Carols in the wind

Abstract

Aim: To compare mood and emotional responses to music played on pipe organs and pipeless (digital) organs. Design: A two-organ (pipe v. digital) crossover study. Setting: St Theodore's Anglican Church, Adelaide. Subjects: 43 non-musician volunteers. Main outcome measures: Changes in mood and emotions measured by the Profile of Mood States. Results: Both instruments produced significant reductions in the emotions commonly experienced during the Christmas season: tension-anxiety, depression-rejection, anger-hostility and fatigue. There were no significant changes for vigour or confusion-bewilderment, and no significant differences between the mood-altering effects of the two instruments. Conclusions: Pipeless organs are as effective as pipe organs in inducing beneficial mood changes.