BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME, PROM TlIE ■ '* ^ SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF / iicnrg m. Sage 1891 ^Jni- iMi 9, Cornell University Library ML 557.C61 Standard or9an,,,!i;!j||fflj||»ii|i 3 1924 022 263 788 Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tlie Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924022263788 STANDARD ORGAN BUILDING BY WILLIAM HORATIO CLARKE Colleague of the American Guild of Organists, Member of the Society of Arts, Massachusetts Institute of Tech- nology, and Author of Numerous Volumes of Organ Music and Literature ^ARnetygRTTAT^ RICHARD G. BADGER BOSTJN Copyright, 1913, by Richard G. fiadger All Rights Reserved The Gorham Press, Boston, U. S. A. TO THE AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS WHOSK OBJECT IS THE PROMOTION OF THE MOST WORTHY ORGAN AND CHURCH MUSIC, TO WHICH THE HIGHEST CLASS OF ORGAN BUILDING IS AN ESSENTIAL REQUISITE PREFACE "Standard Organ Building" is presented as a text-book by which Church Authorities may be aided in negotiating for the purchase of an organ, and is suggestive of important items to be considered in connection therewith. It treats of the essential principles upon which good organ building is founded, but does not give the formulated details which would serve as guides for an amateur to construct his own instrument. Diagrams of the interior mechanism are omit- ted because each Organ Company have their own methods of producing results, and furnish descriptive catalogues advocating their special claims in connection with artistic illustrations of case designs. Such progress is being made in improved appliances, that the drawings con- tained in quite recent books on organ construc- tion are comparatively obsolete. "Standard Organ Building" is based upon practical experience and observation, and is con^ cisely written, omitting the history and descrip- tion of past methods, and treating of the organ as developed up to the present date. At the present degree of development, the Preface more reputable Church Organ Builders have their firmest advocates among the most expe- rienced and conservative organists in England and the United States. By conservative organ- ists, in this connection, are meant those who have long tested the best methods of structure, voicing, and mechanical appliances for the interpreta- tion of the highest class of organ music, and who adhere to those principles which are of perma- nent value, without being empirical. These conservative principles are elucidated in the following pages and belong to the Legiti- mate System of Church Organ Building, with- out inculcating fossilized opinions. During an important era of a varied musical career, the author was the proprietor of an ex- tensive pipe organ manufactory where every de- tail passed under his constant inspection. From this careful supervision the vital principles here recorded have been derived, freed as they are from narrow prejudices and speculative theories. Information concerning improvements in Or- gan Building will always be welcome for use in future editions, and requests for further informa- tion upon these topics will receive direct re- sponse. Clarigold Hall, W. H. C. Reading, Massachusetts. CONTENTS PAGE Progress of Organ Building i Standardization g Suggestions to Building Committees lo Table of Dimensions and Weights 17 MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT Ground Sills 19 Building Frames 20 Bellows and Feeders 20 /Find Trunks 24 Concussion Bellovis 24 Wind-Chests 25 Promptness of Speech 26 Ventil Wind Chests 27 Universal Wind Chest 28 Tubular Pneumatic Action 29 Pneumatic Stop Action 31 Electro-Pneumatic Action 31 Individual Gravity Valves 33 Compass of Manual Wind Chests 35 Compass of Pedal Wind Chests 36 Manual Keys . 36 Double Touch 37 Unison Couplers 38 Sub and Super Couplers 39 Pedal Couplers 41 Relation of Manuals and Pedals 41 Contents FACE Concaiie and. Radiating Pedals 43 Stop Action , 43 Siuell Section 45 S 6 in. Depth. 7 ft 7 ft 8 ft 9 ft 10 ft 13 ft 14 ft. 16 ft. 17 ft 17 ft [17] Height 12 ft 6 in. 14 ft 14 ft. 14 ft 18 ft. 18 ft. 18 ft 18 ft 23 ft 23 ft Net Weight. 3,500 lbs. 4,500 " 5,500 " 7,000 " 8,800 " 9,300 " 9,500 " I2,000 " 13.000 " 15,800 " Standard Organ Building Price. $ 7,000 7,500 10,000 I2,0OO 15,000 Width, Depth. 19 ft. 17 ft. 20 ft. 18 ft. 22 ft. 19 ft. 24 ft. 20 ft. 25 ft. 22 ft. Height. 23 ft. 23 ft. 24 ft. 24 ft 25 ft. Net Weight. 16,500 lbs. 18,000 " 20,ooo " 22,000 " 24,000 " [18] THE MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT THE following subjects arc described in the order in which an organ is built up from the floor to its completion as a fin- ished instrument in readiness for acceptance. i THE GROUND SILLS. The Ground Sills are flat frames of hard wood resting on the floor and framed together in such form as to receive all the supports of the entire building frames which hold the wind- chests and mechanism of the organ. All the posts which support the mechanism are fitted with dowel pins which enter their cor- responding holes in the ground sills, and these dowel holes serve to locate the relative positions of all the supports. The ground sills are screwed together with halved shoulder-joints, and all parts are con- nected by tie-frames so that when the organ is set up in its final position, each support will be in the same relative location as when constructed in the factory. By means of the ground sills the weight of the organ is evenly distributed over the floor, and the [19] Standard Organ Building level of the whole mechanism is adjusted from the sills which must be perfectly levelled when laid. THE BUILDING FRAMES. The Building Frames sustain all the mechan- ism above the ground sills, in connection with which their position is definitely related to all parts as originally constructed. They should be made of substantial wood which has been thor- oughly seasoned, of such thickness and width as will be unyielding in bearing the heavy weight of the wind-chests and pipes above. All the rails should be tenoned into the posts and drawn up to the shoulders with machine bolts, lag-screws, or wedge tenons. The material may be of any unyielding wood having clear grain, as the springing or warping of a rail would derange some portion of the action work. THE BELLOWS AND FEEDERS. The Feeding or Wind-Supply of a Bellows Reservoir is based upon the area of the Feeders and the number of strokes per minute necessary to supply the full organ. The maximum num- ber of strokes should not be more than twenty- eight per minute to insure a steady tone with- [20] Bellows and Feeders out jerking from the thumping of the working beam when operated by a blow handle. In the case of hand-blowing, the feeders are of the diagonal, or V type, hinged at one end. Parallel Feeders work with their four corners free, and give double the amount of wind supply compared with the diagonal feeders, but require so much additional muscular strength to operate, that they are better adapted for hydraulic motors which have reciprocating motion. The Bellows Reservoir should be of ample capacity to retain a surplus of compressed air for all the needs of the full organ. Very large organs have several of these reservoirs with vary- ing pressures for use with different sets of pipes. The pressures should be regulated by well-tem- pered steel springs which arc in every way pref- erable to weights. When full of compressed air, the Reservoir should rise to the height of ten inches, and the feeding capacity should be such that when the full organ is played for a length of time, the top board will not descend more than two or three inches. Noiseless safety valves are provided opening info the feeders which prevent the tone being forced from overpressure, thus avoiding the danger of bursting the gusset leathers. Standard Organ Building Where the feeders are operated by a water motor, a chain running over pulleys is attached to the top of the reservoir and is connected with a valve in the water supply pipe which causes the motor to work automatically in furnishing the wind as demanded. With fan blowers of all kinds, the rotary mo- tion is kept at a high speed, and a regulat- ing gate in the wind conveyance is automatically operated by means of a c^hain attached to the top of the reservoir. The speed of the revolutions acts with such force that a constant wind supply is held in re- serve so that the top board of the reservoir is not lowered more than an inch in playing the full organ, and there is no shaking or disturbance of the air in the speech of the pipes. The sub- ject of mechanical motors will be treated on an- other page. There are two kinds of bellows reservoirs in use: the Box Bellows where there is a space of about a foot in height between the bottom board and the first set of folds. This affords oppor- tunity for attaching the wind trunks on any side of the reservoir in conveying the air to the vari- ous wind-chests. The other kind has a special trunk-band at one end of the reservoir into which the air passes, [22] Bellows and Feeders and from which the wind trunks are led. This kind is only used in small organs where the rise of the bellows must be kept as low as possible. The Bellows are the most vulnerable part of the organ, and the interior of the instrument should be so designed that they may be removed for re-leathering without taking down the other parts of the instrument. Even the best quality of bellows leather is af- fected by climatic influences. In very warm climates it is liable to become so brittle that in the course of time it will burst open. In very humid conditions the gussets some- times become so saturated with moisture that no ordinary glue will cause the leather to adhere to the wood, and only water-proof glue will hold the leather in adherence, and this, or similar cement should be used where an instrument is to be placed in a damp climate. Under the most favorable circumstances the re-leathering of bellows should not be required for twenty-five or thirty years. The worst ene- mies of the bellows are mice and rats who gnaw the leather around the exposed edges in order to get the glue. To avoid this trouble in any climate, a special glue may be used which has been made imper- ils] Standard Organ Building vious to such ravages by being mixed with a chemical poison. WIND TRUNKS. All the Wind Trunks which connect the bellows with the wind-chests should be made as large as possible so as to ensure steadiness of tone and prevent friction of the air in passing through. Provisions should be made for climatic changes, by having broken joints with two or three inches of space between the ends which should be united with organ leather. This will prevent any leakages occurring where the wind trunk flanges are fastened to the wind-chests, and also where they are joined to the bellows. The wind trunks are coated outside with var- nish and inside with glue sizing to fill all the pores of the wood, the stock being free from small knots and seam checkings. Large cylindrical wind trunks may be made of zinc when necessary, but the bends should be made in mitred form, and at right angles. CONCUSSION BELLOWS. On account of the elasticity of compressed air in the wind trunks, there is often an unsteadiness of tone when detached chords are played with [24J Wind Chests one hand while the notes of the other hand are being sustained. This is sometimes obviated by the use of Con- cussion Bellows on the wind trunks, which are made like diagonal feeders, hinged at one end, with springs so adjusted that they remain half way open at the regular wind pressure. This tends to equalize the steadiness of the wind when the instrument is being played. THE WIND-CHESTS. The Wind-Chests on which the pipes stand and which contain the valve mechanism which causes the pipes to sound, form an important part of organ mechanism. In this treatise the Wind-Chest includes the wind boxes, ventil chests, individual valves and pipe top boards, and the use of slide wind-chests with the single pallet valve system with its tracker action is not advocated. The reasons might be stated at great length, but it is a fact with which all organ builders are familiar, that the wind pressure in the barred channels of the slide wind-chests is diminished as additional stops are drawn, and the highest class of builders have abandoned this system for one which is more satisfactory from every point of view. [25] Standard Organ Building Many of the largest organs in Europe and the United States were built on the slide system, and had the attendant defects which led to the adoption of individual motor valves in more modern instruments. While the invention of the Pneumatic Lever overcame the obstacles of heavy touch and permitted heavier wind pres- sures so that larger pallet valves could be used, it did not remove the liability of robbing the pipe work of the proper amount of wind as ad- ditional stops were drawn. These brief comments on slide wind-chests result from much experience with such chests where they had been carefully made, and since the progress with tubular pneumatic action has been so satisfactory in comparison, these re- marks should be considered as remedial in their leading. Up to a recent period nearly all treatises on organ construction were necessarily based upon the tracker system with slide chests, which was the only method then extant with which organ- ists of a past generation were familiar. PROMPTNESS OF SPEECH. Much of the crispness, or prompt utterance of tone, depends upon the valve mechanism and the conveyances of the compressed air from the [26] Ventil Wind Chests valves to the pipes. In the single-pallet slide wind-chests the air passed from the opening of the valves into narrow channels over which stood all the stops above. Under this method, the 8 ft. Open Diapason was generally placed over the end of the chan- nels farthest away from the valves. As this is the most important stop, and requires more wind than any other, this location was unfortu- nate for the promptness of speech and fullness of tone demanded, because the wind pressure at the remote end of the channels when a valve is opened, is less than directly over the valve open- ings, which is especially true when all the other stops belonging to that Section are drawn. VENTIL WIND CHESTS, A Ventil Wind Chest is one in which each stop has its own wind compartment with each pipe having its own individual valve. When a stop is brought on, a ventil-valve admits the com- pressed air into its own wind compartment, or in- dividual wind-chest. What is termed the Ven- til Chest is really a series of separate chests, one for each Section to which it belongs. Each pipe has its own valve placed in immediate proximity to the foot of the pipe which thus receives the full pressure of the air without obstruction. [27] Standard Organ Building Each compartment with its proportionate size of ventil receives a full supply of wind without detracting from the wind supply of any other stop, insuring the utmost steadiness of wind when all or few of the stops are drawn. The stop action is always serviceable, as there is simply a ventil stop-valve to be opened by tubular pneumatic action, and combination ar- rangements may be applied with facility. With the Ventil System, it is well to remem- ber that if there is any ciphering caused by dirt on a valve, it is a temporary obstruction in the stop alone in which it occurs, and all other stops on the same Section can be used. Two important features are requisite in the Ventil System, viz. : each separate chest or com- partment should be of ample capacity to supply every pipe with plenty of wind for the fullest chords, and the size of the ventil-valve shall be sufficient to freely admit all the air needed, es- pecially at the end of the compartment most remote. UNIVERSAL WIND CHEST. The term "Universal" is applied to several systems of single-chambered wind-chest con- struction in which each pipe has a separate indi- vidual valve. This system was introduced in [28] Universal Wind Chest Germany many years ago, and differs from the Ventil Chests in having but one wind-compart- ment for all the stops in each Section. In the Universal Chests, the valves are oper- ated by tracker action within the wind-chest, and the stops are brought into use by mechanism which is also within the chest, which works upon the trackers, and brings the valves belonging to any stop into control, both the valve and stop action being under pneumatic assistance. The single compartment of the most modern Universal Wind-Chest is made large enough for a person to enter and regulate the valve action when the wind pressure is on, and in some in- stances the motor feeder is placed within this compartment which is used as a reservoir. The wind pressure is sometimes given by a spring pressure-board which is placed on one side of the large compartment. In any method of constructing wind-chests the amount of the wind supply depends upon the capacity of the feeding mechanism. TUBULAR PNEUMATIC ACTION. The System of Tubular Pneumatic Action has also suffered from the defects incident to the adoption of a new method of mechanism with imperfect materials and application. [29] Standard Organ Building According to the standard adopted by the best manufacturers, the Tubular Pneumatic Action has proved itself superior to every method hitherto used in organ building, and it may be considered as one of the most vital inventions connected with the progress of the art. It has to a great extent superseded the tracker action with its array of stickers, elbows, action- bars, roller-boards and levers, especially when complicated with the intermediate Pneumatic Lever. It has given clear space between the bellows and wind-chests, and affords a light and uniform key-touch with instantaneous and fluent speech of the pipes thus actuated. In the best methods of construction, brass tubing only is used for the connection between the key and pipe wind-chests. A cheaper method employs a thin composition of lead and tin, while the cheapest builders use tubes made of paper fiber and coat them with aluminum paint to give the semblance of metal! These latter with their composition of glue or paste are altogether too tempting to vagrant rodents. With Tubular Pneumatic Action there are two systems of wind pressure employed. One, called the duplex system, uses a higher pressure for the pneumatics than for the pipe wind- chests, this requiring separate reservoirs for the [30] Tubular Pneumatic Action purpose. In some instances this high pressure reservoir is placed inside the bellows reservoir, and in others it is placed outside, in both cases the air being supplied by the regular feeders. The other system uses the air from the main bellows reservoir at the same pressure used in the wind-chests. Having been well tested for a number of years, it has been found to accom- plish its purpose with the least complication, and without hesitation may be recommended as reliable and efficient. PNEUMATIC STOP ACTION. The compressed air is admitted to each ventil compartment by similar pneumatic mechanism on a larger scale, when brought into operation by the stop action. This is the general principle with each man- ual, pedal and stop. The Pneumatic Couplers are operated by tubes which connect with the primary valves with the same delicacy of touch as when the manuals are uncoupled. ELECTRO-PNEUMATIC ACTION. It should be understood that the introduction of electricity has no dirept connection with the musical department of an organ and adds noth- ing to its tonal value. It is simply an electrical [31] Standard Organ Building connection between the console and the pneu- matic action of the pipe wind-chests in place of the brass tubing and key wind-chests when the manuals are at a remote distance from the organ. The contact of the wires is made at the ends of the keys and stop action, the armatures being located at the intermediate chests, the insulated wires taking the place of the brass tubing. In this case the supply and exhaust ducts from the intermediate chests to the motor valves act as tube connections. There is no need for the introduction of elec- tric action unless the console is more than twenty feet from the organ. Each builder