Why do most churches use organs?

[Guinastasia]

Almost every church you visit, they have a huge organ, (well, except for Eastern Orthodox, of course!)

Why is that? Why an organ? Why not a piano? Does it have to do with accoustics?

[Squink]

Just a WAG here, but western pipe organs predate the invention of the piano by nearly a thousand years. This gave them plenty of time to become the default instrument for church music. Even after the piano arrived on the scene, its relatively quiet voice was only suitable for the smaller churches.

[yabob]

The organ began making its way into churches around 900 CE. Exactly how and why remains an enigma, but it appears that the organ was first used for ceremonial purposes. By the 1400s, the use of organs was well established in monastic churches and cathedrals throughout Europe. Large and small organs were in use on festival occasions and in alternation with church choirs for liturgical purposes. While most Americans may link the organ to the church, the instrument was around for more than 1100 years before it made its way into a church setting.

(From http://www.westfield.org/curious.htm )

I would guess that it first found its way into churches originally because it was an instrument that could provide both standalone performances and suitable accompaniment to choirs while being operated by a single musician, as opposed to having an entire orchestra. Note that 900 CE is several centuries before the development of the piano. By now, it is simply traditional.

[ftg]

Also, it can simulate many other instruments. The world’s first “synthesizer”. Try to get a piano to sound like a flute or violin.

[Mahaloth]

I’d just like to point out that tons of churches don’t have organs anymore.

[Skammer]

Wait a second:

The organ began making its way into churches around 900 CE.

the instrument was around for more than 1100 years before it made its way into a church setting.

That puts the invention of the pipe organ at around 200 BC. Is that right? I’m not disputing it, but I never would have guessed that early. You don’t usually picture them being around in that era.

[yabob]

Yes, follow either of those links. Something called a “hydraulis”, generally recognized as the first organ, was invented in the 3rd century BC in Alexandria by a guy named Ctesibus or Ktesibios, and enjoyed popularity in pre-Christian Rome.

Regarding the “synthesizer” observation - one point to consider is that 900 CE is a few centuries before organs had stops - they were apparently well established in churches before they really grew into the multi-voiced modern form.

[Milton_De_La_Warre]

Consider that organs could be fairly loud insturments. They’d be just the thing for filling a large space with sound in an economical manner, whether this is a church, temple, or coliseum.

http://www.archaeologychannel.org/hydraulisint.html

[handy]

What? Any votes for they sound great? If not, well I guess I’m not missing much.

My church got a new organ & its huge & the church next door can hear it. :-0 Try that with your piano.

[Princhester]

*Originally posted by ftg *
**Also, it can simulate many other instruments. The world’s first “synthesizer”. Try to get a piano to sound like a flute or violin. **

Well sort of, anyway. I’ve always thought that when organs try to sound like a violin or flute they end up sounding like an organ trying to sound like a violin or a flute, rather than a violin or a flute.