Apparently some at the meeting objected to the use of instrumental music in services. How to introduce the organ to the congregation was the question. It stood in a large wooden box with the word "organ" printed in large letters on the side facing the audience.

At the first morning meeting, pioneer evangelist Elder J. N. Loughborough read the 150th Psalm in which the psalmist calls upon his readers to use instrumental music in praising God. As Elder Loughborough read, " . . . praise Him with stringed instruments and" - when he came to the next word he slowly spelled it out - " 'or-g-a-n-s.' " Loughborough then commented that this was what was in the box there on the platform. At the next service later in the day, he said they would have the organ unpacked so it could be used to praise God in the song service. In spite of the previous opposition to the idea, everyone soon discovered that the pump organ made a decided improvement in the singing.

On June 30, 1892, Edwin Barnes made his initial appearance as organist of the First Congregational Church in Battle Creek, and by 1894 he is reported to have joined them. Through the years, Barnes continued his musical studies. He made five trips to Europe in order to improve his knowledge of piano, voice and organ.

As a member of the American College of Musicians, Barnes was well known in Battle Creek. In 1904, he guest-conducted both the visiting New York Symphony and Chicago Symphony orchestras. On October 1, 1908, Barnes opened the Congregational Church's new Austin pipe organ in recital. Many years later, this organ was purchased for the Seventh-day Adventists' Battle Creek Tabernacle for $3,000. Renovated and dedicated on Sabbath, February 17, 1962, it is still in use by the Battle Creek congregation.

Now, with the invention of sound movies, theater organs stood idle or sold very cheaply. Thinking that any organ was an acceptable organ, many churches throughout the country took advantage of these low price tags to acquire theater organs for their congregations. This decision vexed organists and legitimate organ builders, and ultimately, many of the congregations themselves became dissatisfied.

In 1944, Harold Hannum arrived at La Sierra College to chair its music department. He determined to gradually change the character of the Disney theater organ's tone quality, by making the ensemble more cohesive and church-like. In 1970, the theater organ was replaced with a fine three-manual, 62-rank Casavant pipe organ of rich ensemble.

As the "Dean" of Adventist organists, Professor Hannum rendered many memorable services, among which were the "organ vespers" to close Sabbaths. At these times he played most of the significant organ music. English Professor Harry M. Tippett and Mrs. Ethel Hannum further enriched the programs by reading literary selections.

In the meantime, the La Sierra Collegiate Church had been built. Today it possesses a magnificent four-manual, 100-rank pipe organ built by the industry and ingenuity of Donald Vaughn, church organist and instructor in organ at LSU from 1966 to 1998.

Before long, Hammond organs were being used at our carnpmeetings. Adventist congregations everywhere thrilled to their sounds. Hammond organs were also installed in churches all across the country, including such places as the Sligo Church in Takoma Park, Maryland; the old General Conference headquarters chapel in Washington, D. C.; and the Green Lake church in Seattle, Washington.

Electrotones continued to be developed in both the United States and Europe. Schools and churches could now choose from an expanding number of organ models and companies, including Allens and many others. Allen electronic organs are located in such places as the new General Conference headquarters chapel in Silver Spring, Maryland; Avondale College, Australia (presently being replaced by a Johannus digital electronic); Caribbean Union College, Trinidad; and Samyook University, Seoul, South Korea.

Many European countries have also begun building electronic organs. The organ at Taiwan Adventist College is a Viscount, from Italy. Other electronics have been purchased by Southeast Asia Union College, Singapore; the church adjacent to Hong Kong Adventist Hospital; and the church at Taiwan Adventist Hospital.

And in the last decade, organs built by Johannus Organ Company in Holland have been installed in the campus churches at Montemorales University in Mexico, River Plate University in Argentina, and East Brazil College. These were dontated by Orland and Joan Ogden of Portland, Oregon.

Birt Summers, director of the college music department, announced that "those desiring to study will find here [at EMC] a fine opportunity to become versed in the art of organ playing." When the old chapel building was demolished in 1961, the Moller organ was sold and removed. In March, 1966, a new 75-rank Casavant pipe organ was completed in AU's Pioneer Memorial Church. This was refurbished and expanded to 78 ranks in 2001.

Additional organs at AU include two smaller practice pipe organs in the music building, a tracker and an electropnuematic, and a Brian Fowler sixteen-rank, tracker-action two manual pipe organ, installed in the Theological Seminary chapel in 1998.

In its new setting, it was quite spectacular, with redwood chests, a gilded Open Diapason and, after a time in its new location, a picture of the rich young ruler and Christ that hung among the display pipes. (This painting hangs in the narthex of the present college church.) Stanley Williams (representative of the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company) was the tonal finisher of the original organ.