has his own system of contact, application and voltage. It requires careful ad- justment and attention after it has been installed, and its adoption should be well considered. The best builders have been successful with their systems of electro pneumatic action, but the past history of its use by inexperienced elec- tricians brought much disfavor upon its intro- duction in organ building. Many of the fail- ures in electro-pneumatic action have been from causes not inherent with the principle, but on account of some improper or peculiar adapta- tion of it. [32] Electro Pneumatic Action The unreliability of the former system of con- tacts has been overcome. The derangements re- sulting from short circuits have been obviated. The quality of the magnets has been improved. In large organs motor generators have been substituted for wet and dry batteries, which. are operated from the same electric motors which actuate the fan blowers. All past defects have also been obviated by better methods of construction of the electric attachments in their relation to the pneumatic mechanism. Wet and dry batteries require examination and renewing, and they should be under the supervision of an experienced organ expert who is familiar with organ action, for a local elec- trician has frequently proved incompetent for the demands. In every instance of the installment of electric action, the organ builder is responsible for the system he has adopted, which is included in his guaranty. INDIVIDUAL GRAVITY VALVES. The most recent improvement in the structure of Tubular Pneumatic Wind-Chests is the inven- tion of a Pneumatic Gravity Valve which is in- destructible and permanent. It gives each pipe [33] Standard Organ Building its full and prompt wind supply, by which the dragging and sluggish effect incident to the col- lapsing motor or membrane valves which have been in vogue, is entirely obviated. These valves are graduated in their weight so that they are held upon the valve seat of the pipe port by the force of gravity in addition to the pressure of the air in the ventil chest when a stop is drawn, so that there is no danger of ciphering or derangement. They are operated by means of Tubular Pneumatic Action, using no springs whatever, and they employ the same bellows pressure as the pipes without using a duplex reservoir. Their position is such that no foreign substance can possibly obstruct the valves. The materials are imperishable and there can be no leakage. The tubular connection from the keys is the same as with former motor valves. The working of these Gravity Valves is en- tirely concealed from sight, and it is not pos- sible to outline a diagram which would be understood by a person not familiar with the pneumatic ducts of modern ventil wind-chest construction, or who does not understand the operation of the power of compressed and ex- haust air used in the principles of pneumatic philosophy. [34] Compass of Wind Chests Each organ builder has his own method of applying tubular pneumatic action to the ventil chests and system of valve mechanism which he employs, but the improved system of Gravity Valves has been adopted from much experience in the construction of ventil wind-chests as an advanced method in the progress of organ build- ing, which is scientific and practical. THE COMPASS OF THE MANUAL WIND-CHESTS. For true organ playing with properly bal- anced specifications and voicing, the standard of a 6i note wind-chest corresponding with the manual compass beginning with CC answers all the demands of published organ music, and for the demands of church services. In concert organs the chest compass is fre- quently extended 12 notes higher in the Swell and Choir Sections for the sake of completing the higher notes of an Octave, or Super Coupler, or for carrying out the plan of using transmitted or borrowed stops, without adding to the 61 note compass of the manual keys. In extreme instances, wind-chests have been extended 12 notes downward to carry out the notes of a Sub Coupler, the combined exten- sions giving a compass of 85 notes to each set of pipes excepting the upper extension of 2 ft. [35] Standard Organ Building stops, for the purpose of obtaining three stops from the same set of pipes, or for transferring these stops to other manuals using different names. It is much more orderly and true to the art of organ building for each speaking stop to have its own well-voiced pipes throughout the 6i note compass, and it is not progressive to introduce in church organs devices which represent tonal effects that are not in harmony with the proper balance of organ timbre. THE COMPASS OF THE PEDAL WIND-CHESTS. While the compass of the Pedal Chests has been for many years 30 notes, from CCC to F, which is sufficient for all church requirements, the American Guild of Organists has adopted the 32 note compass as a standard for future use, from CCC to G, on account of using the upper notes of a pedal solo part. Pedal Chest Extension will be explained un- der the head of Pedal Augmentation. THE MANUAL KEYS. The standard compass of the Manual Keys is 61 notes from CC. The keys have bevelled fronts, the upper banks overhanging to bring the upper row as near to the player as possible, [36] Compass of Manual Keys and the different sets are brought near each other so that the thumbs may reach certain notes on a lower manual. The dip of the keys should be kept regulated at not less than seven-sixteenths of an inch. The most modern system of key arrangement places the Great, or I Manual Keys on a level. The Swell, or II Manual Keys are inclined up- ward toward the fulcrum, the Solo, or IV Man- ual Keys are also thus inclined. The Choir, or III Manual Keys are inclined downward to- ward the fulcrum. This arrangement is accom- plished by placing the key-frames on their re- spective incline. It brings the front of the Swell and Choir keys half an inch nearer the Great keys than with the usual method when the keys of each manual are placed on a level with each other. DOUBLE TOUCH. A Double Touch is sometimes introduced in electric organs for the purpose of giving a spe- cial accent to individual notes in a melody or chord, or to make a melody stand out more prominently by the use of special stops than the other notes of the same chords on the same manual. It consists of a regular touch with the desired stops drawn, the keys descending one- [37] Standard Organ Building half their usual dip. When louder stops are de- sired from the same manual, the heavier touch upon the same keys, with a full dip, causes the more powerful stops to sound, the deeper touch being electrically connected. UNISON COUPLERS. Unison Couplers connecting the Swell and Choir to the Great Section, as well as the Swell to Choir, are essential mechanical adjuncts for adding variety and expression to the tone com- binations, as well as affording increased legiti- mate power to the various Sections. But the in- troduction of Super and Sub Couplers should be made with much discretion and musical judg- ment, otherwise their use will simply add noise and confusion rather than the upbuilding of fundamental combinations. They should never be used as substitutes for speaking stops. The Mechanical Unison Coupler uniting the Swell to the Great is generally placed between the remote ends of the keys. The "coupler jacks" are connected with a sliding coupler-bar or guide which is moved between the keys of the manuals which are to be coupled. This method of coupling is often used in small two manual organs containing tubular pneu- matic action, but in large two and three manual [38] Manual Couplers organs the coupling is accomplished by tubular connection between either the primary or inter- mediate wind-chests, according to the method of the builder. This latter system is coming more and more into use. SUPER AND SUB COUPLERS. The Octave Coupler increases the shrillness of the treble notes and disturbs the proper bal- ance of tone, especially when acting upon the same manual coupled to itself. Such a coupler should seldom be included in an organ specifica- tion. Much criticism may be given to the in- troduction of superfluous Octave and Sub Couplers. The use of an Octave Coupler on itself in the same Section of a pipe organ is unscientific, as it doubles the tones of the upper notes of each stop, and gives the treble too powerful a quality, making these tones from the same scale of pipes as the lower notes in doubling them an octave above, a principle at variance with the proper blending of stops. Where such a coupler is used there is a comparative vacancy or weakness of tone in the middle compass of the Section when both hands are playing in their normal position the notes written upon the staff. The same adverse criticism will apply to the [39] Standard Organ Building use of Sub Couplers on the same Section, pro- ducing a confusion of profound tones which de- tracts from the virility of the fundamental tones. Such Couplers throw every stop of that Section out of balance without adding to the musical balance of the instrument. The multiplication of Super and Sub Coup- lers should be carefully avoided. In an instru- ment where the Manual and Pedal Sections are properly apportioned, only a few couplers are needed, and the artistic organist will judiciously use them in giving diversity to his combinations and shades of expression. For the sake of obtaining many delicate com- binations in extemporising, a Coupler Swell to Great at Octaves is introduced, which plays the notes of the Swell Section an octave higher, but it is not for use in the full organ, as it would make the treble effect too prominent for the proper balance of tone. When a Sub Coupler, Swell to Great is used for combination effects, the i6 ft. Swell Bourdon should be "off," as it would be out of balance and destroy the clearness of the chords. Any organist may perceive that with a Swell i6 ft. stop "on," with a Sub Coupler drawn, a 32 ft. pitch tone would be produced from the Swell [40] Pedal Couplers Section which would destroy the vitality of any full organ of ordinary capacity. No Super or Sub Couplers of any kind should be connected with the Balanced Crescendo and Diminuendo Pedal for the reasons given above. PEDAL COUPLERS. The coupling mechanism of the Pedals is gen- erally located at the console, operating by track- ers, rollers, levers and stickers which latter pass upward on the further ends of the manual keys. The former Pedal Coupler to itself has been substituted by Pedal Augmentation, which is de- scribed on a subsequent page. The Pedal Coup- lers are termed Great to Pedal; Swell to Pedal; Choir to Pedal, and Solo to Pedal. While the Manual Unison Couplers in me- dium sized two manual organs may be either mechanical or pneumatic, as specified in the Contract, the Manual to Pedal Couplers are usually Mechanical, acting upon the Manual keys when in use. THE RELATIVE POSITION OF MANUALS AND PEDALS. The arrangement of the Manual and Pedal Claviers in their relation to each other is very [41] Standard Organ Building important for the convenience and comfort of the organist. In a three manual organ, if the pedals are brought too far outward, the organist is obliged to lean forward when playing upon the upper manual with both hands, which de- stroys his freedom in the use of the pedals. When, however, the pedals are placed too far back under the manuals, the body is also thrown out of balance. The standard of relationship for either two or three manuals, is to have the central note of the pedal natural keys thirty-one and a half inches below the surface of the natural keys of the lower manual, and the central sharp pedal key at the front in a direct plumb line from a point five and a half inches back from the front of the black keys of the lower manual, with the middle CC of the pedals directly under the middle C of the manual keys. The distance of the toe end of the pedal naturals should be two and a half inches from center to center. The height of the organ bench should be ad- justed for the convenience of the organist, from nineteen to twenty-one inches above the central natural key of the pedals. [42] Concave and Radiating Pedals CONCAVE AND RADIATING PEDALS. Concave and Radiating Pedals have quite sup- planted the straight parallel pedals, and are made according to conventional lines approved by the American Guild of Organists. The concavity is adapted to the natural swing of the feet from the knees, and the radiation brings the heels nearer together, adapting the curve to the swing of the limbs from the hips, so that shifting of the position on the organ bench in reaching low and high notes is quite avoided. The fronts of the pedal sharps are also on a concave line. The arc of the concavity and radiation has a radius of about 8 ft. 6 inches, with the naturals long enough to insure a good leverage for the heel touch, with a depth of toe touch of three-fourths of an inch. STOP ACTION. With slide-chests and some methods of ventil- chests, draw-stop knobs, or handles, are used for bringing on the different ranks of pipes. These knobs are arranged in various ways according to the size of the organ and the custom of each builder. American builders generally arrange them in terraces on each side of the manuals. English [43] Standard Organ Building builders place them in columns or clusters so that they project through vertical jambs, on each side of the manuals arranged diagonally at an angle of forty-five degrees, thus bringing them nearer the player than when set parallel with the line of the keys. A popular method has been to place them in double columns on each side of the manuals. There are several systems of Key Stop Action in use. One system which was introduced in 1878, employs white keys placed over the up- per manual to bring on the stops, with a cor- relative black key for throwing them ofif, com- bining simplicity and efficiency. When a white key is pressed, the operation of the stop is in- stantaneous, and it is kept fully drawn until re- leased by touching the adjacent black key. A second system uses white keys for "on," by depressing them, and "off," by touching the un- der side to lift them. A third system uses Tilting Tablets placed above the manual keys. They are about the size of dominoes, and are at an angle when at rest. They are pivoted at the center and the lower end is pressed for "on," and the upper end touched for "off." If properly balanced a slight lifting motion of the finger on the under side of the tablet will close the stop with fa- [44] Stop Action cility. These tablets are received with favor by organists. Builders who still continue the use of stop-handles for speaking stops often em- ploy these tablets for the couplers. On account of the Key Stops being located in one or more rows above the manuals between the sight of the player and the music-desk, the vision is straight forward without being turned to- ward one side, as in manipulating stop knobs. THE SWELL SECTION. The Manual connecting with the Swell Sec- tion is placed next above the Great Manual, The name "Swell Section" is applied to the wind-chest and pipes which are enclosed in a large compartment called the Swell Box. It is tightly closed at the ends, back and top, but the front is fitted with moveable shutters, folds, or shades, which are open or closed by means of a Balanced Swell Pedal which gives the effect of increasing or diminishing the power of each stop thus enclosed. Although the method is purely mechanical, it is impossible to produce expressive effects in any other way. An organ stop in itself is pas- sive in regard to increasing or diminishing its power, as there can be no variation in the wind pressure without causing the pipes to be out of [45] Standard Organ Building tune with each other. When the wind pressure is increased the pipes become sharper in pitch, and are flattened if the pressure is diminished. With other musical instruments, stringed, wind, or percussion, like the violin, flute, oboe, clarinet, cornet, trumpet, trombone, pianoforte, etc., the expression is produced from the in- strument itself by differing intensities of the player's bowing, power of breath as with wind instruments and the voice, and the power of touch in playing the pianoforte. In order to render the organ more expressive as a solo or accompanimental instrument, if there are three manuals it is now customary to enclose the stops of the Choir (or Orchestral) Section in a separate Swell Box with a separate Balanced Pedal adjoining the regular Swell Pedal, so that both Pedals may be used together or separately with very expressive nuances. With a four manual organ, the Solo Section is also enclosed in a separate Swell Box contain- ing powerful reed stops on heavy wind pres- sures. This enclosure modifies the raucous, as- sertive character of the reeds and diminishes the harshness which would otherwise predominate over the fundamental organ tone. Very expressive medium sized two manual or- gans are coming into vogue with all the manual [46] T^he Swell Section pipes enclosed in one or two Swell Boxes, except the Great 8 ft. First Open Diapason which is unenclosed and mounted in front of the Swell FoT^s. The voicing of the enclosed pipes is not af- fected by being within the Swell Box. The clos- ing of the Folds gives the apparent effect of softening, when in reality there is no change in the tone of the pipes. A Swell Box should be so made that the quality of tone of each stop will not be changed by being too much muffled, and the most delicate stops should be voiced so that they may be heard in any part of the audience room when the swell folds are closed. This is an important feature to be considered in the voicing of the softest swell stops. THE SWELL BOX. The expressive capacity of the Swell Box is dependent entirely upon the proper construc- tion, its thickness, tightness, dimensions, and the close fitting of the swell folds. The Swell Box should be of as large dimen- sions as possible to prevent the crowding of the pipes on the wind-chest, and to permit all the bass pipes of that Section to be enclosed with- out being mitred, or bent over at the top. Where there is a limitation of the height, the [47] Standard Organ Building lower pipes of the i6 ft. Bourdon are sometimes placed outside of the Box, but if it is possible, it is better to have all the pipes within the Box. By a recent notable invention it has been made possible to secure all the tone effect of full length open pipes notwithstanding the fact that the pipes themselves are only about one-half the scheduled length. Indeed in some instances the tone is actually enhanced. The roof and three walls of the Swell Box are generally made of two thicknesses of ma- terial with an inch of air space between. The wood should be of clear, straight grained stock. The Swell Box should possess a certain de- gree of resonance rather than to be so absolutely sound proof that the characteristic qualities of the soft stops would be lost to the hearing. Impractical theorists claiming to be organ experts have been known to demand that the Swell Box and fittings shall be made so im- pervious to the escape of sound, that when the swell folds are tightly closed, the speech of the pipes shall be utterly extinguished. As the Box must be taken apart for transpor- tation, the inner and outside joints should have tightly screwed battens, and the interior and ex- terior should be well varnished or painted with oil paints. [48] T^he Swell Folds Provision should be made for access to the interior for regulation and tuning, and the in- side of the Box should when possible be wired for electric lighting, or piped for gas, thus avoiding the use of dripping candle grease run- ning into the pipes and injuring their speech. There should be room enough for a passage- board within the Box so that all the pipes may be reached for regulating and tuning. A few organ builders are having their Swell Boxes made of brick, lined with a smooth coat- ing of cement. The mason work is constructed from drawings and measurements in advance of the reception of the organ, and the instrument is not fully finished until it is set up in the church. Even stone and concrete Swell Boxes are being advocated on account of attaining a more pro- nounced diminuendo effect when the folds are