 The Shrine of Saint Cecilia.  A King for Kings.  For monkey and crowd. |
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This is a scientificly proven fact: normally a women have better coordination, better sence of rhythm and better abilities to carry the tune - so if not many other social duties a women would be better organists... I'm not kidding! Now let's look at some pictures, I collected them for you and I hope... maybe you'll like them? The subject of this collection: "a woman and a pipe organ". To listen to organ music not only in a church or concert halls but in pleasant gardens, parks (wear a longsleeve gown and lots of jewelry!), organ could accompanied your singing of popular songs, your dinner with friends ( isn't it nice switch: to play after cooking?), could lead in instrumental compositions written by your friends ( well..) or... you could dance holding an organetto in a special manner, playing it and singing at the same time ( but this is for mini - skirts or jeans only!) Really, why not if they could do all of it: | |
Organ dancer. Late 13 cent. From: Byzantine and medieval music. Well, to be onest I'm not sure if this image depicts a woman: a figure is in typical "medieval" mode that we hardly could be certain if it's male or female... But it is defenetely having fun! This is one of a few images when on a portative organ playing a common person:no wings to be an angel, no dazzle to be a noble. It's rather professional street musician in dress short enough to provide maximum comfort (look, actually it is longer but it was tucked in just for the dance) and soft shoes suitable for dancing. 
Sence of hearing. Tapestry. Wool and silk. 3.69 x 2.90 meters. Thermes de Cluny. 15 cent. Paris. Here she is : beautifully dressed noblewoman playing a small pipe organ in a garden. The lion and the unicorn behind her are symbols of strenght and purity. Another woman is pumping the air for her sister ( friend?). ( Not that long ago I have had my first experience of playing a "pump" organ too - it was one of... US military field organs which were used in WWII. It was of a size of a sowing machine, portable, able to produce relatively strong sound; you have to pump the air with your feet - and playing on it gives a strange feeling that sound is "alive" - may be because of a certain unstability of a pressure? ) Well, about this picture: if you have enough time to "travel" and would like to se more of famous "Lady and Unicorn" series go sometimes to
Unicorn tapestries.
A Lady playing organ. Tapestry. Musee d'Angers.1430-1497. Image source:
Tapestries and more. Isn't it pleasant - to play organ music for outdoor fun, especially when the instrument is so small, elegant, almost a part of a precious outfit, when it do not trying to dominate organist by it's size... 
Rene II copying the Psalms. Ca. 1442 - 1453. From: Breviary of King Rene II of Lorraine. Anonymous. Paris. Bibliotheque de l'Arsenal.
Concert a la Fontaine. Tapestry. 1725 - 1786.
Harmony. By
Sir Frank Dicksee. 1877. Oil on canvas.
Tate Gallery. Millbank, UK. Postcard reproduction.1941. 
Le chant d'Amour. E. Burne - Jones. From: Sir Edward Burne - Jones by Russel Ash. 1993.
Evensong. John Strudwick. 1897. Oil on canvas. 91 x 91 cm. Private collection. Image source for this picture and for next one:
Pre - Raphaelite Collection.
The Music of a Bygone Age. John Strudwick. 1890. Oil on canvas. 79 x 61 cm. The Pre - Raphaelite Trust.