The organ is the largest instrument with the largest repertory and the greatest influence on Western music's unique evolution. But what is its origin? Who first made it, when, where, how? Why was it introduced in churches? What gradually led to the vast world of organ music? Is the keyboard itself not one of the West's greatest inventions? This newly-revised book by Peter Williams reviews what is known and speculated about this fascinating topic, drawing on a large number of interdisciplinary sources to suggest some answers and underlines the significance (in the words of an early scribe) of the "instrument of instruments."

OHS Press, Paperback 174 pages