closed. THE SWELL FOLDS. Swell Folds are made to work either verti- cally or horizontally, the former method being generally adopted where Balanced Swell Pedals are used. When vertical, the bottom pins on which the folds move should rest upon a brass or steel plate. Horizontal Folds are used with the gravity hitch-down pedal, but if operated [49] Standard Organ Building by a Balanced Pedal, the supporting pins are so adjusted that the balancing of the folds will rest in equilibrium in any position. The Folds should be made of double thick- ness of stock so glued together that the edges will form a rabbeted and cushioned contact to fit closely. In the adjustment of the motion of the Folds, it is well to arrange the leverages so that upon opening them the movement will be gradual. SWELL PEDALS. There have been many attempts to operate the swell folds so that both feet may be freely used at the same time in playing the pedal keys. Imperfect as the system is, however, there has yet been no improvement upon the Balanced Pedals which require the pressure of the toe and heel of the right foot with a free ankle move- ment, while the left foot executes the pedaling in expressive music. The Balanced Swell Pedal is generally placed at the right of the center of the pedal clavier so as to give the left foot as wide a range as pos- sible while the right foot is giving the expres- sion. In the United States the Balanced Swell Pedal has been universally adopted, but in [50] Expressive Church Organs England the opinions of organists have been somewhat divided between the Balanced Pedal and the long prevailing use of the Swell Lever at the extreme right, which is either hitched down by a notch, or by a gravity rod with a graduated ratchet. The multiplication of Swell Pedals in enclosing the pipes of the Choir and Solo Sections will undoubtedly lead to the use of the Balanced Pedal in all organs of the future. EXPRESSIVE CHURCH ORGANS. In the progress of organ building there is a growing demand for more expressive instru- ments, and it is now customary in Three Manual organs to enclose the Choir Section in its own independent swell box. Very expressive Two Manual organs are now being introduced in which all the Manual pipes are enclosed in One or Two Swell Boxes, ex- cepting the Great 8 ft. First Open Diapason, which is unenclosed and mounted on its own wind-chest in front of the Great Swell Folds. These instruments give a firm foundation tone united with unusual capacities for musical ex- pression in both Solo and Accompanying stops, as every organist will perceive, adding delicacy, [51J Standard Organ Building refinement and variety without decreasing the sustaining power of the organ. The large sized swell boxes placed end to end with the folds opening toward the front, with the balanced swell pedals placed side by side so as to be used together or separately, provide the highest capacity for expression. Smaller organs made on the same principle, enclosing the pipes in One box with the Great 8 ft. Open Diapason unenclosed have proved very effective and are highly recommended. The placing of the pipes on the same level and in the same strata of atmospheric tempera- ture insures their being in tune with each other, with better protection because of the enclosure. ARRANGEMENTS OF THE PIPES ON THE MANUAL WIND-CHESTS, There are several methods of arranging the order of the pipes. The Chromatic System proceeds with the pipes in regular order from CC at the left, requiring a greater length of wind-chests to give the bass pipes speaking room, as it brings all the larger pipes on the bass end of the chests too near together, thus often injuring their speech by sympathetic vibration. The Pyramidal System is where the bass pipes are placed in the center of the chest, and [52] Arrangement of the Pipes the pipes proceed upward in pitch toward the ends of the chest. This method not only brings the weight in the center of the chest with proba- bility of its springing, but makes it difficult to get at the mouths of the central pipes for regula- tion without moving other pipes. For a Swell Section it is impracticable, and the system is ob- solete excepting where a Section is bracketed out upon a wall where the pipes are exposed to view without case-work. Too much space cannot be given to the ar- rangement of the pipes on the wind-chests. The system which is in general use arranges the lower pipes so that a portion of them (from 17 to 24 pipes) are at opposite ends of the chest, bringing these pipes in alternate order as high as Tenor F, or middle c, above which the pipes proceed in chromatic order. In large organs one of the best methods is to arrange the pipes in alternate order throughout the entire compass, with the bass pipes at the ends and the treble pipes in the center, using double chests, with a passage board in the center. The Front Speaking Pipes are supplied with wind by either zinc conductors running from their respective holes in the wind-chest pipe boards, or have their own pneumatic action with valves directly underneath the pipes according [53] ' Standard Organ Building to the symmetrical order of display. The largest of the bass pipes of other stops are often set off at the ends of the chests. The arrangement of the Manual Stops on the wind-chests needs careful consideration. When possible, metal stops should be separated by wood stops, especially the String tone from the Organ tone stops. The mouths of the pipes should be set so as not to speak toward each other, for it sometimes occurs that the wind current is blown over to another pipe and causes it to speak. String toned pipes especially are subject to eccentrici- ties. Often certain pipes will not give their characteristic quality, but when the pipe is turned so that the mouth is in a different direc- tion, the pipe will sound its normal quality. After an organ is finished in a church, no inex- perienced person should take a pipe from its place after its final regulation. Reed pipes having brass tongues should be arranged so that the tuning wires may be easily reached. With slide chests, reed pipes are often defective in speech, even though they were all right on the voicing machine, because of leakage in the scored grooves above and below the slides. Such defects are difficult to remedy. [54] Manual Borrowing THE ARRANGEMENT OF PEDAL PIPES. The Chromatic arrangement of the i6 ft. Pedal Stops should be avoided on account of the sympathetic vibration of such adjacent pipes, and the sides of large pipes should not touch each other. The Pedal Stops are placed at the rear, and also with divided chests on each side of the organ. MANUAL BORROWING, OR TRANSFERENCE. By Manual Borrowing is meant the use of any manual stop as a unison register on another keyboard, or as an octave or sub-octave stop on its own or another manual under another name. While it seems to add to the capacity of an organ, it produces an unbalanced power which is deceptive to a novice. The full number of pipes which represent legitimate stops should be used, rather than to introduce redundant and complicated mech- anism to give the appearance of something which does not exist, which in the end is really as expensive as the complete number of pipes would be to the purchaser. The system of Manual Borrowing, or dupli- cating an appearance of manual stops so that one set of pipes is used to represent two or three Standard Organ Building additional stops, each having a different name, is being introduced by builders who desire to make an organ specification appear large on paper, and to increase the volume of sound without regard to tonal balance or artistic mu- sical value. It is a system with which Legitimate Organ Builders have to contend in their competitive estimates, and cannot be too severely con- demned, for it is deceptive and misrepresenting to a purchaser who is not thoroughly conversant with the structure of the organ. This method of apparently increasing the ca- pacity of an organ is not new, but has been in vogue in Europe and America since 1880. It is degenerating to the art, and is deprecated by legitimate builders. Where Borrowing is prac- ticed, the specifications generally read very ob- scurely, and the word "notes" is substituted for "pipes." This system of Borrowing is generally at- tended with high wind pressures and extremely loud voicing by which great power is obtained with a limited number of actual speaking stops. These are enclosed in almost sound-proof swell compartments, and are thus smothered to obtain soft effects (instead of using delicately voiced stops), with an expense of mechanism to the [56] Borrowed Manual Stops purchaser equivalent in cost to Legitimate methods of construction. Inordinately heavy wind pressures which are used for obtaining tones of forced strength do not belong to refined voicing, and only such pressures are recommended as will insure nor- mal, rich and refined qualities from each stop. The names of borrowed manual stops are generally misleading, because the pipes are identical in quality and scale with the stops from which they are derived. Every musical student who has thoroughly studied organ timbre from a scientific point of view, knows that even the use of an Octave Coupler with an 8 ft. Open Diapason gives a poor effect in the higher notes because they are of the same scale and power as the lower pipes which are being played, which is true with other stops, A stop an octave higher in pitch should be more softly voiced so as to blend with one of the same character which is an octave lower in pitch, as an 8 ft. Open Diapason combined with a 4 ft. Octave, and so with all other stops in combination with those of a higher pitch. The false principle of borrowing, sets at defiance both musical art and scientific tone blending, and is deceptive when the stops of one [57] Standard Organ Building Section are reproduced in connection with an- other manual with changed names in different degrees of pitch. All mechanical inventions should be sub- servient to musical requirements. If all stops of the same general character of quality should be made of the same scale and power, the effect of sympathetic tone-waves would neutralize the blending qualities of such stops, although more noise is obtained with super and sub coupling mechanism. There is a system of Transference which is not deceptive. The electric and pneumatic mechanism is so constructed that the stops of any Section may be played from any desired manual by touching an appropriate thumb-pis- ton or tablet. There are no changes in the name or pitch of the speaking stops, or in their number, each set of pipes being independent and complete for just what their names represent. This system is necessarily expensive, but when there is no restriction in the limit of price, the owners of Residential Organs in palatial homes, give free scope for the exercise of the ingenuity of the organ builder and appoint their special organists of high talents with proportionate salaries to interpret entertaining music on in- [58] High Pressure Organs struments supplied with every recent mechan- ical adjunct which has been devised. HIGH PRESSURE ORGANS. The High Pressure System belongs to a method which employs borrowing, duplication and triplication of stops of the same scales and tone qualities, fewer pipes, and numerous elec- tric mechanical adjuncts, for orchestral effects and imitations. These instruments are constructed with the idea of popularizing a lighter class of pipe organ music for public entertainment in concert and amusement halls, theaters, hotels, metropol- itan parks, pleasure gardens, etc. The pipes are protected by cemented brick surroundings which render them impervious to the weather, and they are being introduced at sea-shore resorts in sheltered auditoriums which may be open at the sides. On account of their intricate appliances they require players of more than usual ability, and are referred to in these pages on account of the attention of many organists having been drawn to them. This system uses wind-chests with extended upper and lower octaves, and employs four or five wind-chests, each having stops of the dis- tinctive quality of Organ, Flute, String and [59] Standard Organ Building Reed tone, each timbre having a separate wind- chest and Swell Box, the latter made of ce- mented brick with the swell folds opening at the top instead of the front, the wind pressures varying from ten to fifty inches, employing elec- tricity for the key and stop action. With these high wind pressures a style of organ has been introduced in an auditorium at a well-known sea-side resort, — with one wind- chest of ninety-seven notes, and four of eighty- five notes, for both the manual and pedal Sec- tions. This organ has a sum total of fourteen sets of pipes, or speaking stops, with 1,312 pipes in all, in which the borrowings in the lower and higher octaves, and changes of names in transferring are multiplied to such an extent, that from these fourteen extended stops one hundred and three stop keys controlled by seventy-eight mechan- ical devices are represented at the console! With such heavy wind pressures united with the sub and super coupling mechanism, there is a great volume of sound which is more effective in programme-music, orchestral transcriptions, and in accompanying the voices of immense congregations, rather than in the interpretation of the classic compositions of the great organ masters. [60] High Pressure Organs These instruments are best adapted for sensa- tional effects, not possessing the graded variety of tone-color which may be produced from large organs built on legitimate methods, while the mechanical accessories require much skill to bring out the desired effects which are limited to the timbre of the fourteen sets of pipes. Although producing an overpowering vol- ume of sound with the full organ, the borrow- ing mechanism is expensive when the entire cost is estimated, and on account of the amount of brick and cement work, such an instrument cannot be completed in the factory. A few organ builders are adopting similar methods of chest extension according to their own application in order to meet competition on this plane, under the heads of Duplex, Triplex and Quadruple chest extensions, even though they do not fully endorse this method. The wind-chests are doubly expensive, and better musical effects are obtained with stops having their independent sets of pipes instead of bor- rowing those of the same scale and timbre in different octaves. Such builders are prepared to meet the demands of patrons who insist upon this method, but it is questioned by conservative connoisseurs. [6i] Standard Organ Building PEDAL TRANSMISSION. A Manual stop which is effectively utilized in the compass of the Pedal Section is the trans- mission of the lowest pipes of the i6 ft. Swell Bourdon by means of tubular pneumatic action, so that these pipes may be used as a very soft pedal stop independent of the manual action. This should always be indicated in the Speci- fication as "derived," or "transmitted" from this Swell stop. But it is better to have a soft i6 ft. Pedal Lieblich Bourdon or Lieblich Gedeckt set of Pedal pipes independent of "transmition" even at additional expense. PEDAL AUGMENTATION. Pedal Augmentation has been in use for many years and is designed to give a larger range o1 combinations with the stops of the Pedal Sec- tion. While it would be better to have entirely complete stops with their individual scales and tone-balance, yet it saves space and affords greater strength and variety in the Pedal Sec- tion at a lessened expense. Each Augmented pedal stop has the wind- chest extended so as to accommodate twelve upper pipes. Thus, a i6 ft. Pedal Bourdon chest having thirty-two pipes is extended up- [62] Pedal Augmentation ward to the range of forty-four pipes, and the mechanism is so constructed that the i6 ft. stop has its compass of thirty-two pipes in its com- plete individuality. When the twelve additional pipes are used as the upper notes of an 8 ft. Bass Flute, the eight- een upper pipes of the i6 ft. Pedal stop are brought into use in such a way that the 8 ft. Bass Flute may be used with its thirty-two pipes independent of, or in combination with the i6 ft. Bourdon without any interference. The mechanism does not consist of a Pedal Octave Coupler, but operates in such a manner as to furnish two independent stops. The 8 ft. Bass Flute thus obtained is called a "derived" stop from the Augmented i6 ft. Pedal Bourdon, and so of other Augmented and Derived Pedal stops. This Augmentation should be clearly ex- pressed in the Specifications so that there shall be no deception on the part of a builder, nor misunderstanding on the part of the purchaser. COMPOSITION PEDALS. Composition, or Combination Pedals, are small lever projections of wrought iron or brass placed just above the pedal sharps, which bring on or take off certain stops in groups. There [63] Standard Organ Building are usually three for each manual Section. "FORTE" brings on all the stops of its Sec- tion. "MEZZO" brings on the medium toned stops, or reduces them from FF to M, and "PIANO" reduces the stops to soft combina- tions as adjusted in the stop action. They are arranged so that the softest combina- tions are at the left, and in the groupings, the Choir Pedals are at the left; the Swell next, and the Great at the right. The adequate Pedal Stops are brought on with the manual composi- tion pedals. The "SFORZANDO" Pedal brings on the Full Organ with the Unison Manual and Pedal Couplers, and is either hitched down and re- leased, or is double acting. The Reversible Coupler, Great to Pedal is double acting, one movement bringing on the Coupler, and the other taking it off. COMPOSITION PISTONS. Piston or Thumb Knobs project through the key-slips beneath their respective manuals and perform the same offices upon the stops as the Composition Pedals. In medium sized organs possessing Key Stop or Tilting Tablet Action, the facility thus obtained quite eliminates the need of Pistons. [64] Adjustable Combinations ADJUSTABLE COMBINATIONS. The combinations produced by these Pistons and Pedals are adjustable either within the organ case or at the console. In medium sized organs the adjustable combinations in each Sec- tion bring on a correlative bass in the Pedal Section. In large Concert Organs there are various methods of preparing a number of com- binations in readiness for use in the order which may be required as the playing of a musical composition advances. In these appliances, however, there is a dan- gerous tendency to introduce a redundancy of such accessories. THE BALANCED CRESCENDO AND DIMINUENDO PEDAL. This Pedal does not affect the Swell Folds of any Section, but brings on each stop from the softest to the loudest, and vice versa, by revers- ing the movement. An Indicator shows the comparative number of stops which are being brought on or off. When it is used, care must be taken to have no stops drawn by hand while making a full crescendo and diminuendo. It is used for producing grand climactic ef- fects without removing the hands from the keys. Standard Organ Building The Unison Couplers are brought on with the speaking stops, the effect being heightened by the use of the Balanced Swell Pedals at the climax of the crescendo, but no Super or Sub Couplers should be brought on with this Cres- cendo Pedal. THE TREMULANT. The Tremulant is a mechanical adjunct which imparts a vibrato effect to special solo stops and also to a few of the softest stops when played in chords. It must be so made as to avoid the machine-like vibration which is often heard when it is used. Without the exercise of a discriminating taste it is a source of irritation to those who are compelled to listen to it, but when properly employed it imparts .a pleasing undulation to delicately voiced stops. In a three manual organ it is customary to have an additional Tremulant in the Choir Sec- tion when it is enclosed in an independent swell box. There are various methods of constructing the Tremulant, the general principle of opera- tion being a vibrating valve whose speed is reg- ulated by adjustable springs. The vibrations of the valve causes a series of wind-escapes which Motors for Wind Supply shake the air in the