Counterpoint: http://www.stgregoryoc.org/article/article-archive/the-use-of-the-organ-in-the-orthodox-church/
subtitle: When hard lines go soft. Conveniently, it would seem the writer also works for an organ company. There's nothing more authentically Eastern (socio-geographically speaking), than grift. Greased palms play the Psalms. Lol.
Okay, two things:
1. I'll quote the Church Fathers in question.
Saint Clement of Alexandria:
"Leave the pipe to the shepherd, the flute to the men who are in fear of gods and are intent on their idol-worshipping. Such musical instruments must be excluded from our wineless feasts, for they are more suited for beasts and for the class of men that is least capable of reason than for men… In general, we must completely eliminate every such base sight or sound – in a word, everything immodest that strikes the senses (for this is an abuse of the senses) – if we would avoid pleasures that merely fascinate the eye or ear, and emasculate."
Eusebius:
"Of old at the time those of the circumcision were worshipping with symbols and types it was not inappropriate to send up hymns to God with the psalterion and cithara and to do this on Sabbath days… We render our hymn with a living psalterion and a living cithara with spiritual songs. The unison voices of Christians would be more acceptable to God than any musical instrument. Accordingly in all the churches of God, united in soul and attitude, with one mind and in agreement of faith and piety we send up a unison melody in the words of the Psalms."
Saint John Chrysostom:
"David formerly sang songs, also today we sing hymns. He had a lyre with lifeless strings, the church has a lyre with living strings. Our tongues are the strings of the lyre with a different tone indeed but much more in accordance with piety. Here there is no need for the cithara, or for stretched strings, or for the plectrum, or for art, or for any instrument; but, if you like, you may yourself become a cithara, mortifying the members of the flesh and making a full harmony of mind and body. For when the flesh no longer lusts against the Spirit, but has submitted to its orders and has been led at length into the best and most admirable path, then will you create a spiritual melody."
Saint Basil the Great:
"So the psalm was not written for the Jews of that time, but for us who are to be transformed, who exchange polytheism for piety and the error of idolatry for the recognition of him who made us, who choose moderation under the law in place of illegitimate pleasure, and who substitute psalms, fasting and prayer, for instruments, dancing and drunkenness."
Theodoret:
"It is not singing as such which befits the childish, but singing with lifeless instruments, and with dancing and finger clappers; wherefore the use of such instruments and other such things appropriate to those who are childish is dispensed with in the churches and singing alone has been left over."
Canons of Saint Basil:
"When a reader learns to play the cithara, he shall be taught to confess it. If he does not return to it, he will endure his punishment for seven weeks. If he persists in it, he must be discharged and excluded from the church."
2. Both the Antiochian Orthodox Church and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America have, in a growing number of parishes, introduced the Pipe Organ into their liturgical services - from the 20th century onward - (they are still a minority however) and the article you quote is from a Western Rite (i.e., they use the Liturgy of Saint Gregory) Antiochian Orthodox Church. This introduction has led to a lot of conflict and debate among the Orthodox Faithful, even among the Greeks; the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio, has a pipe organ - me and some friends attended there for Liturgy.
They were clearly an irregularity and not the norm, or what should be the norm, basing my opinion on the Church Fathers.
The Pipe Organs flourished in the West post-schism.
"By 900 A.D., advocates of organ music began to overcome reactionary attitudes, and a bank of pipes had become a well- recognized ecclesiastical fixture by 1400."
http://ethw.org/Pipe_OrgansHowever, this is only my opinion - the Orthodox Churches which use pipe organs are their own Churches. As long as the music doesn't become hedonistic and emotionalistic, and doesn't subdue the pipe organ for the voices - we are good to go.
