The Place of the Pipe Organ in Worship

A friend of mine recently sent me an article from Catholic News Herald titled “Fewer take up pipe organ, but its place as ‘voice of church’ secure.” Despite the affirmation of church documents that the organ is to be given “pride of place” in liturgical celebrations, fewer people are learning how to play it. Already there appears to be a growing need for organists in the United States, even as more and more communities abandon the instrument all together.

The decline in organists in the United States has lead some to call it “a dying art” and to lament its inevitable disuse. However, CNH reports that the future of the organ in liturgical celebration is much brighter than headlines suggest

According to Paul Skevington, a past chairman of the NPM’s section of organists, the organ will continue to be the cornerstone of liturgical music: “Overall, the state of organ music is positive and uplifting…It’s not going anywhere; it’s simply becoming part of the bigger mosaic.” Skevington’s statement should comfort those who fear the decline of organists in the American Guild of Organists and NPM. The CNH article also reports that the College Music Society has observed a 14% decline in the number of students seeking a master’s degree in organ performance from 2012 to 2013.

As CNH notes, the larger problem “is not a shortage of organists but a dearth of full-time, well-paying church organist positions.” Skevington is also right to point to the lack of proper funding for music ministry in most parishes. It seems that the decline in organ playing can be directly tied to across the board cuts in parish budgets. Foregoing an organist is just one example of attempts to keep parish budgets in the black amid declining collections.

Some parishes are even intentionally building churches without an organ. CNH reports that John Romeri, the director of liturgical music for the Philadelphia Archdiocese, has noted that “some new parishes are not leaving space in their building plans for the pipe organ, because the instruments are pricey and dip into strained parish budgets.”

Despite the turmoil, Richard Parsons, president of the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America, has “said that while fewer organs are being built nationally, the industry is doing well.”

As someone who enjoys organ music and believes that the organ deserves “pride of place” in liturgical celebrations, I hope those quoted by CNH are right when they say that the pipe organ is here to stay.

Nathan Chase

Nathan P. Chase is Assistant Professor of Liturgical and Sacramental Theology at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO. He has contributed a number of articles to the field of liturgical studies, including pieces on liturgy in the early Church, initiation, the Eucharist, inculturation, and the Western Non-Roman Rites, in particular the Hispano-Mozarabic tradition. His first book The Homiliae Toletanae and the Theology of Lent and Easter was published in 2020. His second monograph, published in 2023, is titled The Anaphoral Tradition in the ‘Barcelona Papyrus.’

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Comments

28 responses to “The Place of the Pipe Organ in Worship”

  1. Charles Culbreth

    Our four parish merge is close to completing the architectural plans for a 2500 seat church which will likely function as a “proto-cathedral” due to our geographic location. Its estimated interior square footage is between 26,000 to 30,000’. Having overseen the installation of a 40 rank pipe organ decades ago, I know 40 would be insufficient. As I believe the article mentions, the cost of a larger instrument must be projected at $2-3Million. Our entire budget for interior appointments to the church is $2M. I think that illustrates the problem.

    Reply
    1. Kevin Vogt

      @Charles Culbreth – comment #1:
      Wow! That’s a big church. It’s rare for modern churches that big to have adequate height and volume for acoustics to be optimal. I hope you have it. In a large space with good acoustics, a 50-70 stop organ could suffice. These days a 70-stop organ might be somewhere around $2 million.

      That sounds like a lot of money, but an excellent pipe organ is one of the most economical things one could commission to be made. Among the other interior appointments, no other artifact could touch it in terms of economy or value. A million-dollar organ by the best “artisan” builders today, made in a way that might last 200-300 years (longer than many church buildings built today) might require 35,000-40,000 hours of highly-skilled labor. That’s an incredibly durable artifact made for about $35-an-hour of labor, materials included! Think of something else that human beings make today that economically.

