The Organ in the Medieval Latin Liturgy, 800–1500

Abstract

In spite of the wealth of literature dealing with the history of the medieval organ, surprisingly little of this is concerned with the use of the instrument in a liturgical context. The subject is mentioned, of course, but usually only in passing, as a matter of subsidiary importance compared with the details of construction, names of organ-builders, and so on, which constitute the main part of such publications. Even so noteworthy an article as that by Apel on ‘The Early History of the Organ’ conveys its extremely valuable information on the liturgical aspects in the context of an overall survey which begins by considering the instruments of classical antiquity. It is part of my purpose to try to reverse the process and to think of the mechanical details as subservient to the main topic: how the organ was actually used in the services of the Church.