wind-chest as it passes into the pipes of that Section. In addition to the stop which brings on the Tremulant, there is sometimes a composition pedal for bringing on the vibrato to certain notes in giving expression to a solo stop, and also a device for making the vibrations faster or slower, at will. A rotary fan Tremulant is sometimes used in place of the valve device. MOTORS FOR BLOWING. There are various methods for furnishing wind supply. If there is sufficient water pres- sure above thirty-five pounds per square inch, the hydraulic motor is very satisfactory. The size of motor required, as well as the number of strokes per minute, depends upon the water pressure, a larger cylinder being required for lighter pressures. The water supply pipes should be of good size, with the waste pipes somewhat larger. The maker of the motor supplies the detailed statistics, and the organ motor is furnished by the organ builder under the conditions men- tioned in the contract. The engine is generally located in the basement, but the water pipes [67] Standard Organ Building should be well protected from freezing. The motor is reciprocating in its movement, and the connecting rod is carried to the working beam of the feeders either directly, or by means of compound levers. Square feeders are the best for hydraulic wind supply and steadiness, requiring one half the number of strokes compared with diagonal feeders. In modern engines, provision is made for easing the strokes so that there will not be any jerking or noise. In medium sized organs with one bellows reservoir, it is better to have a direct connection with the regular feeders of the organ on account of the temperature of the air being the same as in the audience room. Where separate feed- ers are placed in the basement near the engine, the air is not of the same temperature or humid- ity as where the organ pipes are located, which afifects the tuning, and is detrimental to the mechanism. FAN BLOWERS. Fan Blowers have proved very efficient in giving a steady and full wind supply. They are made in many forms. The steel Rotary Pressure Blower was first used with much suc- cess, and its mechanical principle forms the [68] Fan Blowers basis of all modern improvements in this de- partment. The wind supply depends upon the size of the fans and a rapid speed with continu- ous motion. This method of blowing was introduced in 1872. When the Fan Blower is used, it is actu- ated by either a steam, gas, or gasolene engine, or by an electric motor of high speed and power, the revolutions of the fans sometimes number- ing 1,500 to 2,000 per minute. The motor power should be at a distance from the organ to prevent noise from the ma- chinery. The engine is kept at full speed, and the regulation is accomplished by means of a chain connection with a sliding gate or "butter- fly" valve in the wind-trunk, which closes when the bellows reservoir is full of air. On account of the speed of the revolutions being constant, the moment the gate is closed, the air in the blower whirls around with the fan blades, and at the least opening of the regulat- ing gate, it rushes forward to keep the bellows reservoir always full of compressed air. The modifications of this system have various names and forms of operation. Each organ builder has his preferences, and his opinion should be authoritative on the subject. The most modern styles of these blowers are oper- [69] Standard Organ Building ated by electricity where it is available, using either direct or alternating currents. ELECTRIC MOTORS WITH DIRECT ATTACHMENT. Electric motors at a slower speed are made to revolve a shaft with three feeders worked by a crank movement, connected with the shaft by a fly-wheel and belt, and the motors work auto- matically, and if rightly applied are noiseless in their operation. A better method is to use a sprocket and chain like a bicycle. This method is only recommended where a direct electric current is available, the motor being wound so as to give 250 revolutions per minute. THE NUMBER AND NAME OF MANUALS. Organs have from one to five Manuals ac- cording to their capacity. A One Manual organ is serviceable for chants, hymns, etc., with plain accompaniments, and organ music which is composed for more than one manual cannot be performed upon a Single Manual instrument. The great majority of organs have Two Manuals, and are serviceable for all church purposes. In these the lowest row of keys is called the GREAT, or MANUAL I ; and the upper row is called the SWELL, or MAN- [70] Names of Manuals UAL II. Where the pipes played from the lower manual are also enclosed in a Swell Box, it is customary to name the Manuals I and II. When there are Three Manuals, the addi- tional bank of keys is the lowest, the pipes being enclosed in an independent Swell Box called the CHOIR, or ORCHESTRAL ORGAN, and numerically, MANUAL III. If there are Four Manuals, the additional bank is placed above MANUAL II, and is called the SOLO, or MANUAL IV. When there are Five Manuals, the additional bank is placed above MANUAL IV, it is called the ECHO, or MANUAL V, and the pipes are placed in a separate Swell Box. For every practical purpose. Three Manuals are all that are necessary for a Church Organ, because with modern mechanism the stops be- longing to Sections IV and V may be arranged to be played from either Manual I, II, or III, as desired. In this instance there would be no Borrowing nor Duplication, as each stop would have its independent pipes in its own Section. By a SECTION is meant a complete Depart- ment of the organ in itself, with its own wind- chest, pipes and mechanism. The manual keys being made to overhang, if there are more than Three Manuals it is difii- [71J Standard Organ Building eult for the organist to use both feet in pedaling with facility while playing upon the IV and V Manuals with both hands at the same time, be- cause it brings him into an unbalanced position. THE PITCH COMPASS OF MANUALS AND PEDALS. The Normal Pitch Tabulation of the Manual Compass is the same as middle c with the piano- forte, represented by the 8 ft. stops, the lowest note on the organ key-board being named CC, two octaves in pitch below this middle c, as represented on the musical staff notation. The Normal Pitch of the Pedal Section is an octave lower than the Manual Section, and the lowest note is represented by CCC. A Diatonic Octave consists of the eight suc- cessive notes as represented by the white keys in the scale of C, the natural order of upward pro- gression without using any intermediate chro- matic notes. The Regular Octave includes thirteen notes in their chromatic relation from any given note. A Septave consists of seven notes of the Dia- tonic Scale, and includes twelve notes above a given letter, or pipe. In organ building all the intermediate pipes are marked with the sharp sign by the pipe maker, and the relationship of all action-work [72] Pitch Indications is traced out from the manual keys to their re- spective valves and pipes in each stop. In the action and pipe-work, each Septave is tabulated by CAPITAL and lower case mark- ing according to the Normal Pitch of the 8 ft. stops, without regard to the pitch of higher or lower stops. Each Septave is thus indicated, viz. : MANUALS PEDALS First Septave, CC First Septave, CCC Second " C Second " CC Third " c^ (Middle c^) Third " C Fourth " p2 (Highest Note, G) Fifth " c8 Highest note, c* PITCH INDICATIONS. A Manual i6 ft. stop is called a "Double." A Pedal 32 ft. stop is called a "Double," and it should be distinctly understood by organ builders and organists, that a Pedal Double Open Diapason is really a 32 ft. open stop. This is alluded to because many Specifications and organ stop knobs are erroneously marked "Pedal Double Open Diapason," whereas the word "Double" should be omitted, as it is mis- leading. The different Manual Stops represent va- rious degrees of pitch lower and higher than the [73] Standard Organ Building Normal 8 ft. pitch, and these pitches are indi- cated on the key-stops, tablets, or stop-handles. Viz.: 1 6 ft, indicates a stop an octave lower than the Normal 8 ft. pitch. 4 ft, indicates a stop an octave higher. 2 ft, indicates a stop two octaves higher. Thus by means of the various stops belonging to the Manual Sections, a pitch range of eight octaves is represented within the compass of sixty-one keys. When there is a 32 ft Pedal Stop, the entire tonal compass of the Manuals and Pedals gives a range of nine octaves. PIPE MARKINGS. In marking the pipes, the pipe makers are accustomed to use the letters which indicate the Septave of the Section to which they belong in placing them on the wind-chest, all pipes of different stop pitches belonging to the lower Septave of the Manual wind-chests being marked CC, and through the upper Septaves as previously illustrated, CC, C, c\ c'', c^, c*. This marking is for the guidance of the em- ployees in setting up the instrument in the fac- tory, and for the finishers in its final position, and is simply a mechanical indication. As the larger Pedal Stops require separate [74] Pitch of Pedal Pipes wind-chests, the 32 ft. Pedal Stops, whether open or stopped are marked in the lowest Sep- tave, CCCC, CCCC#, DDDD, etc., and the pipes of the 16 ft. Pedal Stops, CCC, CCC#, DDD, etc. PITCH OF THE PEDAL SECTION. The Normal Pitch of the Pedal Fundamental Stop (16 ft.) being an octave lower than the Manual Section, the musical notes written on the Pedal Staff notation sound an octave lower than they are indicated, when played with a 16 ft. stop. When there are no couplers of the Manuals to Pedals drawn, the notes of the 16 ft. Pedal Stops do not interfere with the notes written for the manual parts. A fully balanced Pedal Section should con- tain enough independent stops to sustain the Full Manual Sections without the use of the Pedal Couplers, but it is seldom that the invest- ment will permit the required expense, hence the practical introduction of Augmented Pedal Stops. Although a compass of thirty- two pedal notes is occasionally demanded in a Pedal Clavier, there is no retrograde movement in recommend- ing the use of thirty notes in church instruments as a standard which is becoming general. [75] Standard Organ Building American Church Organs have generally been deficient in the adequate number of inde- pendent Pedal Stops, each having its own in- dependent and proportionate scales. The Pedal Section is by far the most expensive Depart- ment when having its proper number of stops, and upon its capacity the majesty, dignity and grandeur of the organ depend. FRONT PIPE WIND CONVEYANCES. The wind is communicated to the front dis- played pipes either by zinc conductors which lead from the wind-chest pipe holes, or by sep- arate small independent wind-chests placed un- der the front pipe sills, the valves of which are operated by tube conveyances from the wind- chests to which these bass pipes belong. The zinc conveyances should be of large size to give ample wind supply, which is regulated by sliding gates in the sill board upon which the feet of the pipes stand. The same method of conveyance is used for inside bass pipes when they are set off from their wind-chests. THE CASE WORK. The Housing, or Case of an organ is a part of the architecture and furniture of the edifice in its design and construction. In former [76] The Organ Case centuries the amount expended on the organ case with its elaborate adornment and carvings fully equalled the cost of the interior mechanism. In modern contracts the builder states that the case will be made of appropriate materials and design, a plan of which will be submitted to the church officers for approval and accep- tance. When the church architect furnishes the de- sign previous to the closing of a contract, the builder includes all unusually costly work in his estimate. It sometimes occurs that a compar- atively small organ is placed behind a case of large dimensions and elaborate design, for which the builder is obliged to make a special estimate in addition to the value of the organ with an appropriate case. This is always inadvisable, because such a displayment leads to greater ex- pectations of the musical capacities than can be produced from a small instrument, and the builder of the organ is blamed for its inefficiency when such a disproportionate amount has been expended upon the case. When an organ is placed in a recessed cham- ber, the only egress for the sound is through the interstices between the front display pipes, which spaces should be made as large as possible, otherwise the tone will suffer from being held [77] Standard Organ Building back. In such instances it would be better to use a decorated screen of grill-work rather than display-pipes which prevent the diffusion of sound. In the table of spaces required in one of the preliminary articles, the size for appropriate cases is illustrated by the dimensions given. FRONT PIPE DECORATION. The richest appearing and most costly front pipes are those made of pure block tin burnished to a bright silver polish. The burnishing covers all parts of the pipes which are exposed to view. Front pipes are generally made of heavy an- nealed zinc, and given a gold bronze finish without color decoration. A silver-like finish which will not tarnish, is obtained by using aluminum bronze as a coating. Copper bronze is also sometimes used. Gold and silver leaf may be used, but this entails a large expense which is not deemed wise where economy is desired. Over-decoration of the front pipes with high colors and gaudy arabesque patterns should be avoided as tawdry and undignified. If, however, the pipes are colored at all, the painting should be laid with flat tints, avoiding shiny or varnished surfaces. The decorative [78] Location of the Organ design should always be subservient to the style of architecture and material of the case work. Decorated pedal wood pipes are often used for the sides of the case, and the exposed side of the pipes are sometimes made of the same material as the case. LOCATION OF THE ORGAN. The only rule as to location which may be made universal is that wherever placed there shall be ample width, depth and height for the organ, with free egress of the sound into the auditorium. ^ If the architect allows the proper space, the position of the organ is a matter for the church authorities to determine before the final designs of the building are completed. Modern re- quirements will decide the position. The clergyman will express his views on his relation to the organ and choir gallery. The organist will have his opinions. So will the leading musical members of the Society. The organ builder's experience should have much weight, while the architect will doubtless be very positive with his opinion in regard to a location which will best harmonize with the symmetry of his designs. The position of the organ should be de- [79] Standard Organ Building termined from a musical point of consideration, as in this important respect much will depend upon the location. Ample space must be pro- vided for the organ. An organ boxed up in a cramped recessed chamber will not give forth its tones with resonance, but will be stifled in it§ effects when heard by the congregation for whose benefit it is built. With a poor location the good reputation of a reliable builder will be injured, therefore it would be well to con- sult an experienced organ maker before the architect's plans are accepted. LOCATION OF THE CONSOLE. The most common and least expensive location of the Console is in connection with the center of the front case, with no overhanging belt or corbel above the head of the player. When the organist is also the choir director, it is an advantage for the Console to be extended out from the case so that he may face his choir. In this position he will have better command of the singers and will hear the blending of the voices with the organ. This is the best position in non-liturgical churches, but the expense is nec- essarily larger. If the organ is divided, the Console should be located in relation to both divisions, as well as [80] Location of the Console the members of the choir, so that the organist will obtain the best effects in his accompani- ments. In liturgical churches having antiphonal music, it is well to have the Console extended and reversed so that the organist can command the singers on the opposite side, and its position should be elevated so that his head will be above the level of the singers on the side where the Console is located. In large Roman Catholic churches there are frequently two organs; a large instrument in the West gallery, and a Sanctuary organ behind the High Altar, or on one or both sides of the Chancel. Where an electric action is employed, all the organs may be played from the gallery Console as has been customary, but it is better to have the organist located with the Sanctuary choir, with connection from this Console to the gallery organ. The gallery organ should have its own Console for use on special occasions with an independent gallery choir and separate organist. The organist should always be near the sing- ers he is accompanying. Where the Console is very remote from the organ and electric action is employed, the effect of the touch on the keys and the response of the pipes not being heard [8 1] Standard Organ Building simultaneously is very disagreeable to the organist. An excellent position for the Console is where the organist can hear the instrument, see and hear the choir ; see the clergyman ; hear the con- gregation in the hymns, and also see entering processions. The best location for a Chancel Organ is on the north side of the edifice. This insures equal- ity of temperature better than having a southern exposure to the rays of the sun which heat the walls and air under the roof. A sunken position in a room beneath the Con- sole should not be considered as practical. Such a room would not have a dry circulation of air, if placed in a basement, the tone dissemination would be poor, and the dust and dirt from the floor overhead would be injurious to the pipes. [82] THE MUSICAL DEPARTMENT ORGAN STOPS. AN Organ Stop, or Register, is a set of either Manual or Pedal Pipes of spe- cific tone quality, or timbre. The name applies to ranks of speaking or sounding pipes with their individual musical character- istics. The name "Stop" does not legitimately include couplers, mechanical adjuncts, thumb piston combination knobs nor any pedal mechanical movements, which are termed "Accessories." All Manual Stops should have the full com- pass of 6 1 pipes with no grooving or channeling whereby one set of bass pipes is used for more than one stop. In this treatise the names of Continental Euro- pean stops, as well as those which are both ancient and obsolete, are omitted, and only those in common use with American and English builders are given. The name on the stop indicates to the organist, the specific tone quality, whether of Organ, Flute, String, or Reed timbre, and the figures [83] Standard Organ Building indicate the Pitch, whether of i6, 8, 4, or 2 ft. tone, etc. The Manual Unison or Normal Pitcli Is al- ways marked as the 8 ft. tone. It is so called because the Pitch of the longest open pipe played by the lowest CC of the key- board is of the theoretical length of eight feet measurement from the upper lip of the mouth to the tuning point. But in fact, with the present International Pitch length, it is less than eight feet. The diminished length is generally less than the diameter of the pipe. The Normal 8 feet Pitch is represented by the pianoforte, and by the Bass, Tenor, Alto and Soprano voices as written with the usual staff notation. A Stopped, or Covered Pipe is a little less than one-half the length of an Open Pip« of the same pitch; measuring from the mouth to the under surface of the tompion, or stopper, twelve chromatic tones lower in pitch than the same pipe would be if open, or with the tompion taken out. A pipe of small scale is somewhat longer than one of larger scale, of the same pitch. FOUNDATION STOPS. While there are many stops which represent harmonics and sub-harmonics, the Normal 8 ft. [84] Scales of Pipes Unison Pitch should so predominate that the main body of tone will represent the Unison Pitch when the Full