The History Of The Organ In The Christian Church

The honor accorded the pipe organ in Christian worship represents a curious paradox. On the one hand, the Christian church through most of its history has had an abiding antipathy toward instruments; on the other, the organ (together with bells) has, since the late Middle Ages, become so identified with the church that it embodies the very essence of "churchliness. " How could this have happened? This article traces the history of the organ in worship in order to answer this question. The early church's rejection of instruments in worship and its mistrust of instrumental music of any kind is well known. In particular, the Roman hydraulis or water organ, a predecessor of the medieval church organ, was linked with pagan rites, games, and the theater. The early church writers had no more use for the organ than for any other pagan instrument. St. Jerome (fourth century) spoke out sharply against the organ, warning that Christian virgins should be deaf to its music (Johannes Quasten, Musi…