Preserving an Ancient Artform
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The Lost Chord:
TEXT BY HEATHER BODE PHOTOGRAPHY SARA YOUNG
SHOW & TELL
f you take a moment to chat with today's church-goers, many claim the organ
is ancient, even archaic. It is. So ancient, in fact, its origins are older than Jesus
himself. e ancient Greeks with their ideas about philosophy, government, and
math are credited with developing the sophisticated and intelligent instrument that
became the pipe organ. Long before organists were leading crowds of major league
baseball fans in chants and cheers, pipe organs in Roman stadiums originated
that idea. Today, many organ benches sit empty while the pipes gather dust.
Some organs have been removed from churches with no promise of
return. e artistry of the pipe organ and the mystical chords
produced may soon fade like the pages of yesterday's
newspaper. Will organs go the way of dinosaurs? What,
if anything, can be done to reverse the trend?
I
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Jodell Winter says, "Organs are not just for church. The
Hammond B-3's, C-3's, and M-3's added so much dimension
to rock bands of the 60s and 70s!" Here she works with
12-year-old student Brady Nehring.
