO the Splashing of
Crystal Harmony.

] 'Nf't 'i'ifhtit WINS lUNH " Ule paper
OF an event that he says he cannot
erase from his memory:
There is hardly any place l1 the west
where the sun shines hotter than in
the Mormon city beyond the wasatch
mountains. When It Is hot in salt Lake
City there Is a certain nfr,c-dostroylug
discomfort about Il that TO an unac.
climated fastener Is peculiarly trying.
This statement rs not meant 10 condemn
the land Of Brigham Young as a place
! Of residence. II gets cool along toward
evening and usually he evenings are
! delightful. The heat q tho day Is az
gravated somewhat by the sight Of
snow. Think of sWcltering through hot
streets, hugging The shady side with a
! burning sense Of necessity. while with
/ vision Tilted At an angle of A. degrees
] one can see the snow banks on the up
| per Wasatch ranges. II gives you a
l feeling n resentment toward the heat
/ that sticks and scOrches you down there
/ IN the city. Even the cool purr 81 the
streams of water that trickle along ali
| the principal curbsones IN salt Lake
| does not alleviate the conditions notice.
/ ably. The thermometer Is %. and that
/ is the particular grievance that you
| have Just 40 that time
IL was on Just such an afternoon
/ when the heat seemed 10 leave no loop
/ hole through which to crawl 10 comfort
that Prof. John J. Mcclellan. the or
| ganist 81 the Mormon tabernacle. In
terposed an Invitation II have 10 DO
little practising with pupil on the big
organ al O'Clock Would you like 10
come along and see and hear how II
works.
Would ] % -Four years before 7 had sat
IN the col shadows Of the egg-shaped
marvel. the Mormon Tabernacle. and
listened 20 this gifted young player ju-
bllate IN harmonic splendor. To sit by
his side, 20 know how all the power and
majesty Of music was coaXed into he
ing from this, the greatest organ. per-
haps. In the world. was a privilege too
great TO resist And then. too. the big
auditorium, capable Of seating 5000
people comfortably, was, ] knew, cool
as a mountain canyon. Come al
O'clock" said Prof Mcclellan. I was
there ahead Of time and waited until
the summons came for me 10 go up to
the keyboard"
shall not attempt here a description
81 this great organ | believe j tried
/ Il IN some correspondence from the
west several years ago. and IL has been
| written Of much. Mormouism Is hever.
/ in The ignorant mind, associated with
any high achievement in art and Yet,
! here IN this desert city these religion
lists. who hold and practise strange be-
liefs. have erected a music monument
that eXcels anything that Gentiles have
ever done If the same kind. The big or
gan was erected 30 years ago, but has
been modernlzed internally within the
past yew years Standing IN the west
~ the egg.shaped auditorium, It's mas
slve front towers loom up 70 a height
OF % feet. while Il occupies a space
30xs3 feet. There are los stops and
accessories. while within it, enormous
body n holds fore than 5000 pipes.
When YOU stop 70 think that this In
strument is capable Of 400 tonal varie-
ties. description need go no further.
To the musician. the organist, this fact
Is IN itself empowering.
But these mechanical and structural
facts can BE- had from the guide books.
stated before the great keyboard with
It's four rows OF keys. its innumerable
stops It's vast pedal Arrangements ana
/ the touch OF its master upon H. ! come
/ into a new comprehension o. the size
and wonder % the instrument out
| side the hot sun shines down through
the leafy interstlces of the trees that
line the broad walk ways. The faint
chirp Of the birds Is borne into me
+ through the lowered transoms. Pres
entity the OrgHnist ceases 20 tax ana
turns TO his KEYS There 10 a distant
| rumble our backs are 20 the organ
which stands % feet or more in the
rear q the keyboard. The rumble takes
| on the elements of ponderous harmony.
T that sWells IKE the sound OF the sea
into this there break the sweet fute
notes ~ a Chopin nocturne. Against
the deep thrill OF the organs sub-cur-
rent the marvellous charm and sweep
/ Of the music plays swinging into the
I lighter passages with a clear resonance
/ that stirs your pulses and az last dies
away with a Quiyer o. exquisite melo-
dy.
Hardly has the sound OF this classic
I rhythm died on the air until the or
/ ganist by a swift change Of stops and
/ combinations and q change OF pedal
] movements breaks into the prelude of
! that heather blossom from bonnie
Scotland. Annie Laurie The prelude
! Re suddenly broken into BY the sweet
! cst voice soprano. carrying IN clear.
| full note the air. Then comes a strong
bass and then a baritone. while. pres
| entity. high over II an the buFle voiced
tenor I turn instlnctiyely believing
| at mrs, that Prof Mcclellan had sprung
little surprise ON me and hid his
! quartet iu the bosom 81 the big organ.
! But % Is the "yoX haimonics." the most
beautiful in the world. 7 never heard
! Annie Laurie 20 played The vast
] swell % the organ las behind those
] human voices. which rolled upward
I against a. and broke IN great splashes
D % silver melody n seemed that Ear
b on. coming 20 me across tho years was
I the voice az tho finest singer Of old
/ ballads ] ever knew The words almost
I took shape as listened,
And Tor bonnie Annie Laurie
] would lay me doom and dee.
Then came THE Rosary" Kelvin =
! greatest thought played with rare
! beauty ana expression. ] lost sight ~
the passing o. time until the shadows
began 10 creep up from the big audit
/ todum below. where the long rows 81
! empty seats now seemed indistinct.
| When AZ last We came down from the
| keyboard | could understand more full
/ ly what Adelaide Proctor meant when
she wrote. The soul o. the organ
had entered into mine
To play this great organ requires
] marvellous physical as well az musical
skill The hands seemed 20 ne as !
/ tat there watching % be the least i'm
| porart factors On the work The feet
/ must move with unerring precision and
with certain sWiftness The night foot
/ seemed 20 BE- employed with the I'm
mense swell Of the instrument. vhle
the left foot with the deftness and CO.
| lerity % a hand touch the pedal
KEYS giving symmetry. smoothness and
I expression 20 the various voiced pipes.
have used the sea as a figure 81
speech IN describing the music % the
organ. This seems % me the only