The organ is a
keyboard instrument played using one or more
manuals and a
pedalboard. It uses wind moving through metal or wood pipes and/or it uses sampled organ sounds or oscillators to produce sound, which remains constant while a key is depressed. Its sounds, which vary widely in timbre and volume, are divided according to ranks and controlled by the use of
stops. The keyboard is not
expressive and does not affect
dynamics. Organs vary greatly in size, ranging from a cubic yard to a height reaching five floors , and are located primarily in churches, concert halls, and homes. The organ is one of the oldest
musical instruments in the
Western musical tradition, and carries a rich history connected with
Christian liturgy and civic ceremony.
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The organ repertoire consists of
music written for the
organ. Because it is one of the oldest musical instruments in existence, written organ repertoire spans a time period almost as long as that of written music itself. The organ's solo repertoire is among the largest for any musical instrument. Because the organ was found almost exclusively in the western churches from the
Middle Ages until the emergence in the
Romantic era of large concert hall instruments, a significant portion of organ repertoire is sacred in nature. Thus, most organ music comes from Western
Europe and
North America; because the eastern religions (such as the
Eastern Orthodox Church) did not use any instruments in their worship. Owing to the age of the instrument and its frequent use in Western worship, the organ has one of the most varied repertoires of any instrument.
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