      While the cost of that organ may equal the budget of the rest of an interior, it also carries that value, and in the case of the highest quality organ building will appreciate in value at a rate unmatched by anything except perhaps the property upon which the church is built. In an age when everything is made to be consumed and thrown away (even churches built with the same techniques and materials as shopping malls and chain restaurants), a really fine pipe organ stands as symbol not only of good economy, but also to the radical ecology of the Christian faith which proclaims that in the New Creation even the bodies of the dead will be raised in glory.

      Reply
      1. Kevin Vogt

        @Kevin Vogt – comment #7:
        For those of a more pragmatic nature: If a professional orchestra that could match the tonal variety of, say, a 40-stop organ, were contracted for 5 Sunday liturgies each week, plus holy days and the like, a parish would spend as much in a year as the one-time cost of an instrument that could serve with that frequency over the course of several generations. In other words, if one considers musical value and potential alone, a $1 million organ would pay for itself in a year.

        Radical.

      2. Doug O'Neill

        @Kevin Vogt – comment #7:
        Kevin,

        Is your pamphlet guide to purchasing a pipe organ still available? That’s a really good starter for anybody considering an organ project. Or you could just hire Kevin as a consultant. Anybody who can dream up a dual-temperament organ, bring it to fruition, and come up with a coherent theology for it is worth hiring.

      3. Kevin Vogt

        @Doug O’Neill – comment #12:
        Thanks for the vote of confidence, Doug. I do have a little brochure that I give to people looking for guidance on organ projects. A first stop, however, might be the resources offered by APOBA (http://www.apoba.com), including the short video on its homepage.

        I appreciate your noting of my association with the Pasi organ in Omaha’s St. Cecilia Cathedral. Credit for that project rests primarily with the organ builder and principal benefactor, but anyone interested in a fascinating story about a very special Catholic church organ project may enjoy my own doctoral document: “The Embodiment of Harmony.” (http://www.pasiorgans.com/conference/harmony.html)

    2. Ludwig Tone

      @Charles Culbreth – comment #1:
      A new instrument from one of the top builders will easily cost $2-3 million, but don’t overlook the many old instruments available looking for a good home. The Organ Clearing House is a great place to start, and if they don’t have exactly what you are looking for they can work with you to find it. Local builders often buy old instruments when a church closes and install them for a fraction of the cost of a new organ. The trick is to get a consultant who really knows what they are doing and can steer you in the right direction. Too many organists (and committees) know little about the construction and design side of the instrument, and latch on to the current fad builder as the only option for an organ. I don’t think anyone would pass up the chance to have an instrument built by Skinner in their church. There is always a way to get a pipe organ if you really want one!

      Reply
  2. Doug O'Neill

    Pipe organs are very expensive, but if well built can last long into the future. It’s an investment. I liken it to brides who will spend lavishly on the reception but want to pay the organist $50. In many cases, the money is there if the will is. Also, this money goes to employ skilled craftspeople, exactly the kind of people the Church should support.

    I think the Snowbird Statement (among the signatories is one Anthony Ruff) states the value of the organ well:

    “We underscore the value of the pipe organ as a most effective leader of congregational singing, especially in large assemblies. With its wide dynamic range, its variety of tonal color and especially its air-supported, sustained sound, the pipe organ offers a most effective support for communal song. The experimentation with guitars, pianos and other instruments over the past three decades has only proven the greater effectiveness of the organ. For smaller congregations and in small spaces, the use of other acoustical instruments such as the piano, guitar and wind instruments can be effective. These instruments need not be abandoned, but their use as instruments of broad congregational support is clearly limited. We invite a more critical attitude to claims that electronic instruments are equally effective and economical, and we encourage the installation of even small pipe organs in situations where resources are limited.

    We also wish to underscore the fact that good pipe organs help to attract competent musicians to leadership roles in the liturgical life of the church. They can also attract young people the organists of the future to the field of liturgical music and promote mentoring relationships between skilled practitioners and aspiring musicians. A commitment to the pipe organ represents a commitment to future quality in sung worship.”

