LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1965, Page 244

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244 UNPUBLISHED REPORTS AND OVERTURES

it is, however, found through spot checking that there
are valid grounds for genuine alarm; and

Wuereas, The often stated arguments, herein listed,
that cause many to conclude falsely that imitation
organs are desirable in preference to pipe organs, can
easily be refuted as follows:

J. Many more ranks or stops can be had for less
money in an imitation organ than in a pipe organ.
E. Power Biggs, a renowned organist, in his tape record-
ing of 125 examples of European organs, “The Organ”
(Columbia DL-5288), says concerning this allegation:
“This is a modern organ in Holland with just 6 stops.
Surely this is vastly preferable to an electronic imita-
tion, which lacking pipes lacks the first essential of
an organ.”

2. More room is required for a pipe organ than for
an imitation organ. In reality the reverse is true if the
imitation organ honestly provides enough individual
speakers to approach the sounds of each individual pipe
of a pipe organ.

3. An old 10—50-rank pipe organ can be replaced
with an imitation organ for less than the cost of repairs
to the pipe organ. This may well be true. But this
implies that it costs more to maintain a pipe organ than
an imitation organ, which is certainly not true. The
only part of a pipe organ that ordinarily needs attention
is the maintenance of working parts, often referred to as
electronic, and tuning of the pipes. The pipes stand for
centuries. An imitation organ can be compared with
$4,000 to $65,000 worth of radio and television sets with
their endless maintenance problems and depreciation
by obsolescence, calling for some type of trade-in
agreement.

4, Pipe organs get out of tune, and their tuning can
be only as good as the skill of the tuner. This is true
but not undesirable, and many pipe organs go for years
without complete tuning, giving great satisfaction.
In fact, in the pipe organ it is this individuality of each
pipe that gives the same unsurpassed effect created in
great choirs and in symphony orchestras, particularly by
the dozens of string instruments and slide trombones,
where intonation in all cases is dependent entirely on
the fallible ears and skill of each musician.

5. A more accomplished organist is required to play
a pipe organ than to play an imitation organ. Actually
not only is this false, but the direct opposite is true.
To have an imitation organ attempt to stir the emotions,
not only is an accomplished organist required, but only
certain well-suited selections can be used under only
most favorable conditions and with clever use of tremolo
and swell. Tremolo, swell, sustained sounds, and im-
pressive consoles are the only features imitation organs
have in common with a pipe organ.

6. It is necessary to pay an exorbitant price for a
good pipe organ. This is most certainly not true. The
first unit of a fine, new pipe organ can be installed for
$3,700 to $4,200, consisting of diapason, flute, and string
voices. The reed and more bass can be added when they

can be afforded or desired to make a complete set
of the 4 voices totaling 340 pipes at a total cost of $5,500
to $7,500 installed and in a space just 5’8” by 10/10”
distributed as desired. The 2-manual console may have
manuals added if desired as the number of pipes is
increased from time to time through the organ fund.
These small units can provide enough pure pipe organ
music for the largest church if some distortion inevitable
in amplifiers and speakers can be tolerated; and

Wuereas, The best of materials is utilized wherever
possible in our buildings, except in the installation of
an organ, when as Dr. Reed indicated “well-meant
economy” often becomes “false economy.” “Apparent
economy is an added inducement for selection of these
substitute instruments. The economy is only apparent.
Electronic instruments, however cheap to begin with,
wear out rapidly, needing constant repair and frequent
replacement. A good pipe organ on the other hand may
last for centuries.” (Luther D. Reed, Worship [Muhlen-
berg Press], pp. 279, 280); and

Wuereas, The Roman Catholic Church found it
necessary to issue a decree several years ago as an
attempt to retard degeneracy of her organ music, the
following being an excerpt from said decree:

The simulated organ, commonly called “electronic” may
be tolerated temporarily for liturgical services if means
for procuring a pipe organ, even a small one, are not
available. In each individual case, however, the explicit
permission of the local Ordinary is required. (Excerpts
pp. 21, 22 from September 1958, “Degree on Participation
in the Mass” [Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minn.]})

and

Wuereas, Some of our pastors, parishioners, and
even members of organ purchasing committees have
been led to state sincerely that they don’t hear a dif-
ference between pipe organs and imitation organs and
also state that they believe few people in a congregation
will recognize an appreciable difference and refer to
inconclusive demonstrations by promoters of imitation
organs, allegedly proving that even some pipe organ
experts cannot hear a difference. Another quotation
from Reed’s Worship applies to the above statements:
“Untrained ears, accustomed to similar commonplace
qualities in radio reproduction, are often unable to
recognize these deficiencies. But anyone who has come
to know and love true pipe-organ music will be imme-
diately repelled”; and

Wuereas, It is highly desirable that pipe organs be
used everywhere possible in our Synod, in churches,
schools, universities, seminaries, and where instruction
is given in organ playing, not only to avoid offending
the musical ear of many of our people but to offer an
incentive to develop a greater number of competent
organists in our Synod and to encourage organ building,
an art that could be lost; therefore be it

Resolved, By this 46th regular convention of The
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod that the pipe organ
be declared the official organ of our church and that
any organ other than a pipe organ is a substitute; and
be it further

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