The Pipe Organ: A Brief Celebration
Westminster Abbey Organ | www.westminster-abbey.org The Catholic Church has long held the organ in high esteem as the premier musical instrument for use in the sacred liturgy. Several key reasons emerge from the provided references as to why the organ is valued in the Mass: The organ is "especially fitted for the sacred chants and sacred rites" and "adds a wonderful splendor and a special magnificence to the ceremonies of the Church." Its grand and majestic sound helps elevate the solemnity and grandeur of the liturgical celebration. The organ "moves the souls of the faithful by the grandeur and sweetness of its tones" and "gives minds an almost heavenly joy and it lifts them up powerfully to God and to higher things." The organ's music has the power to inspire devotion and draw the faithful closer to the divine. The organ's sound "enhances the whole liturgical ceremony with its noble art" and "adds dignity, majesty and a p...