    Reply
  3. Beau Baldwin

    I work for a smaller Episcopal Church with about 250+ average Sunday attendance. When the church was completed in 1990, the parish obtained a small unit Wicks organ of a few ranks, and they used this organ until 2004. In 2004, the rector at the time heard of an Episcopal Church in Florida that was replacing their Aeolian Skinner/Moller instrument with a new instrument; the new builder was leaving about 30 ranks behind and not using them in the new installation. So for around $300,000 the rector bought this organ and had it rebuilt. The rebuild included the 30 or so ranks of pipes, new chests, and a new facade with two new principal ranks. The work was done by Patrick Murphy Organbuilders of Pennsylvania. We used the old console for about ten years, and last summer we purchased a new console from Patrick Murphy.

    I’m blessed with a church that has great acoustics and seats about 300, and we now have a nice 35 rank organ. The total cost of the project was about $450,000 spread over ten years. It was a very good investment. I think if my smallish Episcopal Church can acquire an organ like this, surely a big RC parish with 1500+ ASA could as well….it is all about priorities.

    I think sometimes we need to think out of the box when getting a new organ. There are many used organs that come on the market, and with some work by a builder can come back to life in a new space. I often find that many churches and building committees hear the $2-3 million dollar price tag for a new organ and end up writing off a pipe organ forever from a new building. It is possible to reuse pipe work. Also, the whole pipe organ doesn’t have to be completed at once (divisions can be prepared). Organs are expensive, but with creative planning are not so out of the picture for an average parish.

    I also appreciate the quote in comment #2. The pipe organ truly is the most effective way to support congregational song in a large building. Look at the many examples. Is there a guitar/piano ensemble leading the music at the National…

    Reply
  4. David Jaronowski

    The idea that there is a massive decline in organists is a bit of a red herring.

    I know someone (not a Catholic organist, either by personal faith nor work) who just went through a job search; her experience was that potential churches were so flooded with applicants that she often didn’t even get a phone call (and this is someone with an MM from a “household name” conservatory, who has studied with two teachers widely regarded as among the very best organists in the United States.)

    The employers who were willing to talk to her about the process reported that one open position could bring 30 – 40 resumes, and out of those, at least 15 – 20 had extremely good credentials (again, top tier degrees, competitions won, studies completed in Europe, etc.)

    The fact is, if anything, the field is a bit flooded and the amount of work and achievement needed to secure the large, full time jobs is staggering.

    Reply
    1. Alan Hommerding

      @David Jaronowski – comment #4:
      I believe this story illustrates the dearth of good, full-time positions. My presumption here is that someone with a “name conservatory” MM is searching for a full-time position.
      In Chicago, I am the editor of the newsletter for our chapter of the American Guild of Organists, which has a “help wanted” section. The number of full-time, salaried, benefits-granting positions over the past three years have been few and far between. In April I will be running, for the third month in a row, an ad for a Roman Catholic parish that is looking for someone to work 25 hrs. per week, with no benefits. This person would also need to be available every morning of the week for funerals. Three months and they have had no applicants. I’m only mildly surprised.
      I don’t doubt that churches offering good positions with livable economics get glutted with resumes. But that probably tells us more about the dearth of positions than the excess – in general, base numbers – of organists.

      Reply
      1. Doug O'Neill

        @Alan Hommerding – comment #5:
        Alan, I don’t doubt your assertion at all. At the same time, would you say there has been an increase in the number of paid positions, whether full-time or part-time, in the Catholic Church in the U.S.? I have no data to back it up, but it seems as if that has actually improved. Maybe it’s just the fact that I am now in a full-time salaried position that previously relied on volunteers, or maybe it’s just wishful thinking.

      2. Alan Hommerding

        @Doug O’Neill – comment #6:
        Doug, I don’t have any statistics, either – what I think is happening: with the continuing closure/consolidation of parishes, paid positions will most likely decline, perhaps when 2-3 parishes combine, there will be a position for a musician, but that may also mean the loss of other (probably part-time) positions simultaneously.
        Demographically, we seem to be following the European curve, which is to say that those portions of the population that are better educated & statistically, therefore, more affluent are the people who are ceasing to attend church services regularly. I’m not thinking that’s a direction that points favorably toward an increase in the sorts of positions you’re describing.

