(S.D.)-Despite Changes In Style, Pipe Organs Endure

By: Roxie Graham-Marski Posted at: 12/26/2012 10:10 AM
     SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The pipe organ has ruled the Christian sanctuary for centuries and the majestic instrument continues to reign in many Roman Catholic and mainline Protestant parishes.
 
     It's a tougher sell for congregations moving toward contemporary worship.
 
     Organ aficionados say the growth in praise-band led services, combined with a nationwide shortage of qualified organists, is prompting many congregations to leave pipe organs out of their new construction plans.
 
     While many of the larger builders of organs have shut down, a handful of smaller manufacturers are still assembling the expensive custom instruments, largely by hand.
 
     Longtime organist and music professor Jerry Aultman says it's a mistake for churches to dismiss organs, because it can fit nicely into modern services if used the right way. 

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