Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 62
62.—THE TEMPLE ORGAN.
Cromwell and his soldiers played havoc with the organs of merry England. These "squeaking abominations," as the old Puritans called the organs, were everywhere torn down and their pipes melted into bullets. The soldiers would go through the streets blowing the pipes from some demolished organ, or perhaps pawned them for cups of ale.
Very few organs escaped the fury of these zealots. But after the restoration a different order of things set in. The Cathedral services were restored and it was a golden time for organ builders. The organ, by the way, had reached a great degree of perfection at that period.
In the reign of Charles the Second, the authorities of the Temple Church, in London, determined to build as fine an organ in their edifice as money would afford. There was a peculiar condition attached to the matter, to the effect that each builder who wished to contest for the honor should set up his organ in the church, and then all were to be given a fair trial.
Two builders, Schmidt and Harris, were the only ones to accede to this condition, but they were the best builders of their day. In nine months they were ready for the trial. Schmidt's organ was first tried, and in the hands of such performers as Purcell and Blow we may be assured it had a fair hearing. Harris secured the French musician, Lully, to show off his instrument, and his playing was on a par with that of the English performers. Trial after trial was held, but no decision could be secured, as the organs seemed to be so equal in value. The builders added new stop effects, but still no decision. Then they descended to malicious destruction. Each maker had his friends in the church and out, and soon pipes were removed and bellows cut, and anything was done that would injure the opponent's chances of success.
Finally, the matter was placed in the hands of Lord Chief Justice Jeffries, and he decided in favor of Schmidt's organ, and that is the one which still stands in London Temple.