      3. Doug O'Neill

        @Alan Hommerding – comment #9:
        Interesting – that makes a lot of sense. Your closing point about the organ being tied to affluent, better educated churches is unfortunately true, because they are typically the communities that can afford to pay a salary. I am now in an unusual situation in which my salary and music budget is funded by a private donor. That creates some challenges with relations with the community, but it also allows me a certain freedom in that I am not bound to pleasing people (not even the anonymous donor, who wants to stay out of the limelight) to keep my job. I wish there could be an economic model that encourages any church that is willing to be able to hire professional musicians. Then there is the fact that the Catholic Church in America is growing with native Spanish speakers, who are less likely to be affluent. Maybe that will change, as other immigrant cultures have in the past, but it is reality for now. We often assume that Spanish-speaking communities don’t want organ, but that’s not necessarily true. When I was at the Madeleine in Salt Lake, many were thrilled when we used organ for the Spanish or bilingual liturgies. One day I was pulled in to play for a Quinceanara, because the Spanish choir was out of town on a little tour. The family absolutely loved it – it gave them great dignity – actually they were a bit prideful that they got something not everybody got! I hope that the organ will be a sustainable part of the Church’s future, not limited to the affluent white suburban communities.

  5. Doug O'Neill

    I think the second paragraph in the above quote from the Snowbird Statement is an interesting point that doesn’t get made frequently: that putting in quality pipe organs, and creating good positions, will ensure the future of quality liturgical song. Although it may ruffle some feathers to say this, people who go through academic organ programs are more likely to be skilled in encouraging congregational song, than those who don’t. We must keep this trade going, for the sake of the church. In fact, the only thing that bothers me about the article is the quote from Mr. Skevington, who says that the organ is “becoming part of the bigger mosaic.” I would rather say that it should become a bigger part of the existing mosaic.

    Several weeks ago, I invited my brother to play guitar for the weekend Masses. Our pastor, who knows me as a serious musician, thought I had lost my mind. But my brother holds a degree in classical guitar performance, and is a highly skilled player. He isn’t a regular liturgical musician, and he agrees with me that the guitar is a terrible instrument for supporting congregational song. However, it can be beautiful and appropriate for the Mass. He played a solo piece at the offertory, but otherwise played continuo-style, along with the organ, on some of the Ordinary, Pescador de hombres, and psalms to the Meinrad tones. It was engaging and beautiful, and people loved it. Ironically, by inviting a skilled guitarist, I bolstered the argument for the organ’s primacy, because the guitar was always used to color the sound, not to support singing.

    Reply
  6. Frank Ferrone

    @Allen Hommerding #5
    How would someone at 25 hrs/wk, no benefits, consider that a full time position?
    Presumably they would need another 15 hrs/wk to round it out (or more). But WITH benefits! What do you suppose the odds of finding that are? I rather think that in the world of supply and demand, your problem here is demand.

    Reply
    1. Alan Hommerding

      @Frank Ferrone – comment #13:
      Frank, the parish in question is NOT considering it a full time position – what they’re looking for is someone to work 25 hrs. and be available every morning for funerals that may or may not occur. So, in essence, they would be paid for working the 25 hrs. (salary, but no benefits) but would be expected to have a schedule that, in effect, would be the same as that for a full time position.
      I’m thinking your observation about supply and demand is exactly why this parish has sent me the same ad for the newsletter three months in a row.

      Reply
  7. Gregory Hamilton

    I agree with Alan, I am not sure the organ is declining in the RC church, I think it is gaining. Look at the recent issue of the American Organist: the majority of new instrument are in RC churches.
    Here in Dallas where I live, there have been 4-5 new organs in Catholic parishes this year, (some very large) including a new organ for our seminary here, and there are plans for new Cathedral instrument. The new Cathedrals in Oakland, Houston have very large new instruments. Christ Cathedral is renovating one of the largest church organs in the world.
    I think with the growing of congregation singing (it’s taking us a long time to catch up with the Lutherans!) parishes are just realizing what others have known that it’s just the best instrument to support singing.
    Alan, I also agree than much more could be done to increase interest in the organ in Spanish-speaking communities, there must be potential organists there!