Organ is played. In the adjustment of the scales of pipes and proportionate tone balance by skillful voicing, is held the secret of one organ being superior to another. Herein culminates the art of good organ building when allied to the highest stand- ard of mechanism and materials. SCALES OF PIPES. The Scale of an organ pipe is its proportion- ate diameter in relation to its pitch length. Ab- solute rules cannot here be laid down because of various methods of construction and wind pressures. Thus, an open pipe of 8 ft. pitch in a Chamber Organ in a small room, 4J^ inches in diameter on CC with 2^ inch wind pressure, could be voiced to give an Open Diapason qual- ity, while the same pipe on a heavier wind pres- sure could be voiced so as to give a Geigen, or string quality. A fixed formula for all methods cannot be re- corded. Some builders advocate the use of 20 inch wind pressure, giving the flue pipes full wind at the toe and wind-way, and cutting the mouths very high, producing qualities akin to the stentorian tones of steam whistles, while [85] Standard Organ Building others use just the pressure which is requisite to produce rich, pure tones from all the stops con- stituting the highest class of church organs. With certain pipes the width of the mouths is one-fourth of the circumference, while others measure one-fifth. Some builders make their wood pipes square, while others make them rectangular in varying proportions, etc. Recognizing these differences, this treatise presents the salient features of the best results with methods which have been tested by the work of expert organ builders whose instruments have taken the highest rank on modern lines of construction. ORGAN PIPES. Organ flue pipes are made of metal and wood. The part above the mouth is called the "body." The part just above the mouth is called the "upper lip." The division between the body and foot of a metal pipe is called the "languid," and in wood pipes it is called the "block." The projections at the sides of the mouth are called "ears." The part of the pipe immediately be- low the languid is called the "foot," and that which is below the foot, which rests upon the top board where the wind is admitted, is called the "toe." The orifice in the toe is made of just [86] Materials for Organ Pipes the right size to admit the precise quantity of wind needed to produce the desired quality and power of tone. The pipes are held in place on the wind-chest by pipe racks. The larger bass pipes are held in place by rack-frames. MATERIALS FOR ORGAN PIPES. Standard metal pipes are made of a composi- tion of 45% pure tin and 55% lead, which is a firm and durable alloy. Certain stops have 60% tin, and in special and rare instances the pipes are of pure tin. The metal should be thick enough to give a very firm body to hold the vibrations, which explains the term "heavy metal." The large metal basses are made of firm zinc and are supported by rack frames. A completely furnished organ factory has its own Metal Department for the manufacture of its metal pipes from crude metal which is melted and mixed and then cast into sheets of different thicknesses by a method peculiar to the business. From these sheets of metal the various portions being cut are then beaten into shape upon mandrels and soldered together. The block tin is procured in "pig" form and is a product of the Cornwall mines in England, and is called the "Lamb & Flag" brand from an ancient device stamped upon each "pig." The [87] Standard Organ Building tin from the Straits of Banca in the East Indies is called either "Straits," or "Banca" tin. Pure tin has a silvery lustre and a tenacity of much in- tensity compared with lead. Cheap pipe metal consists of a low percentage of tin and is not as durable as the standard com- position, because in the course of time, through much tuning, the parts surrounding the mouths become injured and the feet crush down, the metal being generally cast as thin as possible. Such pipes are only used in low priced organs, and the tone produced therefrom lacks body and musical resonance. When the sheets of metal are cast at the fac- tory, as the metal cools on the casting bench, crystallized forms develop on the top surface, which are of different sizes according to the per- centage of tin used. The name of "spotted metal" is given to this natural marking, and by the shape and form of these spots the percentage of tin is quickly determined by experts. When a low percentage of tin is used, the pipe metal is smoothly planed. There has recently been an innovation in in- troducing a heavy composition of io% tin and 90% lead for Open Diapasons, but this is not favored by standard builders. Antimony is no longer used in the alloy of organ pipe metal. [88] Zinc Basses The zinc used for the basses of metal organ pipes is received at the factory in sheets of varied thickness, and before being shaped upon the pipe mandrels it is heated to a certain temperature which removes the resilience from the zinc so that it will remain in place without springing when being formed. This explains the meaning of "annealed" zinc when indicated in organ specifications. It must be of the proper weight and thickness, because if too thin, the tones will lack the requisite firmness to make the quality even as the pipes descend in pitch. Belgian zinc was formerly used in organ building, but the supply in America now comes from the zinc mines of the Western States. The tops of zinc pipes have "metal" insertions for tuning, for zinc is brittle, and without them the tuners would break off with continuous use. The languids and lips of zinc pipes are also made of pipe metal so that they may be adjusted. No zinc pipes are used above Tenor C or F, in 8 ft. metal stops. From the 8 ft. Open Diapason the seventeen lower zinc pipes are used for front dis- play-pipes, and twenty-nine are used from the Great i6 ft. Double Open Diapason. Zinc is also used for the false or "dummy" fronts, and the bodies of the bass reed pipes [89] Standard Organ Building are also made of zinc, capped with pipe metal for the regulation of the tuning. Wood pipes are made of straight grained pine for the trebles, free from knots, and are coated with water-proof varnish, the feet being pro- vided with metal toes for permanently gradu- ating the amount of wind which is admitted to the pipes. The large bass pipes are generally made of hard whitewood of the requisite thick- ness. The tone does not depend upon the kind of wood, but upon its firmness to hold the vi- brations steady. The wind- ways are often made of hard wood. The pipes should be coated with varnish or painted with oil paints, and not tinted with glue sizing. Paper fibre pipes are not used in legitimate organ building. They are made of several lay- ers of manilla paper heavily coated with glue and rubbed down on the mandrels on which they are formed. When dry, they are firm and hard, and are only used by amateur organ builders. They are of too light weight to hold their position firmly on the pipe boards, and they require much time in the making and voic- ing, with poorer results compared with metal pipes. With wood pipes, especially in the pedal [90] Organ Timbre basses, the quality of tone depends upon the stock being j&rm and heavy. In former years, builders were accustomed to strengthen the largest pedal pipes with diagonal cleats of wood glued and screwed on the planks to give firm- ness to the vibrations. This process was called "feathering," and may be seen in organs con- structed in the middle of the last century. This is rendered useless nowadays by the use of heavier stock. ORGAN TIMBRE. Timbre is the scientific name for characteristic tone quality. The timbre of an organ stop de- pends mainly upon the relation of the area to the length of the body, in connection with the proportionate dimensions of the sound produc- ing parts, such as the height and width of the mouth, height of the languid or block, area of the wind-way, the wind pressure, and the amount of air admitted at the toe. A pipe of the same scale may be used to pro- duce different results by varying the conditions at the mouth. An Open Diapason, or even a Gamba, may be converted into a pure flute qual- ity by proper manipulation at the mouth and regulating the quantity of wind at the toe. If the proportions of the scales are rightly [91] Standard Organ Building adjusted, it is possible to join metal and wood pipes in any stop, — even a stringy Gamba, — so that the junction, in ascending or descending the scale, is not perceptible to a critical ear. It is often customary to complete the upper octave of flute toned wood pipes with open metal pipes which are tuned by "coning." This is quite usual with wood 4 ft. flute stops with the two upper octaves, because the small upper metal pipes remain in better tune. This explains why wood 4 ft. flute stops are expressed in Specifica- tions as "wood and metal." In Reed Pipes, the scale and length of the body must bear a definite relation to the num- ber of vibrations of the reed tongue. These vibrations, or "beats," are regulated by the tun- ing spring which, in being moved, presses on the heel of the tongue, regulating its length. The greater length giving slower vibrations and con- sequent lower pitch, and vice versa with shorter lengths. The bodies of striking reed Clarinets are of comparatively short lengths. FLUE PIPES. By a "Flue" pipe is meant a metal or wood pipe which sounds by the admission of the air through the foot and narrow wind-way, or "flue," between the lower lip and languid in [92] Flue Pipes metal pipes, or between the cap and block in wood pipes, in contradistinction from Reed pipes. There are three conditions which are to be con- sidered in the tone production of Flue Pipes, viz.: 1. The PITCH, which is dependent upon the rapidity of sound vibrations according to the speaking length of the body of the pipe. As before stated, the terms i6 ft., 8 ft, 4 ft., 2 ft, etc., as representing the actual pitch of organ pipes are only theoretical, for the pipes are in reality somewhat shorter. 2. The TIMBRE, or specific tone quality of the pipe produced by the form, scale, and con- ditions surrounding the mouth. Two Stops exactly similar in structure, pitch and voicing, in the same organ, are likely to interfere with each other in their sound vibra- tions, causing a lack of vitality and consonance. Hence the need of varied proportionate scales in adjusting the tone balance of an organ. Should there be several 8 ft Open Diapasons in the Great Section, each should be of different scale and timbre to produce the required body of tone. This is true also of a 4 ft Octave in combination with an 8 ft Open Diapason. The 4 ft stop should be of smaller scale and power, [93] Standard Organ Building always subservient to the 8 ft. stop, in order to insure perfect blending and proportionate in- crease in tone. 3. The POWER, or Volume of the tone is according to the amount of wind admitted at the toe and flue with the established wind pressure. Increased wind pressure sharpens the pitch of a pipe which has been tuned at a lower pressure. In order to preserve the quality and power of tone as when voiced, no more wind can be re- ceived through the flue, across the mouth to the upper lip, than was given at the original . time of voicing. Should the wind pressure be increased, the orifice in the toe must be proportionately closed so that only the original quantity of air will pass through the flue. Many once fine organs have been injured in, their musical value by experimenters and itinerant repairers increasing the pressure on the bellows reservoir in trying to make them more powerful. THE PITCH. The pitch of a musical tone depends upon the number of vibrations per second. The pitch of an organ pipe is somewhat modified by the changes in the temperature of the sur- rounding air. A rise of pitch is sure to occur [94J Organ Pitch with a higher temperature. At about 65 degrees an open pipe speaking the pitch an octave above the middle c pipe of the 8 ft. Open Diapason, will give a theoretical number of vibrations rated at 512 per second, which is in proportion- ate relation with all the octaves below and above without using decimals, fractions, or algebraic formulas. The intermediate diatonic and chro- matic tones which have been determined by philosophical experiments are not essential for illustration, and are therefore omitted. The International Pitch is recorded as 517 vibrations for the above open pipe, here indicated with 512 pulsations. 3a ft. cccc gives 16 vibrations per second 16 " ccc « 3* it tt 8 " CC " 64 U u + " c it laS (1 tt a " ci ^ inches. The diameters of the pipes are halved seventeen chromatic notes above any given pipe, but the pitch lengths are halved in each ascending chromatic octave of thirteen notes, the length of the pipe above the tuning point modifying the pitch. Open Diapason pipes which are tuned by the metallic movable cylinders at the end, are more mellow than those having the tuning slots, and hold the tuning better. The 4 ft. Octave, or Principal, belongs to this family or organ toned stops, with pipes an octave higher in pitch. It should be scaled one or two pipes smaller than the 8 ft. Open Diapa- son, and while the tone should be bright and clear, it should blend with the Open Diapason without being too assertive. The 2 ft. Super Octave, or Fifteenth, is of still smaller scale than the 4 ft. Octave, and should be voiced so as to give brilliancy to the [100] Foundation Stops louder combinations without being screamy or too prominent. When placed in the Great Section, the organ tone quality should be pre- served without a tendency to imitate a 2 ft. Piccolo. This stop is called the Fifteenth on account of the pitch being fifteen diatonic notes above the 8 ft. Open Diapason, and also two octaves higher, which is embodied in the term "Super Octave." The Pedal 16 ft. DuLClANA is made either of wood or metal. It is of small scale and is more mellow and satisfactory when made of wood and softly voiced. It is much superior to and more costly than the usual Pedal 16 ft. Bourdon Sub Bass. The Manual 16 ft. DOUBLE DULCIANA, of metal, is placed in the Choir Section and blends with all combinations. The Manual 8 ft. DULCIANA, DOLCIAN, DOLCE,^ or DOLCISSIMO, are of metal, and are es- sential stops for accompanying Swell solo stops. In Two Manual organs, one of them is placed in the Great Section, but in Three Manual in- struments the place is in the Choir Section. The pipes should not be of too small a scale, and the mouths should be narrow. Manual 8 ft. Aeoline. Metal. A very soft [lOl] Standard Organ Building stop having a delicate string Quality. While it is the softest stop in the organ, it should not be voiced so soft that when the swell folds arc closed it cannot be heard in every part of the auditorium. This mistake is often made, and while it may be distinctly heard by the organist near the instrument, it generally has the effect of silence to remote listeners, especially when following the immediate use of loud stops. Manual 4 ft. Dolcette, or Celestina. Metal. An Octave Dulciana or Dolce. FLUTE TONE STOPS. Flute Tone Stops include all open and stopped pipes of either metal or wood which pro- duce the Flute quality. They are very essential both as combination and solo stops, and have a variety of timbre. They add mellow richness to the Organ Tone stops, and combine well with String Tone stops in the production of new varieties of tone. The chief member of this family is known as the Stopped Diapason, or Gedeckt, the latter be- ing the German name for Covered, or Closed stops, as hereafter described. Pedal 32 ft. Sub Bourdon. Wood. A Stopped Diapason of the CCCC range. Mod- ern scales and voicing have overcome the former [102] Flute Tone Stops defects of this stop so that its profound tones give great depth and solemnity with soft com- binations as well as being effective with the Full Pedal Section. Pedal 1 6 ft. BouRDON MAJOR, or SuB BASS. Wood. A Stopped Diapason of large scale, of the CCC range, used in large and small organs, and in the latter when there is but one pedal stop. It is similar to the 32 ft. Sub Bourdon, which is often Augmented so that this stop may be transmitted from it. Pedal 8 ft. Bass Flute. Wood. A Stopped Diapason of the same character as the Pedal 16 ft. Bourdon, but of smaller scale. When softly voiced it forms a very useful bass when the Swell Section is not coupled to the pedals. Manual 16 ft. TiBIA MAJOR, BOURDON Flute, Bourdon, or Lieblich Gedeckt. Wood. When the Tibia Major is used in the Great Section it forms an excellent Double, oft- entimes as effective as the more costly metal Double Open Diapason when the amount to be invested is limited. The Bourdon is essentially a Swell Stop, and the lower thirty or thirty-two pipes are often played from the Pedal Section by transmission, being used as a soft Pedal Lieb- lich Gedeckt, or Dolce. Manual 16 ft. QuiNTATON. Wood. Stopped [103] Standard Organ Building pipes voiced so as to speak with a soft ground tone in combination with a delicate flute quality a diatonic twelfth above the i6 ft. tone. It is generally placed in the Great Section of large organs. Manual 8 ft. Open Flute, Gross Flute, Melodia, Claribel Flute, Clarabella, Con- cert Flute, Hohl Flute, etc. These wood stops are of full open length, and where formerly stopped basses were used in the lower octave, it is now possible under recent Letters Patent to use open duplex basses throughout the lower octave. Manual 8 ft. DoPPEL Floete. Wood. A powerful stopped flute with double mouths on the front and back with large depth from mouth to mouth, requiring ample speaking room on the wind-chest. Manual 8 ft. RoHR Flute. Wood, or metal. When made of wood the handles of the stoppers have a hole through them. When made of metal, the cover has an open chimney. Manual 8 ft. Quintadena. Metal. Stopped pipes which give a soft ground tone united with a fluty twelfth upper partial. A very effective stop in all Swell combinations. Manual 8 ft. Philomela. Wood. A small scale Stopped Diapason very delicately voiced. [104] Flute Tone Stops Manual 4 ft. Traverse Flute. Wood and metal. When made on the German method, the mouth has a round hole with the wind directed somewhat diagonally across the mouth, giving an orchestral flute tone. In the United States the treble wood pipes are made of double length, pierced with the central harmonic hole. Manual 4 ft. Flute Harmonique, or Flute OCTAVIANTE. Metal. One of the most useful Swell Stops, having treble pipes of double length pierced with the harmonic hole. The tone has a fine blending quality and enriches the Swell combinations. Manual 4 ft. SoLO CONCERT Flute. Wood and metal. An Octave Doppelfloete of power- ful tone. Manual 2V3 ft. QuiNT Flute. Metal. A fluty toned mutation stop which requires a 2 ft. Super Octave when placed in the Great Section. Manual 2 ft. Flageolet or Flautina. Metal. Conical pipes voiced with a sparkling flute quality and placed in the Swell Sectipn to give brilliancy to the Swell combinations. Manual 2 ft. PiccOLO Harmonique. Metal. Harmonic pipes of double length voiced with a clear piccolo tone and placed in the Choir Section. [105] Standard Organ Building STRING TONE STOPS. String Tone stops are so called because of their resemblance to the quality of tone produced by the violin family. The Gamba is the chief stop and the quality gives a crisp incisiveness to all combinations. It imparts a richness to the general effect which is often superior to that of reed pipes. The scale is of small diameter and the pipes are voiced with dowel, or harmonic bridges, the tone being of a pungent quality. Pedal 1 6 ft. ViOLONE. Wood or Metal. Voiced with a positive string quality in imita- tion of the orchestral Contra Bass. Pedal 8 ft. VIOLONCELLO. Metal or wood. Voiced with a delicate string quality. Manual i6 ft. Contra Gamba. Metal. Generally placed in the Choir Section. Manual 8 ft. Viola da Gamba, or Gamba Viol. Metal. Placed in the Great Section, im- parting an incisive string quality to all combina- tions. Manual 8 ft. ViOLE d'Orchestre. Metal. A very small Gamba having a peculiar scale with bass pipes of very small diameter. It has an incisive orchestral quality, and is usually placed in the Swell