It is called Holy Week in the
Catholic Religion. The time between Palm Sunday and Easter. I will not talk
about religion although I should. I am afraid that some stranger will chop off
my head if I do. Yes, in this day and age of sophisticated ways to communicate,
the western world has to live in fear of communicating. We are at an all time
low when even our government is not equally represented by the opinions of its
people. An all Republican congress is wrong. So, in the spirit of prayer and
revelation I will choose to discuss church music.
It was on January 11, 1885, one
hundred and twenty years ago that Lawrence Hammond was born in Evanston,
Illinois. He was a mechanical, engineer to make a living but he was a lifelong
inventor. His early creations included a tick-less spring driven clock, an early
3-Dimensional movie and a bridge table that automatically shuffled and dealt
the cards. His biggest breakthrough came in 1934 when he patented the Organ
that bears his name. It was next to a
device known as a tone wheel. The Hammond organ produced sounds that sounded
like a full scale pipe organ only found in churches or places of worship. This
week the pipe organs will be in full force because it is Holy Week.
Hammond quickly became a big
seller because you could now get this unique sound anywhere concealed in a
manageable box on stage or even in your home. The Organ was used by amateurs, small churches
and radio soap operas. Countless pop musicians still use the organs in their
bands. A famous song was Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum, or the keyboard
talent of Keith Emerson of Emerson Lake and Palmer or the soulful sounds of Bob
Marley’s No Woman No Cry. All made famous by the sounds of the unique Hammond
Organ.
Lawrence Hammond died in 1973 at
the age of 78 with more than 100 Patents to his credit. Hammond organs continue
to be sold to this day but now by using up to date digital technology. Not a
bad legacy for a musical pioneer who couldn’t play a note. So in this week set aside each year for
religious reflection. Maybe we should be thinking more about the organ than
religious stories from the past. These days there is too much strife over
religious wars and division than any kind of peace. Unfortunately we still live
in fear of brutality, force, persecution and malice for there to be any time
for peace and prosperity. I think I will listen to some organ music.
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