    Reply
  8. Kevin Vogt

    Some may enjoy reading Skye Hart’s DMA paper on this topic, “Cecilia’s Mirror: the Role of the Pipe Organ in the Catholic Church of the United States in the Aftermath of Vatican II:”

    http://repository.asu.edu/attachments/56049/content/hart_asu_0010e_10097.pdf

    Reply
  9. Ludwig Tone

    The number of trained organists is on the decline. This can be seen in the numbers put out by the AGO. which keeps tracks of membership, students enrolled in degree programs, etc. The number of decent-paying full time church jobs is also on the decline, which is part of the problem. What incentive is there for someone to spend years studying (most places want a MM) and take on debt only to be faced with a bunch of part-time jobs that require you to be at work on weekends and holidays? Even the full time jobs offer pretty low salaries. In addition, many of these churches have terrible facilities and resources – electronic organs, pianos well past their best days, dry and poorly designed rooms, and small music budgets. If churches want to attract good musicians they need to make it worth their while. Decent salaries, decent facilities, support from the pastor and other church leaders, and reasonable hours.

    Reply
  10. Jared Ostermann

    A couple of things come to mind:

    1 – The argument for continuing to build pipe organs seems to center on the support of congregational singing. Mainly because this is a popular motivation these days, I suppose. The question remains, however, whether there is any place for organ repertoire liturgically. Technically, the primary solo use of the organ takes place outside of the liturgy (preludes, postludes, concerts). I think we have to take into consideration the fact that we have lost (for better or worse) a liturgical context in which vast amounts of organ playing was suitable and expected (e.g. the French organ Mass tradition). We have also discarded a theology of the organ “standing in” for sacred text (e.g. the Mass and Magnificat verset tradition). So what is the integral liturgical role of the instrument today? Or, does the instrument need to be justified primarily by liturgical role? Is the extra-liturgical (architectural, cultural, artistic) argument compelling as well? I think we need more intellectual grappling with these questions, in order to craft a compelling argument for building great instruments. To be blunt, I do not think that the suitability of organ for leading congregational song (as populist and therefore tempting as this fact is) translates into a need for instruments capable of playing a wide range of repertoire convincingly. My quick answer to this conundrum is: Improvisation – musical artistry that is both necessary and integral to the liturgy, and which is heightened by a noble instrument.

    2 – On the job side, and connected to the above issues, it is hard to find an “organist” position in part because parishes prefer to hire one person to do everything. All of my mentors have driven home to me that, however proficient I become at the organ, I will make my career as a planner/logistician and as a conductor. It is important for students to ensure that they can be competitive as a “Music Director”, not just “Organist”.

    Reply
    1. Doug O'Neill

      @Jared Ostermann – comment #17:
      I fully concur with the notion that instruments need not be in any particular style, or play a wide range of repertoire. What they do need is to be beautiful. I think where you are going with your opening comments is that the organ is not just a utilitarian instrument; it is a sacred symbol and work of beauty in and of itself. Kevin’s writing develops this considerably, and I agree that we need to make a case beyond the congregational support one.

      Reply
      1. Jared Ostermann

        @Doug O’Neill – comment #21:
        Doug,

        Correct – I just don’t think the utilitarian argument carries far enough to be convincing, when multi-million dollar projects are on the line. Organists are really arguing for much more than a congregation-leading-machine when they lobby for a high-quality instrument. But we have to be better at articulating that. Someone needs to write that book, and I hope it’s Kevin!