Section. [io6] Reed Pipes Manual 8 ft. ViOLiN Diapason, or Geigen Principal. Metal. Of a stringlike quality mid- way between an Open Diapason and Gamba. Placed in the Swell and Choir Sections. Manual 8 ft. ViOL d'Amour. Metal. Coni- cal pipes surmounted with bells having a beautiful string quality. Manual 8 ft. Salicional. Metal. Of small scale delicately voiced, belonging to the Swell Section. When voiced very soft it is called the Echo Salicional. Manual 4 ft. ViOLiN. Metal. A delicately voiced string stop, effective in soft combinations. Manual 4 ft. Octave Viol. Metal. An in- cisive string tone stop more assertive than the 4 ft. Violin. Placed in the Swell Section. Manual 4 ft. Gambette. Metal. An oc- tave Gamba. REED PIPES. There are two kinds of Reed Pipes, — those in which the brass reed tongues impinge on the surface of the reed tubes, called "striking" reeds, and those in which the tongues vibrate freely in the slot of a brass block or face-plate, on the principle of the reed organ. Striking reeds are now chiefly used in organ building, as the free reed stops do not remain in tune as well, or blend with other stops, [107] Standard Organ Building A Reed Pipe consists of the lead block which holds the brass reed-tube and the smaller end, or neck, of the body of the pipe above the reed work; the reed- tube; the reed tongue; the tuning wire; the wedge which holds the reed tongue in the block; the removable boot which covers the reed and carries the wind, and the body of the pipe which qualifies the tone. The bodies are sometimes' made with a hood at the top to prevent dirt from falling into the pipe. i "• Reed Stops do not remain long in tune with Flue Pipes, and are easily thrown out of voice, or their speech entirely stopped on account of small particles of dust or debris lodging between the vibrator and the reed-tube. It is therefore not advisable to include them in small or medium sized organs if remote from an organ factory, as they frequently become use- less or annoying to sensitive musical natures. In such instruments their place may be better filled by the Labial Reed Stops referred to on other pages. All Manual Reed Pipes should be en- closed in a Swell Box. REED STOPS. There are three varieties of Striking Reed Stops, the Oboe, Clarinet and Trumpet class, [108] Reed Stops the Trombone, Tuba and Ophicleide being in- cluded in the latter. Pedal 32 ft. BoMBARDE, PosAUNE, or Double Trombone. This stop has bodies of wood with inverted pyramidal form, and is inserted only in the largest organs. Pedal 16 ft. Trombone. The bodies are either of wood or metal, the former being preferable. Pedal 8 ft. Tromba. Metal. An Octave Trombone stop. Manual 16 ft. Double Trumpet. Metal, Placed in the Great and Swell Sections of large organs. Manual 16 ft. Contra Fagotta. Metal, A sub octave Bassoon running through the full compass of the Swell Section. Manual 8 ft. Trumpet. Metal, A loud stop placed in the Great Section, It should not be introduced unless there are a sufficient num- ber of foundation stops to cover its reedy tone, and in no instance where the organ does not con- tain a Pedal 16 ft. Open Diapason, With modern voicing this stop is frequently placed on higher wind pressure, which insures a smoother quality of tone from stops of this class. The bass reed tongues are shorter than formerly, the lower notes being "loaded" with thicker [109] Standard Organ Building brass soldered to the free ends of the tongues. Manual 8 ft. TUBA, TUBA MiRABILIS, Ophicleide, etc. Metal. These are large scale powerful reed stops with heavy pressures, placed in the Solo Section. In some instances double reed tongues are used for giving a smooth sonority. Organs have been built in which these stops have been placed on extended wind-chests of eighty-five notes, so that from one set of pipes of this compass, three stops, i6, 8, and 4 ft. pitch are derived and used separately or in combination. Such an arrangement, however, causes the reed quality to be too prominent and assertive for legitimate organ power, as in such coupling there is an improper balance of reed tone in connection with the foundation stops. Manual 8 ft CORNOPEAN. Metal. A large scale Trumpet placed in the Swell Section, cor- responding to the 8 ft. Horn in English organs. Manual 8 ft. OBOE. Metal. A delicate toned reed stop with the top partially covered, which cover is used for a shade in regulating the quality. The pipes are generally regulated by tuning rolls, or by a sliding device at the top, in addition to the use of the tuning wires. This stop is very sensitive to changes of temperature and obstructions which often render it useless, [no] Reed Stops and its place is better occupied in small Church Organs by the Labial Reedless Oboe elsewhere described, which is always serviceable and in tune. Manual 8 ft. Clarinet. Metal. A stop of orchestral character which is very imitative in quality. It is useful only as a solo stop, and does not blend well with other stops in chords. It gets out of tune as do other reed stops. The Labial Clarinet is of more value because it will remain in tune, and blends well with other stops. The Clarinet is placed in the Choir, or Orchestral Section. Manual 8 ft. Vox HuMANA. Metal. A reed stop with short cylindrical bodies partly closed at the top. It is serviceable only in musical passages expressly written for it, and is most effective when played as a tenor solo combined with the Stopped Diapason and Tremulant. It is seldom in tune with the other stops, and should be sparingly used. In the treble range it is more imitative of the bleating of lambs and crying infants than of the human voice, and its Latin name has popularized its having been adopted in organ specifications. Manual 4 ft. CLARION. Metal. An Octave Trumpet with harmonic bodies, placed in the Great and Swell Sections of large organs. [Ill] Standard Organ Building MODERN LABIAL STOPS WHICH PRODUCE THE REED QUALITY. On account of the uncertainty of reed stops being in tune, more reliable substitutes have long been sought. The search has only in re- cent years been successful. Now however there are so called labial substitutes which pro- duce better effects and blend better with the other stops than the conventional reed stops and add a rich variety to the combinations. This result applies at present to the following stops which are held as a standard for what their names represent, and which are distinct from any other organ stops in their structure and quality. They are as follows, — Labial Oboe. Metal. Entirely distinct from the Gamba-Oboe and reed pipes. Labial Clarinet. Metal, giving the real orchestral quality without the use of reed tongues, and which blends well in chords. Labial Saxophone. Wood. Very char- acteristic and expressive in all combinations. MUTATION AND COMPOUND STOPS. During the past few years there has been much controversy in regard to the use of Muta- [112] Mutation Stops tion and Compound Stops. One class of the- orists warmly insisting on retaining the ancient historical custom, while others are in favor of omitting them and supplying their place with more fundamental and useful stops. A Mutation Stop is one which gives the pitch of some other tone of the diatonic scale than the Unison Pitch, or its higher or lower de- rivatives. For example, the 2V3 ft. Twelfth, or Octave Quint, which sounds twelve diatonic tones higher than the 8 ft. stops. The Tierce is a mutation stop which sounds ten or seventeen notes higher than the 8 ft. stops. A Compound Stop consists of two, three, four or five ranks of pipes included in one stop hav- ing the name of Mixture, Sesquialtera, Acuta, Furniture, Cymbel, etc. As they are made of pipes of high pitch, the ranks of pipes are re- peated in the higher octaves, breaking back ac- cording to the method of each builder, MIXTURES. Following their crude historical origin, the redundant use of Mixtures was continued for centuries by an erroneous application of what are termed "upper partials" in their relation to the fundamental tone. It is well known that the natural tones pro- [113J Standard Organ Building duced from brass wind instruments, without using the valves, give first the open tones of the key note, then with an increased lung pressure and smaller embouchure, the diatonic fifth, oc- tave, tenth, twelfth, fiat fourteenth, and fifteenth above, as thus illustrated in the staff notation : I Sth 8ve loth I2th 14th 15th 1 f^ / n It s -, ^^ K~\J ^ o Ground tone. 1st Upper partial. 2nd Upper partial. 3d Upper partial. 4th Upper partial. Sth Upper partial. 6th Upper partial. Above the fifteenth, or seventh "upper par- tial," the high diatonic tones of any part of the scale may be produced by the trained embouch- ure of the player without the use of valves, as performed by solo cornetists, and illustrated by the methods of using the orchestral French Horn. These open tones are the harmonics of the ground tone, or key note. The same harmonics are very clearly indi- cated with the G string of the violin or vio- loncello, the wired strings affording a better illustration than the unwound strings. With the bow drawn, the full length vibra- tion of the open string gives the pitch of the ground tone. A slight touch of the finger at [114J Harmonic Tones the central node of the string gives the octave above with a less stringy quality of tone, and the moving of the finger on the string toward the bridge, without pressure, will find the tones which give the same relative harmonics as the upper partials of the wind instruments, and it will be observed that as the harmonics ascend in pitch they become more flute-like in quality. It will be noted by those who are familiar with both these classes of instruments, that when the ground tone is sounding with the key note of the wind instruments, and with the full length vibration of the open string, none of the upper partials are heard, for the reason that they are not sounding as such with either the key note of the wind, or open tone of the stringed instruments. When played as such, each upper partial sounds independently of any other tone, and the ground tone is then quiescent. The ground tone is not re-enforced by any tone pro- duced by the harmonics. With the string, the ground tone requires a full length vibration, and none of the harmonics are created unless the gentle touch of the finger at a node intercepts the full length vibration, when the pitch of the harmonic tone corresponds with the shorter length of the string between the note and the bridge. Standard Organ Building But, as before remarked, these harmonic nodes of varied mathematical lengths between the bridge and the nut do not exist during the full length vibration of the open string, and are therefore not heard. So when an 8 ft. Open Diapason pipe sounds its characteristic tone, no harmonic tone can be perceived in a properly voiced pipe. Thus, vice versa, when the several ranks of a Mixture, or Compound stop, are sounded by pressing one note at the keyboard, with no other stops drawn, no fundamental or ground tone is either re-enforced or produced. This fact may readily be proved without prejudice at any organ containing a Mixture stop. The building up of organ timbre should rest upon a scientific foundation based upon variety of scales, method of pipe structure and artistic voicing, rather than by artificial methods of in- creasing the volume of power in retaining sys- tems which are becoming obsolete. The Compound Stops of the past were voiced with the Organ Tone quality, but in their shrill- ness greatly predominated over the power of the foundation stops. [ii6] Mutation Stops LEGITIMATE HARMONIC STOPS. In Studying the tone qualities of the different nodes of the violin or violoncello strings as they ascend in pitch, it has been remarked that the higher they ascend, the more flute-like is the timbre compared with the ground tone. The same is true with the ascending harmonics of the French Horn. The delicate smooth tones as heard in the orchestra are played entirely from the harmonic range. The practical study of these harmonic qual- ities led to a great improvement in the voicing of Mutation stops, whereby this fluty timbre has been made the standard, so that a 2 V3 ft. Quint Flute may now be used in combination with soft stops. A 2 ^/s Gemshorn Quint voiced like a delicate Flute gives an excellent harmonic effect com- bined with a Swell 8 ft. Salicional. A 2 ^/s ft. Twelfth should be voiced with a pure Flute quality instead of the Organ Tone. It will then combine with any 8 ft. stop without dissonance. When there is a 2 ft. Super Octave in the Great Section, such a 2V8 ft. Quint Flute is needed to fill a vacancy in the combinations and modify a shrillness which is otherwise apparent. [117] Standard Organ Building The same principle of flute toned harmonics should be carried out in voicing Harmonic Mix- tures. The use of thirds, tierces and tenths is now quite obsolete, and the mutation ranks should only consist of harmonic fifths and their derivatives. Delicate Mixtures of this order are termed the Harmonia iEtheria, Dolce Cornet, etc. All Mixtures should be enclosed in the Swell Box and be kept subservient to the other stops. MODERN ORGAN STOPS. Acuta. Metal. A Compound Stop of high-pitched pipes of small scale and shrill tones, used only where there is a Mixture or Sesquialtera of larger pipes. Aeoline. 8 ft. Metal. The softest stop in the organ, belonging to the Swell Section, and sometimes placed in the Choir as a i6 ft. stop. Bass Flute. 8 ft. Wood. A stopped Pedal Stop, sometimes augmented from the Pedal 1 6 ft. Sub Bass. When made as an in- dependent stop it is of smaller scale than the Bourdon. Bassoon. 8 ft. Metal. Reed pipes. It is also used as a soft reed i6 ft. stop in the Pedal Section of large organs. Bell Diapason. 8 ft. Metal. An Open [ii8] Modern Organ Stops Diapason surmounted with bell tops, giving a very full tone. Used only in the Solo Sections of large Concert organs. Bells. A name given to the flaring tops of metal organ pipes in the form of inverted cones. See also Tubular Chimes. BoMBARDE. 32 and 16 ft. Metal or wood. Reed Pedal stops of strong tone. Bourdon. Flute tone. A general name given to Manual and Pedal stopped wood pipes of 16 ft. tone of the Stopped Diapason, or Gedeckt family. In French organs the name is applied to all stopped or half-stopped pipes producing the Flute tone. Bourdon Sub Bass, or Bourdon Major. 16 ft. Stopped wood pipes. A Pedal stop often specified as 16 ft. Sub Bass. It is better to designate it as "Sub Bass," to distinguish it from the Manual Bourdons. Carillons. A percussion register consisting of two or more octaves of steel bars operated with pianoforte action connected with the Choir keys. It does not belong with legitimate organ building, being of a sensational character in its effects, Celestina. 4 ft. Metal. A delicately voiced Octave Dulciana, belonging to the Choir Section. [119] Standard Organ Building Clarabella. 8 ft. Wood. Open pipes giving a full flute tone. It is made with regular mouths bevelled on the outside, Claribel Flute. 8 ft. Open wood pipes with tone similar to the Clarabella. Clarinet. 8 ft. Metal. Formerly a reed stop with short cylindrical bodies, placed in the Choir Section. It has now been greatly im- proved, upon as a Labial Clarinet with a better blending quality, and is very expressive as a solo stop when placed in a Swell or enclosed Choir Section. (See Labial Clarinet.) Clarinet Flute. 8 ft. Metal. Half- stopped pipes with harmonic hole midway of the length, with low mouths. Clarion. 4 ft. Metal. An Octave Trum- pet with harmonic bodies. Concert Flute. 8 ft. Wood and metal. Open pipes of large scale giving a clear tone. When used as a 4 ft. stop it is made and voiced like a stopped Doppelfloete. Contra Bass. 16 ft. Wood. A Pedal Stop of small scale voiced with the Frein Harmonic, or Harmonic Bridge, with open pipes. Contra Bourdon. 32 ft. Wood. A Pedal Sub Bourdon. Contra Fagotta. 16 ft. Metal. A soft [120] Modern Organ Stops Swell reed stop placed in large organs, having the Oboe quality of tone. (See Bassoon.) Contra Gamba. i6 ft. Metal. A string tone stop with the harmonic bridge, or dowel beard, placed in either the Great, Swell or Choir Sections. (See Gamba, or Viol da Gamba.) Cor Anglais. 8 ft. Metal, A free reed stop. The body is surmounted with a double bell, successively widened and narrowed. Cornet. A Compound stop of large scale having from III to V ranks of pipes. CORNO. 8 ft. Wood. A Labial stop of the Saxophone quality which is very expressive when enclosed in the Swell Box. Cornopean. 8 ft. Metal. A large scale reed Swell Trumpet with harmonic treble pipes giving a full tone, corresponding with the English Horn. Cymbel. a brilliant Compound stop of sev- eral ranks of pipes, placed only in very large organs. Diapason. A specific name applied to both Open pipes which produce the Organ tone, and Stopped pipes producing the Flute tone, the original word signifying a full compass of sound in successive octaves. [121] Standard Organ Building "Through all the compass of the notes it ran, The diapason closing full in man." — Dryden. Diapason Phonon; 8 ft. Metal. A large scale Open Diapason of heavy weight, voiced with high wind pressure, and leathered upper lips. DiAPHONE. 32, 16, or 8 ft. Wood or metal. A powerful stop on heavy wind pres- sure, with a vibrating valve in the boot, the pulsations of which are controlled by the pitch length of the body of the pipe. DOLCAN. 8 ft. Metal. The pipes have in- verted conical bodies and voiced with a soft horn-like quality of tone. Dolce. 8 ft. Metal. Pipes somewhat larger than the Dulciana scale, with low and narrow mouths, giving a smooth velvety tone. Also a name given to a soft 16 ft. Pedal stop when derived from the lower pipes of the Swell Bourdon. DOLCIAN. 8 ft. Metal. Similar to the manual Dulciana. DOLCissiMO. 8 ft. Metal. A soft Dulciana. DoPPELFLOETE. 8 ft. Wood. Large scale stopped pipes having a double depth with double mouths. [122] Modern Organ Stops Double Dulciana. i6 ft. Metal, A deli- cate toned manual stop placed in the Choir Section. Double Melodia. i6 ft. Open pipes of flute tone with inverted mouths. Double Open Diapason. 32 ft. Wood. An open Pedal stop of great depth and dignity of tone. Also a Manual 16 ft. metal stop placed in the Great Section, with mellow voi- cing so as to be subservient to the 8 ft. Open Diapason. Double Stopped Diapason. 16 ft. Wood. Same as the 16 ft. Bourdon. In English organs this stop is often placed in the Swell Section under the name of 16 ft. Double Diapason, without distinguishing it from the Open Diapason quality. Double Trombone. 32 ft. Wood, A powerful Pedal reed stop, used only in the larg- est organs. Double Trumpet. 16 ft. Metal. A sub Trumpet placed in either the Great or Swell Sections. Doublette. 2 ft. Metal. Same as the Super Octave or Fifteenth. Dulcet. 4 ft. Metal. An octave Dulciana, placed in the Choir Section. Dulciana. 8 ft. Metal. A small scale [123] Standard Organ Building organ tone stop delicately voiced to serve as ac- companimental to solo stops on another manual, and for soft vocal accompaniments. Also a deli- cate 1 6 ft. Pedal stop of wood or metal. DuLCiANA, or Dolce Cornet. Metal. A soft Compound stop of III ranks, placed in the Swell Section, EUPHONE. 1 6, or 8 ft. Wood. Free reed pipes of short lengths having a very delicate reed quality. Erzahler. 8 ft. Metal. The pipes have conical bodies of peculiar intonation, giving a soft octave with the ground tone. The tone has a querulous quality from which the name "story teller" was derived from its German origin. Fagotto. (Same as Bassoon.) Fifteenth. 2 ft. Metal. Same as the Super Octave, giving brightness to forte com- binations, but which should not be too assertive in power. Flageolet. 2 ft. Metal. Conical pipes voiced with a fluty quality to give brilliancy to Swell combinations. Flautino. 2 ft. Metal. Delicately voiced pipes of harmonic length. Flauto Amabile. 8 ft. Wood. Sweet toned stopped pipes of a lovely quality. Flute a Cheminee. 4 ft. Metal. Half- [124] Modern Organ Stops stopped pipes with chimney tubes, delicately voiced. (See Rohr Floete.) Flute d'Amour. 4 ft. Wood and metal. Sweet toned stopped pipes. Flauto Traverso. 4 ft. Wood and metal. Open wood pipes with harmonic trebles, voiced in imitation of the orchestral flute. Flute Harmonique. 