In the universe of musical instruments, one class stands alone as the greatest. Large enough to live within, requiring every limb and digit to play, impossible to pick up or move.
Pipe organs: the Sauropods of the musical universe.
Instruments which incorporate the buildings that house them as resonant structure.
Instruments which have successfully parasitised churches and cathedrals since the 12th century.
Its a fascinating idea. Most musical instruments depend on being cheap enough for an individual to afford, and compact enough to travel with them; although while fiddles and harmonicas can be carted anywhere, the poor musician who was parasitised by a cello or drum set is going to suffer terribly. In the case of a bassoon or tuba, their reproductive chances may even be threatened.
Pipe organs discovered the ecological niche of churches, and flourished. It is too bad that they never managed to make the jump to other monumental architecture: the Eiffel Tower could only be improved with organ pipes.
A organ pipe console would fit right into NASA's Mission Control Center, and would add as much functionality as its place in any church.