  11. Fr.Jack Feehily

    I can appreciate that this site attracts a number of clergy and lay faithful who revere pipe organs as the premiere instrument for making sacred music. As an ordinary mortal I regard pipe organs and organs in general as especially suited for concerts and for accompanying classical hymnody, but as instruments associated with vibrant parish liturgies in which people are focused on giving thanks and praise to God not so much. Nearly all instruments, well played by those with hearts of faith, are worthy and suitable for assisting the priestly people in their worship of God in joyful song. We have a digital organ and a fine keyboard and occasional other instruments that help our people make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

    Reply
    1. Jared Ostermann

      @Fr.Jack Feehily – comment #20:
      I don’t think anyone would call the organ the “premiere instrument for making sacred music.” That honor goes to the human voice, the only instrument created by God and essentially the only liturgical instrument for the first millenium of the Church’s liturgy. And even among various crafted instruments, I don’t know that we could say one is inherently better than another (except in the case that a particular instrument is exclusively or very strongly associated with secular music, which would indeed render it less suitable for sacred use). However, it is the case that the pipe organ is uniquely connected with the Roman Rite, which is worth consideration. It is also possible that due to its physical characteristics is it uniquely suited for liturgical use in certain settings (for example, leading large congregations in unified singing, and in a more general sense making music in a large acoustically-rich space). It is possible to say that one instrument is the best choice for a particular context, without saying that it is inherently better than another instrument. There are indeed settings where it would be difficult to argue convincingly for the installation of an organ, just as there are settings where the opposite is true. In a smallish and/or acoustically-dead liturgical space like so many are faced with, it’s sometimes hard for me to see how a pipe organ is the clear winner. But then again, in those spaces a choir often can’t do much music-making either. Maybe we still need to aim for an excellent instrument even if it can’t shine to its full potential.

      I also find it odd that you think an organ is unsuitable for a parish where “people are focused on giving thanks and praise to God”. That seems highly judgmental. I can think of some pipe-organ based parishes where I’ve been where that sentiment would be highly offensive to parishioners and musicians alike!

      Reply
    2. Doug O'Neill

      @Fr.Jack Feehily – comment #20:
      Fr. Feehily, with all due respect, I find insulting your remark about yourself as an “ordinary mortal” as opposed to those who uphold the pipe organ. Having spent many an hour in pubs and at parties with organists, believe, me, we are quite ordinary mortals. If you have never experienced vibrant parish liturgies with a pipe organ, that may be the fault of the organist. It can be quite vibrant. In fact, nothing is more vibrant than when the entire assembly is lifting up their voices with inspired playing of the organ. Other instruments can be suitable for worship, but the organ gives a dignity, an identity as a sacred symbol and the breath of the spirit. Some of it is plain acoustical physics, too, that makes pipe organs effective. Digital organs are not pipe organs, don’t have the same properties, and and therefore not as effective.

      Reply
  12. Sheila Kelly

    @Fr. Jack Feehily, I agree, I am not a musician, just a lay person who attends Mass regularly and I don’t see how an organ facilitates congregational singing. When I have experience the organ it is usually so loud and bombastic that no one has any urge to sing. I prefer piano and guitar.

    Reply
    1. Doug O'Neill

      @Sheila Kelly – comment #23:
      Sheila, much of how the organ facilitates singing is related to acoustical physics, something you won’t find in the documents. I’m sorry that your experience has been with loud and bombastic playing all the time. I’ve been guilty of that (often when I get excited, which at least is a positive excuse). It need not be that way, though, although we also want to avoid uninspiring playing at the other extreme. When amplified, pianos and guitars can also easily be overpowering – just see the thread on amplification for that discussion.

      Reply
  13. David Healy

    I my name is David Healy and I am attempting to find a home for a Conn Pipe organ . Vallejo First Church of the Nazarene has just reached its 100 years in service to the community . We are closing the existing building and joining with another church location in Vallejo .
    I would like to know if someone in your company would advise of the best way to relocate the organ to some church that could use it . I could send pictures of the organ, pipes and bass pedals if you would like. I have a little more than a week before it may just be scraped. It is in fine condition .

    Reply

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