4 ft. Metal. Open pipes of double length in the trebles, pierced with the harmonic hole, giving a rich pene- trating quality which is effective in all combina- tions. Generally placed in the Swell Section. Flute Octaviante. 4 ft. Metal. Open pipes belonging to the Flute Harmonic family. FUGARA. 4 ft. Metal. A string tone stop of a violin quality, placed in either the Swell or Choir Sections. Gamba. 8 ft. Metal. Open pipes of small scale voiced with a strong incisive quality, hav- ing dowel beards. It is the chief string toned stop in the organ, and combines well with other stops in the production of a variety of tone col- ors. Gambette. 4 ft. Metal. An octave Gamba which adds life and crispness to various combinations. Placed in either the Great or Swell Sections. Gedeckt. 8 ft. Wood. The German name Standard Organ Building for covered stops of the Stopped Diapason fam- ily. (See Lieblich Gedeckt.) Geigen Principal. 8 ft. Metal. Syn- onymous with the Violin Diapason, and is gen- erally placed in the Choir Section. Gemshorn. 8 ft. Metal. The tone is of a mild nasal quality. The pipes are conical, the top being one-third the diameter at the mouth. As a 4 ft. stop it is placed in the Choir Section. In English organs it is often used in the Swell Section in place of a 4 ft. Flute. In American instruments it is often used in the Great Section of small organs instead of a 4 ft. Octave. Gemshorn Flute. 4 ft. Metal. A coni- cal stop having a beautiful refined tone, gen- erally placed in the Choir Section. Gemshorn Quint. 2V3 ft. Metal. A flute toned conical Twelfth so delicately voiced that it may be played with a soft 8 ft. stop with good effect. Grand Diapason. 8 ft. Metal. A name applied to the most powerful Open Diapason when there are two or three in the Great Section. Grand Principal. 8 ft. Metal. The same as Grand Diapason. Gravissima. Resultant tone. A theoretical Modern Organ Stops 64 ft. acoustic pedal stop formed by coupling the diatonic fifth of a 32 ft. Pedal Sub Bourdon with a 32 ft. Pedal Double Open Diapason without the use of any additional pipes. It is used only in the very largest Concert organs, but the desirability of the resultant effect may be questioned, as it renders the pedal notes con- fused and indistinct. Gross Floete. 8 ft. Wood. A full toned open flute placed in the Great Section. Harmonia iExHERlA. A delicate Com- pound stop with fluty mutation ranks. Harmonic Basses. Resultant tone basses using pipes in combination quint transmissions from other stops, not to be highly commended. Harmonic Flute. 4 ft. Metal. (See Flute Harmonique.) Harmonic Piccolo. 2 ft. Metal. Pipes of double length pierced with the harmonic hole. Harmonic Trumpet. 8 ft. Metal. A clear reed stop with treble pipes of double length. Hautbois d'Amour. 8 ft. Metal. A deli- cate reed stop with the tops covered, having holes, or tuning slots for the emission of the tone. HOHLFLOETE. 8 ft. Wood. Open pipes [127] Standard Organ Building similar to the Clarabella having sunken blocks lower than the mouth, which renders the tone somewhat hollow. Horn. 8 ft. Metal. A full toned reed stop of the same scale as the Cornopean. JUBALFLOETE. 8 ft. Wood. A powerful flute toned stop with open pipes and double mouths. Keraulophon. 8 ft. Metal. Small scale open pipes voiced with a quality midway be- tween the Organ and String tone. It is used as a soft Swell stop, and was originally made with a round hole pierced at the distance of the diameter from the top. Labial Clarinet. 8 ft. Metal. A reed- less reed toned stop with correct overtones, pro- ducing the true Clarinet quality, having pipes with double bodies. This stop always remains in tune and is made very expressive when en- closed within a swell box. Labial Oboe. 8 ft. Metal. A reedless stop with a reed tone quality which takes the place of the conventional organ reed Oboe in small organs. It should not be confounded with the Oboe-Gamba. Labial Saxophone. 8 ft. Wood. This stop gives a quality so imitative of the brass Sax- ophone that the tones cannot be told apart. It [128] Modern Organ Stops is placed in the Swell, or enclosed Choir Section for expressive effects, and remains in tune with the other pipes. LlEBLiCH Gedeckt. 1 6 ft. Wood. Small scale stopped pipes of the Bourdon family. Used in the Swell, Choir and Pedal Sections. It is also made as a metal 8 ft. stop with wood tompions, and voiced with a lovely quality of tone. Magnaton. 32 ft., and also 16 ft. A Pedal reed stop giving a smooth quality of tone, voiced with from ten to fifteen inch wind pressure. The reed tongues are short and wide. The width of the 32 ft. CCCC tongue is three inches. The bodies are of the Trumpet form, of full length. The top of the lowest 32 ft. pipe meas- ures sixteen inches in diameter, and the neck is three inches. Major Bass. 32 ft. Wood. Same as the 32 ft. Double Open Diapason. Melodia. 8 ft. Wood. Open pipes with inverted mouths giving a smooth flute tone. It is much used in the Great Section in the United States. Melody Stops. 8 ft. Wood or metal. They are operated by a coupling device which silences all the notes of a chord excepting the upper note, or melody, which stands out prom- [129] Standard Organ Building inently with any stop to which it is applied. While "Double Touch" can only be applied where electric action is employed, a Melody Stop may be used with pneumatic action, thus re-enforcing the highest note of a chord, but the increased expense of such mechanical stops does not justify their introduction. Mixture. A general name applied to Com- pound stops with any number of ranks. When applied to one stop it indicates III ranks of pipes of octave, super octave and mutation pitch, ac- cording to the method of the builder. Musette. 8 ft. Metal. A delicate reed stop belonging to the Oboe family, useful only in large organs for bag-pipe and rustic effects. Muted Viol. (See Viol Sourdine.) Nasard. 2 Vs ft. Metal. A French name for the Twelfth, or Octave Quint. NiGHTHORN. 4 ft. Metal. A very large scale open Flute giving a horn-like tone. It derives its name from the ancient custom of watchmen sounding the hours of the night upon their horns. It is placed in the Swell Section. Oboe. 8 ft. Metal. A striking-reed stop with brass tongues having inverted conical bodies surmounted with a bell. The pipes are partially covered at the top with a lid for regu- lating. It has a wailing quality of tone and [130] Modern Organ Stops should not be used in chords unless in perfect tune. Combined with the Stopped Diapason it serves as a pleasing solo stop, and is placed in the Swell Section. (See Labial Oboe.) Octave. 4 ft. Metal. A manual stop voiced so as to combine with the 8 ft. Open Diapason without being too assertive. It is of a proportionate smaller scale and is the stop to which all others are tuned. The pipes are "coned" instead of being slotted. In older organs this stop was called "Principal." As an 8 ft. Pedal stop the pipes are either of wood or metal, but generally of wood and of smaller scale than the upper pipes of the 16 ft. Pedal Open Diapason, from which it is taken when used as a derived stop in augmentation. Octave Flute. (See Flute Octaviante.) Octave Quint. 2 ^A ft. Metal. A muta- tion stop tuned twelve diatonic tones above the normal pitch, voiced with a flute quality so that it will combine with the other stops. When an organ contains a 2 ft. Fifteenth, or Super Octave, in the Great Section, this stop is needed to ameliorate a too assertive shrillness. Open Diapason. 8 ft. Metal. This is the fundamental stop of the organ upon which the tone character of the instrument depends. The prefix "Open" should not be omitted, as it [131J Standard Organ Building is the leading member of the "Organ Tone" family in which its quality is distinct from the Stopped Diapason. (See Diapason.) The name "Open Diapason" should always be so stated in Organ Specifications to avoid any misunderstanding. The 1 6 ft. Manual stop of this class is called the Double Open Diapason, because all i6 ft. Manual stops are called "Doubles" in organ parlance. In the Pedal Section the i6 ft. Open Diapason is often miscalled as "Double Open Diapason," but such a stop in the Pedal Section would be of the 32 ft. pitch, as the normal pitch of the Pedal Section is 16 ft, an octave lower than the normal 8 ft. pitch of the Manual Section. The 16 ft. wood Pedal Open Diapason is in reality a large scale Clarabella and as such might be classed with the Flute tone, although custom has designated it as Organ tone. The 16 ft. metal Pedal Open Diapason is of the Organ tone throughout its scale, but the wood stop has a fuller and more resonant tone. Open Principal. 8 ft. Metal. A name given to an 8 ft. Open Diapason which is un- enclosed and mounted in front of the folds in Expressive Organs where both the I and II Sec- [132] Modern Organ Stops tions of Two Manual organs are enclosed in one or two Swell Boxes. Ophicleide. 8 ft. Metal. A powerful reed stop of large scale on heavy wind pressure, placed in the Solo Section; called also, Tuba Mirabilis. It is also placed in the Pedal Sec- tion as a i6 ft. stop. Philomela. 8 ft. Wood. A stopped Dia- pason of small scale voiced with a delicate flute quality and placed in the Swell Section. Physharmonica. 8 ft. Brass free reeds without pipes. These reeds are enclosed in a small box with a swell cover, the reeds being provided with tuning wires. This stop will not remain in tune with the flue pipes when there is a change in the temperature, and it can hardly be termed a pipe organ stop, although occasion- ally to be found in large organs. Piccolo. 2 ft. Metal. A brilliant com- bination stop placed in the Choir Section for solo effects. Pyramidal Flute. (See Spitz Flute.) Quint. loVsft. Wood. A Pedal covered stop tuned a diatonic fifth above the Pedal 16 ft. Open Diapason for the purpose of giving an imitation acoustic effect. The imitation is sug- gestive in the lowest five pipes, but is confusing in the upper notes. It should be voiced very [133] Standard Organ Building soft, with leathered or felted upper lips. Re- cent builders have been introducing this stop as borrowed from a i6 ft. Bourdon without using its own independent pipes. QuiNTADENA. 8 ft. Metal. Covered pipes which produce a soft ground tone united with a very fluty 2 ^A tone a twelfth above, giving a peculiar timbre with the natural harmonics. It . is placed in the Swell Section and is effective in all combinations. QuiNTATON. 16 ft. Wood. A Manual covered stop voiced so as to give a ground tone with its natural fluty quint. The modern stop has a roller beard and gives a refined satisfactory tone. Quint Flute. 2V3 ft. Metal. Open pipes delicately voiced with a flute quality. ROHR Floete. 8 ft. Metal. A half- stopped pipe with a tube or chimney rising from the center of the covering. In wood pipes a hole is bored through the handle of the tompion. The tone is brighter than with plain stopped pipes. It is often used in the Choir Section where it is called Flute d' Amour. Salicional. 8 ft. Metal. A mild Gamba placed in the Swell Section, where in small or- gans it serves as the softest stop. Saxophone. 8 ft. Wood. A Labial reed [134] Modern Organ Stops tone stop without reeds. Of beautiful imitative quality, placed in either the Swell or enclosed Choir Section. (See Labial Saxophone.) Sesquialtera. Ill ranks. Metal. A com- pound stop much used in organs of the past, but now generally included in the name of Mixture. Spitzfloete. 4 ft. Metal or Wood. A conical or pyramidal flute stop taking its name from its shape, meaning "tapering," or "spire." Stentorphone. 8 ft. Metal. A large scale Open Diapason on heavy wind pressure, placed in the Solo Section. Still Gedeckt. 8 ft. Wood. A covered stop of quiet flute quality. Stopped Diapason. 8 ft. Wood. A cov- ered stop essential in every organ. It is the chief flute tone stop and corresponds to the German Gedeckt. Stopped Flute. 8 or 4 ft. Wood. Cor- responding to the Stopped Diapason. Sub Bass. 16 ft. Wood. A Pedal 16 ft. Bourdon. Sub Bourdon. 32 ft. Wood. A covered Pedal stop of very deep tone. Super Octave. 2 ft. Metal. It belongs to the Open Diapason family, adding brilliancy to loud combinations. (See Fifteenth.) Tibia Clausa. 8 ft. Wood. A large scale [135] Standard Organ Building Stopped Diapason with the mouths cut high and leathered lips and the pipes given full wind. The word Tibia signifies a flute quality, and Clausa, closed or covered. A loud Stopped Diapason on heavy wind pressure. Tibia Dura. 4 ft. Wood. A flute stop with inverted pyramidal bodies, giving a strong, firm tone. Tibia Major. 16 ft. Wood. A covered manual stop of large scale giving a clear flute quality. Placed in the Great Section as an ef- fective Double stop. Tibia Plena. 8 ft. Wood. Large scale open manual pipes with leathered upper lips, on heavy wind pressure, giving a very full flute quality. Traverse Flute. (See Flauto Traverso.) Tromba. 8 ft. Metal. A powerful Har- monic Trumpet in the Solo Section. Trombone. 16 ft. Wood or metal. A powerful Pedal reed stop. Trumpet. 8 ft. Metal. The chief reed stop of the Great Section. Tuba Mirabilis. 8 ft. Metal. The most powerful reed stop in the organ, placed in the Solo Section, on heavy wind pressure. The treble pipes are of double length, and all [136] Modern Organ Stops the pipes of this stop are often arranged hori- zontally, the tubes thus appearing at the top of the case work. Tubular Chime Bells. A set of resonant vertical brass or steel tubes chromatically scaled and played by electro pneumatic action, placed either within the organ case^ or in another part of the auditorium. Twelfth. a^A ft. Metal. A mutation stop twelve diatonic tones above the 8 ft. pitch and voiced with a fluty quality of tone. (See Quint Flute.) Twenty-second, i ft. Metal. One of the ranks of a Compound stop starting three octaves higher than the 8 ft. pitch, and breaking back in the higher octaves. Unda Maris. 8 ft. Metal. A soft stop tuned slightly sharp or flat of the pitch so that when used with another soft stop it produces a wavy effect in the chords. It generally begins with Tenor C as the lowest pipe, and is used with the Aeoline or Echo Salicional. It is also named Voix Celeste and Vox Angelica. Al- though pleasing when the organ is first installed, unless the wave beats are carefully maintained in subsequent tuning, the original charm will be likely to be lost. [137] Standard Organ Building Viola. 8 ft. Metal. A string tone stop with roller beards, giving a more pungent tone than the Geigen Principal. Viola Da Gamba. 8 ft. Metal. (See Gamba.) Viol d' Amour. 8 ft. Metal. A very deli- cate string tone stop with conical bodies sur- mounted with a bell, and voiced with roller beards. Viol d'Orchestre. 8 ft. Metal. A very- small scale string tone stop voiced with a keen incisive quality which is very efifective in the Swell Section. Violin Diapason. 8 ft. Metal. ( See Gei- gen Principal.) ViOLiNO. 8 ft. Metal. A soft string tone stop similar to the Salicional. Violin. 4 ft. Metal. A Swell string tone stop of delicate quality. Violoncello. 8 ft. Metal or wood. A Pedal stop voiced with roller beards in imita- tion of the orchestral instrument. ViOLONE. 16 ft. Wood or metal. A Pedal string tone stop of small scale with roller beards, voiced so as to give a crispness of speech similar to the "bite" of the bow on the strings of the orchestral Contra Bass. Viol Sourdine. 8 ft. Metal. A very deli- [138] Modern Organ Stops cate stop of small scale with conical bodies and roller beards, giving a beautiful muted string quality. Vox Angelica. (See Unda Maris.) Voix Celeste. 8 ft. Metal. (See Unda Maris.) It is sometimes made with two sets of pipes to each note, uniting with the Aeoline or Salicional with one set of pipes tuned sharp and the other set tuned flat of the Aeoline. On ac- count of not producing a satisfactory wave with the lower bass pipes, the "Celeste" pipes seldom run below Tenor C, and this stop is generally recorded in specifications as having 49 pipes, or 61 where the wind chest is extended upward to 73 notes. Vox Humana. 8 ft. Metal. A reed stop with short cylindrical bodies, intended to imitate the human voice. The tone is thin and nasal, and is not in keeping with the dignity of a Church organ as far as its past history is known. It should only be inserted in large Concert or- gans as a sensational stop. It should not be considered as being appropriate in medium sized organs, as it is seldom in tune with the other stops, and is useless in combination with them as well as in accompanying choir voices. It should not be included in any piston combina- tions or composition pedal attachments, nor [139] Standard Organ Building drawn with the full organ by means of the Bcl- anced Crescendo or Sforzando Pedals. Its best effect is when used as a tenor solo in combination with the Stopped Diapason and Trehiulant. If played as a distant choir, it should be played chiefly in the compass of male voices. Wald Flute. 4 ft. Wood. An open stop with inverted mouths, of exquisite quality of tone. Placed in the Great Section where it blends well with all combinations. THE VOICING OF ORGAN PIPES. Notwithstanding the perfection of mechanical finish and design of an organ, the complicated action work, the careful selection of materials, the solidity of structure of metal and. wood pipes with their graded scales, unless these pipes have been voiced under the supervision of an artist in this very essential department of an organ manufactory, the instrument will be musically defective. So much depends upon the product of the voicing expert, that the skill exercised in this vital branch determines the comparative refine- ment and artistic value of the instruments of dif- ferent builders. In the choice of an organ builder, too, much [HO] T^he Voicing of Organ Pipes discrimination cannot be given to this depart- ment. An extensive factory equipment includes a number of skilled organ pipe voicers. Some are exclusively engaged in voicing metal flue or languial pipes. Others voice only wood pipes, while voicers of special skill and patience are employed with reed pipes. An amateur cannot attain the skill of one who is educated in the daily routine of the musical department of an organ factory. In order to acquire the details, |n expert voicer should be able to construct a good metal or wood pipe and be versed in the use of tools. He should understand how to lay out scales of pipes of different proportions from a given single pipe. Such knowledge furnishes him with the ability to predetermine the effects which may be obtained from the pipes he manipulates. In addition to this, he should cultivate a critical sense of the proper tone-balance of each stop in relation to the other stops, so that all combina- tions will blend in musical proportion. All these acquirements should be possessed in the highest degree by the Supervisor of the Voicing Department, so that he may furnish the highest standard of voicing as a criterion for all who are under his charge. Otherwise, no two [HI] Standard Organ Building organs from the same factory would have a similarity of tone quality in each stop. Such supervision ranks highest in the art of organ building. An expert voicer should be a natural musician with jn acute perception of tone qualities, and be familiar with that which has been the most excellent in the voicing of organ pipes. He should also have at least a rudimentary culture in the art of organ playing and the science of musical acoustics. As before remarked, the musical value of an organ depends upon the artistic voicing of the various stops, embracing not only the requisite timbre, or tone quality, but the adjustment of proportionate volume, so that all legitimate com- binations will synchronize and blend with each other, and the Full Organ give forth a rich and dignified effect. The organ pipe comes speechless from the pipe making department into the hands of the voicer. It is not possible to describe the deli- cate methods of producing the requisite tone qualities, but a few suggestions are here given. The art of voicing organ pipes requires a keen faculty of perceiving every grade and shade of musical sound, and the knowledge of the tone quality demanded in working according to a [142] Voicing standard. It