Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-06-22
Critical of Critic

SUGtSOt W SIIStS
Day Thorpe says that Or
gans Of any kind were un-
heard Of in the early devel-
opment of the eathedrals
during the Middle Ages. He
says that cathedrals were not
designed for organs; there
fore, the organ does not be-
long in church land should
be accommodated, at least.
from cathedrals." Don't tell
me Day Thorpe does not know
about the famous tenth
century organ of Winchester
Cathedral? Among the many
references to this organ is
one by Curt Sachs in his
book, "Our Musical Heritage"
Moreover, Sir John Stainer
in his manual on organ
playing reproduces an illus
tration Of an organ as it APP
pears in a Saxon Psalter.
Saxon, that is TO say, early;
Psalter that is to say, quite
churchly.
No doubt the advance of
secularism and the introduc-
ton of that wicked instru-
ment, the piano tan inven-
ton, by the way. which
Cristofori may have to share
just a little with Father Wood,
an, English monk. helped to
relegate the organ to the
purely spiritual realm. Day
Thorpe's dislike. however, of
today's Gothic reproductions
should not be allowed to color
his values so disproportion-
ately. After all. there are
many Americans who feel
that the Beat Generation is
out of tune with Gothic
cathedrals, rather than the
other way around.
A classic is not a classic
because it is old, but because
it has a certain universally.
The organ meets esthetic and
spiritual needs today Just as
much. perhaps, as it has in
the past. The orthodox
churches are also satisfying
a need. Day Thorpe should
ask at the Cathedral how
many persons visited the
Cathedral during World War
II for the purposes of prayer
and spiritual comfort. He
should then try to find out
how many attended the secu-
lar concert halls for the same
reason. My own argument,
however. is not with the sec
ular concert halls. II we
could only get the Beat Gen.
Grafton into them! Perhaps
the reason why we cannot is
that too often the programs
are composed OF Beat Cen
Grafton music on a high plane.
There is no peace anymore
in music or art and those who
represent this advanced state
Of madness highly resent, APP
parently, those who are forced
to turn to church and Bach
and organ music for some
thing soothing to tangled
nerves. The organ is out of
place in a cathedral only if
it comes between the wor-
shipper and his God.
Edwin d. Johnson.
4
Day Thorpe may be an ex-
pert in music, but as a
student of architecture, he
certainly reveals an abysmal
ignorance. He says: e. Re-
member that the cathedral
was originally designed, ar
chitecturally. to glorify God
and to enhance the prestige
Of the clergy. The worshipper
was in no way considered in
the final temporal scheme OF
things. So the old
cathedrals were not designed
with the congregation in
mind. 1t. (the music was
not meant to be enjoyed by
. the congregation standing in
the main body Of the cathe-
dral. Organs Of any kind
were unheard Of -"
What utter nonsense 1;
this? II cathedrals were moi
designed with the congrega-
ton in mind. why their en-
ormous size. and why, as your
critic himself says THE con.
gregation standing in the
main body?
Even a cursory glance al
the encyclopaedia woulc
have informed Mr.. Thorpe
that the organ has been il
constant development since
the Second Century BIC, anc
could hardly have been "un'
heard Of" And further. {
music authority in the Bri'
tannica writes In forme,
centuries, organs were sell
dom to be found outside
places Of worship"
Perhaps Mr.. Thorpe woult