Pump that organ

In the flurry of Friday night parties and concerts one event stand alone: the organ pump. While most Friday night diversions can be found at other colleges like Oberlin organ pumps are a uniqely Oberlin experience. The first pump of the year on Friday was no exception.

The evening started with senior David Kazimir, decked out in crazy pants, sunglasses, and a staff, hosted the evening's proceedings, providing entertaining banter during breaks. The festivities commenced with an opus by Jean Langlais entitled "Trois Paraphrases Gregoriennes," played by senior Susan Carroll.

People sat quietly as the notes reverberated throughout the pews; the melody was ominous and slightly haphazard, which lent an eerie quality to Finney.

The mood was altered by the second piece, Cesar Franck's "Piece Heroique: en si mineur," played by sophomore Ruth Draper. The heaviness brought on by the previous piece lifted as the notes formed carnival-esque bars.

The third and final piece of the evening was the most invigorating. At this point, audience members were invited onto the stage of Finney to lie down. Sophomore Daniel Sullivan played Louis Vierne's Symphony No.1 in D minor for Organ as various people laid at his feet, eyes closed. This participation is a must for anyone attending an Organ Pump, and wouldn't be complete without the simultaneous sensations of both touch and sound as the notes are played.

If you find yourself with some free time around midnight on Oct. 30 stop into Finney to check out the next pump. And contrary to popular belief, the Organ Pump can be enjoyable sober.