The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-09-14
HISTORY OF
PIPE ORGAN
NOTES or MAKE or INsTRU-
MENTs IN PERIOD >. O. HOW
PIPES WERE ARRANGED, FIRST
ORGAN WITH KEYBOARD, LATE
DEVELOPMENTS.


The installation of the new pipe or
gan at the First Congregational church
y 2 matter OF general interest because
it ADDS to the musical equipment OF the
city. But Il is also a matter of special
interest because the pipe organ is uni
versally recognized as the king OF in
truments."
There are comparatively few people.
however, who know why the organ is
such wonderful instrument. 1t may
De worth while. therefore, TO give q
brief account OF the origin and history
OF this great musical instrument.
Tradition has 1t that there was one
In Solomon's temple at Jerusalem
which could be heard at Mount olives.
Tnis is only tradition. In Gensis fv:2I
Is read, "Jubal is the father Of all such
as handle the harp and organ. The
word here translated organ is literally
pipe. The first organ was simply
pipe, then, later, more pipes were add
go. These pipes were at first blown
with the mouth. The next step was
the bag pipes. Along with the develop
ment OF the bag pipes there came into
use what was known as Pans Pipes.
This instrument consisted Of from sew
en- to nine hollow reeds fastened to-
gether by wax, and cut in graduated
lengths 80 as to produce graduated
scale. The lower ends were closed and
the upper ends open on a level, so that
when the pipes were fastened around
the neck OF the performer his mouth
could easily pass from one pipe to
another. The tone was made by blow
ing into the pipes as one blows into
bottle to make sound.
The next step was to combine a set
OF pipes with the wind reservoir OF the
bagpipes, placing a little slider under
the mouthpiece of each pipe, which
could be opened and closed at will, SO
that all the pipes would not speak at
once,
First Organ With Key. Board.
The first organ with a key board,
of which we have any history. is men
toned in the Talmud as having ex-
isted In the second century. A. d. It |
mad ten pipes Somewhere in the
eighth or ninth century. A. D., there |
was an organ built into Winchester |
cathedral. England, which had 400 |
pipes. 1t was a double organ with |
thirteen pairs of bellows, and required |
two organists to play it. 1t could |
be heard all over Winchester, and for |
miles around. All the early organs |
beloved I'D shrieked In a harsh and /
disagreeable manner, very much after /
the order Of the modern calliope. In
these. old organs the pipes were in
front Of the keys, and the player be-
hind. The key board had from eleven
to thirteen keys, arranged In diatonic
without semi tones.
The crude possibilities of such or
gans were very limited; but It Is to be
that harmony was not in
vented until the year 951, A. ID. The
keys of these early organs were Ave
to six inches wide This was neces-
sary because the valves and the whole
Of the organ was so clumsy
that the keys had to be struck with
slenched fists or the elbows The or
sanist In those days was called the
organ beaten" Gradually the mechan-
SIN was improved so that the keys
could be reduced In size, and semi
ones were added to the scale.
In f470 pedals were added. After
his, for nearly 500 years, there wore
almost no improvements In the pipe
'rgan. There have been more i'm
'rovements in the last fifty years.
many Of them in the last fifteen years
than in the preceding 400 years.
These modern improvements have
opened up possibilities in organ music
Il which the great masters of organ
never dreamed. These I'm
consist OF better distri-
'ution of air to the pipes; the addition
4 great variety of stops; mechanical
levices. called couplers. for quickly