organ lessons

No, I haven’t taken up a new instrument. But I have a developing appreciation for an old one. Last night that appreciation was enhanced by a recital featuring three men whose talent playing the organ is stunning beyond the point of admiration. The program pieces by Bach, Mozart, and Franck were alternately dramatic, complex, poetic, and simple.

The most interesting moment of the evening was when the third organist, David Eaton, introduced Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in E Minor by describing how in the early days, organ playing was a community effort—it took many hands to keep the bellows moving and the components of the organ functioning together. Eaton then proceeded to invite the audience up onto the stage. “There’s too much space between us. Come closer and see how it all works,” he said. “I won’t be afraid at all.”

For a minute, the members of the audience appeared unlikely to respond to Eaton’s request. But, as Eaton took his seat on the organ bench and adjusted it for the piece about to ensue, a small group of audience members made their way down and formed a semicircle around him. Children clutching their parents’ hand, students in jeans, and elegant society women in heels stood expectantly, eyes fixed on the organ and its player.

I remained seated, taking in the scene below. As the music filled the recital hall, it occurred to me that the evolution of the organ and how it is played now (one person alone on a bench making magic happen) is a microcosm of our society today. With the possible exception of some beloved team sports, our culture worships individual self-sufficiency, defends individual freedoms, and immortalizes individual achievement. Independence is strength; interdependence is weakness.

For some reason, we’re more afraid than we used to be of getting close to each other. Are we afraid of revealing our flaws? Afraid of needing another person? Afraid of having to change? I don’t have the answers to these questions. But for a few minutes last night, fears were forgotten as the shared love of beautiful music brought a community together.