A 1929-remodelling by the Oliver Organ Company of Berkeley, California, produced a 27-stop, three-manual organ. An Echo organ was installed within the back balcony, but now there was difficulty in "getting it all together." In 1946 when Stanley Williams visited the campus, he exclaimed, "Yes, those are my pipes!" But when he heard them played, he retracted his statement and said they were not his. Upon examination, he discovered that the mouths of the pipes had all been cut up to make them louder - to fit the expanded instrument. The result of the makeover was that they now emitted quite a "tubby" sound.

In the 1950's a new three-manual Moller console was installed. It has since been rebuilt to serve the new Casavant pipe organ in Paulin Hall, home of the music department. The pride and joy of PUC, however, is the four-manual tracker-action pipe organ built by Rieger of Austria.

One of the finest instruments in the denomination and the largest mechanical action organ in the western United States, the Rieger is adaptable to all styles of organ music. Del Case, who oversaw its installation, continues today as organ instructor and church organist at the College.

Designed by George B. Miller around two manuals he had brought with him when he had come to the campus as music director two years earlier, the organ was propelled by water power. In freezing weather, the water had to be thawed before the instrument became functional. Some time later, a two-manual reed organ with pedals replaced Hanson's organ in the chapel. Unfortunately, both of these organs had benches much too high for the students to develop good pedal technique. The reed organ was used for student practice as late as 1945.

Margaret Holden Rippey, a 1916 graduate of WWC, began teaching piano and organ there in 1917. After leaving the college she settled in Portland, Oregon, where she became a highly respected musician. She returned to the campus in 1929 as guest organist to inaugurate a new nine-rank, two-manual Reuter pipe organ in the church. She again played the inaugural recital for another eight-rank, two-manual Reuter installed in 1940 in Columbia Auditorium, new home of the College Church since the congregation had outgrown its church. Just before the disastrous fire which destroyed the auditorium in 1978, the Reuter had been sold to the Spokane, Washington, Central SDA Church.

Under the leadership of Melvin West, chair of the music department, a new Fine Arts Center was constructed at WWC and furnished with a 36-rank, three-manual Casavant, a three-manual Moller Artiste, and two smaller practice pipe organs. He also oversaw the installation of a 93-rank, three-manual Casavant in the College Church.

In 1953 the Takoma Park Church purchased an Ernest M. Skinner four-manual, 42-rank organ from Town Hall in New York City, but it did not fulfill expectations - especially after a damaging fire. The next organ, installed by the E. H. Holloway Organ Company, later needed to be renovated. Capital Memorial Church has had a two-manual, eighteen-rank Schantz organ since 1963 - to which three mutation ranks have been added.

The Casavant installed (in two phases) in Loma Linda University Church in 1971 was almost the largest one built at the time. It has 127 ranks, four manuals, and 85 speaking stops.

Another significant installation was that of a Rieger at the Sunnyside Church in Portland, Oregon, in 1988.

Recalling the lines of organ building during the High Baroque, John Brombaugh built this massive organ with 108 ranks. Designed to play exclusive music, the organ has been used in a series of concerts by European artists. Indeed, in the worldwide Adventist church, there is nothing to compare with this remarkable organ.

In Europe itself, pipe organs are located at Newbold College, England; at Collonges-sous-Saleve, France (a six-stop Silbermann); in Wetzingen, Switzerland (two-manual); in Lyon (one-manual) and Paris, France; and in Frankfurt , Germany (a small two-manual).

In nearby Canada, a 45-rank, three-manual Casavant installation was completed in the Canadian Union College University church in 1997. It replaced a pipe organ that had been originally built in the 1920's for the University of Wisconsin, renovated by the Wicks Organ Company in the 1950's, and then purchased and installed by CUC in 1971.

What a heritage of organs played by dedicated organists has been passed down to present-day Adventist musicians. The Church, along with its educational institutions, has run the gamut from the small harmonium, to the pedal vocalian, to the theater pipe organ, to the electronic instruments (electrotones) ... and finally to the ultimate - the pipe organ - for the best classic reproduction. These instruments have required steady, unrelenting vigilance to maintain and support them, whether pipe or electronic.

As the music pours from them, I must exclaim with Paul:

Reprinted in the Winter/Spring 2003 issue of Notes from an article in the Spring 1991 issue of Adventist Heritage with permission from La Sierra University. Updated by Dan Shultz, in consultation with Warren Becker

A 1945 graduate of Walla Walla College, Becker was named as an Honored Alumnus in 1985. He completed a master's in organ and a DMA in organ performance and pedagogy at Eastman School of Music. In 1979, he was chosen by Harold Gleason, noted musicologist and organ scholar, to co-author the well known Music History Outline series. A grant enabled him to spend two years in California working with Gleason on the five volume series. During that time he also prepared the sixth edition of Gleason's Method of Organ Playing for publication