also requires a delicate touch in the manipulations which adjust the speaking part of the pipes to accomplish the desired results. This art can only be learned by much practice in the voicing rooms of an organ factory, by practical manipulation at the work-bench. A professional organist may have had the rare ex- perience of observing an organ voicer at work in the factory, thus obtaining general knowledge of the theory, but without personal application with his own hands in tone production, united with the ingenious use of the required tools, it would be impossible for him to produce satis- factory musical results. An experienced voicer is able to take a pipe of a Gamba scale, the tone of which has- been voiced to produce an incisive string quality, and by changing the height of the mouth and direc- tion of the air current, as well as the quantity of air admitted, cause it to give forth a sweet flute tone, a process however which cannot be reversed after the flute tone has been obtained. The only way in which an ingenious amateur can learn the art, is to own a voicing outfit and voicing machine, and buy his pipes unvoiced from an organ pipe factory, an expense in which not many organists can indulge. [143] Standard Organ Building The Voicing Machine is a small organ with three or more slides and has a permanent set of tuning pipes placed on the rear top board. It is blown either with the foot or is supplied with air from a mechanical feeder. Few voicers are willing to impart the processes which they have acquired by intelligence and experience through years of patient study. Such experts are always in demand and are paid good wages for their attainments by builders who have a standard price for the highest qual- ity of production. Builders who offer their work for very low prices cannot afford to hire the best voicing talent, and if carrying on business on a small scale, generally purchase their pipes from or- gan pipe factories ready voiced, without regard to the blending qualities of each stop. This furnishes one reason why the musical effect of a low priced organ is inferior to one of higher grade where the best voicing talent is employed under the supervision of a professional expert. There is a great difference in the results of voicing. One voicer will cause his Open Dia- pasons to give a rich, mellow and pervading tone, while another voicer will only produce a dry, brusque and uninteresting tone from a pipe of the same scale. [144] Wind Pressure As stated in the pages of "Standardization," in a well appointed organ factory there is a standard for the voicing of each stop from which there is no variation, each stop passing through the inspection of the supervising expert who has control of this important department. THE WIND PRESSURE. The first thing required in voicing is to know the wind pressure which has been decided upon. This pressure is not always the same. Large organs have different pressures for the various Sections, and for different stops. A Studio, Chamber, or Residential organ would generally have less pressure than the average Church or- gan. Concert and Cathedral organs have the most varied pressures as measured by the anemometer, some of the reed stops receiving from ten to thirty inches or more. The anemometer is a glass wind gauge for measuring the air pressure in the bellows reservoir. It consists of a bent glass tube with an index of recording inches, with water at a level in two of the tubes. When the foot is in- serted in a pipe hole and the compressed air admitted, the air pressure separates this water level and the wind pressure is shown in inches on the index. [145] Standard Organ Building After years of experimenting and observation it has been determined that the most refined and resonant quality of tone is obtained from a pres- sure of not less than four inches as a standard for church instruments. Although extremists have theorized that the flue pipes should have the mouths cut high and be given very heavy wind pressures, the danger of such a system is that the normal tone quality of organ pipes will give place to a stentorian power not in harmony with the legitimate re- quirements of the organ. The dynamic force that is needed for Church instruments may be obtained with the pressure indicated, and instead of making the organ more powerful by using pressures which give a hard, unsympathetic effect, the increase of power should be obtained by adding a larger number of stops to the Specification, thus giving scope for a variety of expressive combinations voiced with a resonance characteristic of the ideal organ. In building up the well balanced power of a Symphony Orchestra, the number of performers are increased on the fundamental instruments which constitute the orchestral timbre, instead of forcing the tone of a lesser number of players. The power of an organ should be distin- [146] T^one Production guished by richness and variety rather than by overwhelming noise, and pipes which are voiced on a conservative standard of pressure will fur- nish all the volume of sound which is required from a Church Organ in the place for which it is built. THE PRODUCTION OF TONE. The wind pressure having been determined, the size of the hole in the foot of each pipe of the stop is graded accordingly, to be further regulated when the pipes are placed on the voicing machine, and the height of the languid adjusted. The upper lip is cut up in height from the lower lip a certain proportion of the width of the mouth, and the edge of the upper lip is pre- pared to receive the current of compressed air which impinges on it. The proportion of the height varies from one-fourth to one-half, of the width, according to the scale of the pipe and the quality of tone to be produced. In metal flue pipes the bevelled edge of the languid is nicked, notched, or indented with coarse or fine teeth according to the nature of the stop. These teeth divide the wind current into regular streams, instead of a wavering sheet [147] Standard Organ Building of wind which would be likely to occur if there were no nicking. The upper lip is made parallel with the flue, or throat, which is formed by the space between the lower lip and the languid. When placed upon the voicing machine and wind is admitted to the pipe, a musical tone is not obtained until the languid is raised or lowered so that the cur- rent of air will impinge on the edge of the upper lip without entering the body of the pipe, or pro- ducing upper partials. This current of air acts as an irritant or vibrator which sets in motion the passive sound- molecules within the body of the pipe against the sides, by means of which vibration the tone is produced. The air current may be likened to the movement of the hair of the bow of a violin on the string, the string being compared to the passive air within the pipe. If the current of air should pass into the body of the pipe, no tone would be produced, any more than when blowing directly into the lip- hole of an ordinary flute. But when the air is blown across the embouchure hole of the flute, the tone is produced from within the instrument. While alluding to the method of tone production from either an open or stopped organ pipe, the principle may be illustrated by blowing across [148] Voicing Pipes the mouth of a glass bottle, or a stone jug. The breath does not enter the bottle or jug, but is blown across to the opposite edge when the tone is heard. There are various theories and reasonings in regard to the tone production of organ pipes, but the actual causes, like all things in this world of efifects, are hidden from human wisdom. The skill of the voicer may work and bring into order certain environments or material relationships by which results may be predeter- mined with mathematical precision, otherwise no standard could be obtained in the voicing of pipes. The speech and quality of tone is obtained by these manipulations, the scale of the pipe, the wind pressure, and the regulation of the requisite amount of air admitted through the toe, the size of the orifice being made by the proper tools for enlarging or closing the opening. Manual wood pipes are supplied with metal toes, and the wind aperture is treated the same as in metal pipes. Large wood pipes are regu- lated in regard to the admission of air by wind- gates in the feet. The lips and languids of metal pipes are more easily regulated than wood pipes on account of the flexibility of the metal, while all the environ- [149] Standard Organ Building merits of wood are rigid, and all parts of the mouths are fixed in the structural formation. The flue in regular externally bevelled wood stops, such as the Stopped Diapason, is made on the edges of the blocks, but stops with inverted mouths like the Melodia and Wald Flute have the flue made in the caps, with proper nick- ings. FLUE OR LABIAL PIPES WITH DOUBLE LANGUIDS. A new method of voicing flue pipes has re- cently been introduced by which a greater volume of tone is obtained without increasing the wind pressure. This is accomplished by making use of TWO languids in metal pipes with a space between the upper and lower languids. As may be required, a small hole is bored in either of the languids, or in the back of the pipe in the space between the two languids. By this means, in addition to the current of air passing between the languids and the lower lip, a suction current is also drawn at the same time from air which is contained in the body of the pipe, or from air which is external to the body of the pipe. This increases the tone- body of open pipes to a marked degree, as well as with harmonic flue pipes, thus obtaining any [150] Bearded Pipes special development of overtones which is desir- able. With stopped wood pipes, a double block is also used, and with the perforation made in the space between, the volume of the stream of compressed air from the wind-chest is made more effective by the addition of air which is drawn downward by suction from the main body of the pipe. With very large open pipes, the perforation of the lower block admitting more air to the space between the blocks adds much to the volume of tone. Critical experts who have tested these improvements in tone production state authoritatively that they fulfil all that is claimed for them. BEARDED PIPES. Bearded pipes have an important place in modern voicing. They are known as Dowel Beards, Roller Beards, Harmonic Bridges, and Frein Harmonic. The usual form of applying them is by insertion between the ears of metal pipes, or by attachments to the mouths of wood pipes. They are generally round like a dowel rod, and are made of wood or brass. They are used on string tone stops to great advantage. The dowel is adjusted across the [151] Standard Organ Building mouth so that the wind current strikes the upper lip, bringing the speech of the pipe into an incisive promptness which the former Gambas did not possess. A fiat bridge is sometimes applied to the front pipe basses to insure promptness of speech, the bridge being painted black so that it is not seen other than as the mouth of the pipe. The appli- cation has become quite extensive in improve- ments in tone production. LEATHERED UPPER LIPS. It has been known for many years that when the upper lip of a wood pipe is made thick with the edge smoothly rounded, as well as cut up in the right proportion, a more mellow tone is ob- tained than with a thin sharp-edged upper lip. With certain wood stops some builders insert a dowel strip of wood along the edge of the upper lip, for a rounded surface, by which the upper partials are so eliminated that a purer tone is produced. In revoicing old wood pipes, when a narrow strip of wood was glued on the outside of the upper lip and the edge smoothly rounded, a great improvement was made in the quality of tone as compared with the original voicing. The same is true in making a thick rounded [152] Acoustic Basses edge with certain metal pipes, but the same effect is more simply attained by "leathering" the upper lips with organ leather of the right thickness, held in place by a liquid cement which is adhesive to metal, the leather rounding over the edge of the lip. In old organs, unsympathetic pipes have been improved in quality by this process. The tone of an old i6 ft. Pedal Bourdon is often improved by clothing the upper lips with felt and leather, where the harmonics have been too prominent. ACOUSTIC, RESULTANT, OR HARMONIC BASSES. It is well known to organ voicers and tuners that when a 2^/3 ft. Twelfth is being tuned to a 4 ft. Octave, in addition to the tones of the two sounding pipes, a very soft tone an octave lower than the 4 ft. stop is heard. This tone results from the two tones creating an additional lower sound wave by their combination. On account of this acoustic phenomenon, many organ builders use for a Quint pedal stop, a set of soft stopped pipes tuned a diatonic fifth above the 16 ft. Pedal Open Diapason to produce a Resultant 32 ft. (apparent) stop. In many instances this fifth, or Quint is bor- rowed from either the 16 ft. Pedal or Manual Bourdon by tubular action, or electric coupling [153] Standard Organ Building without the use of additional pipes, and is named in the Specification as a 32 ft. Harmonic Bass, a method which is not to be recommended. The tone-wave with the lower five or six pipes gives an imitation of a 32 ft. rumble, but above these notes the imitation ceases, and at the best, a muddy and indistinct effect is produced. A 32 ft. Sub Bourdon, with its independent pipes is in every way preferable, but it is a costly stop, and the mechanical substitute looks well in a Specification! It seems to contain a 32 ft. stop, but in reality is a make-shift for a stop which the organ does not contain. A 32 ft. Sub Bourdon may be played with the soft manual stops with solemn effect, an impossibility with an Acoustic Bass. THE PITCH OF FLUE, OR LABIAL PIPES. The Pitch of flue pipes depends upon the length of the bodies containing passive atmos- pheric air which is set in vibration against the sides of the pipes. The measurement is from the upper lip to the tuning point. The shading of that portion of an open pipe which extends above the tuning point with slotted pipes flattens the pitch. (A small scale pipe has a longer [154] Reed Pipe Voicing body in proportion to its diameter than one of larger scale.) THE VOICING OF REED PIPES. An outline only of reed pipe voicing can here be described. All the parts of a reed pipe having been put together, the voicing consists in preparing the brass vibrating tongue so that it will properly strike or beat upon the flat surface of the reed tube and give the desired quality of tone, the pitch being governed by the tuning wire spring. Reed pipes are generally of the striking- tongue class, rather than of the free-tongue type, which latter vibrates in a metal socket or frame plate, on the principle of the ordinary reed organ. Each stop has its own scale of tongues in length, width and thickness. These tongues are made from a specially tempered quality of sheet brass, so that the required curve will stay in place. The adjustment of this curved tongue so that it will beat true upon the flat surface of the reed tube (eschallot) from the free curved end to the heel where the tuning spring bears, is the chief manipulation in voicing reed pipes. It is [155] Standard Organ Building necessary to give the tongue such a curve that when it is passive it will remain curved so that when the wind is admitted to the pipe the tongue will be instantly set into vibration. In modern reed voicing certain stops have the tongues weighted in the lower bass pipes, which gives steadiness to the vibrations and shortens the lengths of the tongues. The voicing of reed pipes requires unwearied patience and skill united with many years of experience. The process is very wearing upon the nervous system on account of the constant concentration of the auditory sense. The voicing of flue pipes is easy in compari- son and the results are more agreeable and satis- factory to the voicer. Reed pipes are subject to many disturbances after they are placed in the organ, and any obsta- cle which interferes with the free vibration of the tongue, such as particles of dust, wings of insects, or corrosion, will cause a disagreeable rattling and throw the reed out of voice and tunc. The manipulation necessary to remove reed obstructions by a person who does not under- stand the process of causing the tongue to beat true upon the reed tube, should never he at- tempted, and a reed pipe should never be Reed Pipe Voicing blown into by an individual, as the moisture from the breath is liable to form a corrosion upon the brass tongue or tube, which will ob- struct the speech of the pipe. Certain reed pipes are so sensitive that they need tuning weekly, and the reed stops of large Concert organs should be tuned before each pub- lic performance, requiring the engagement of a salaried tuner and expert. The uncertainty of intonation and speech of reed stops is so well known, that in medium sized organs, reedless Labial pipes are being used which give a quality of tone which is more serviceable and useful for all occasions without needing care or constant tuning. Free reed pipes which do not have long bodies, do not remain in tune with flue pipes as well as the striking reeds. They are of more delicate tone, somewhat of the nature of the reed stops of the harmonium. When there is a change of temperature, the reed and flue pipes go in opposite directions of pitch. In flue pipes, as the temperature rises, the air within vibrates more rapidly, the pitch rising in proportion. In reed pipes, a warmer temperature flattens the pitch of the reed tongues. [157] Standard Organ Building THE BALANCE OF TONE. Balance of Tone is the great desideratum in the voicing of an organ so that each stop shall have its appropriate power and blending quality in all combinations. No two stops of an organ should be of the same scale and precise quality of tone. When there are two 8 ft. Open Dia- pasons in the Great Section, the second one should be of smaller scale and milder tone. A 1 6 ft. Manual Double Open Diapason should be of proportionate smaller scale and more mellow quality than the 8 ft. Open Diapa- son. The 4 ft. Manual Octave should be of smaller scale and not too assertive, and the 2 ft. Super Octave should be of still smaller scale and of milder power than the 4 ft. Octave. The same rule should, apply to the 8 and 4 ft. Flute and String stops. The 8 ft. pitch should always predominate as the fundamental ground tone in all combina- tions. After an organ is finished, the proper use of these balanced stops depends of course upon their judicious combination and blending by a skillful organist who possesses the requisite musical taste and refinement in tone coloring. All other portions of the organ being of the [158] Atmospheric Temperature highest standard, it is the possession of the proper Balance of Tone which causes one in- strument to be superior to another, and gives the builder his established good reputation. A good builder, however, often has his reputation temporarily obscured if the instrument falls into the hands of an inefficient player who has not the talent or capacity to bring forth the merits and possibilities of the organ. THE ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE FOR ORGAN TUNING. In northern climates the best season of the year for an organ to be thoroughly tuned is either in May or September, when no artificial heating of the building is required. For an organ to be in tune in the winter months, the room should have a steady even heat of about 65 degrees, the place to be heated the day before and kept so until the tuning is finished. The Swell Folds should be left open from the time the fire is made so as to have the heat within the organ case evenly distributed. It takes considerable time for the metal pipes to become heated to the degree of the surround- ing atmosphere, and the temperature in the Swell Box should be the same as in the unen- [159] Standard Organ Building closed parts of the instrument before the tuning is begun. Until the metal pipes are thoroughly warmed, the surrounding air being cooled by the pipes, it settles downward, which accounts for the cool draughts of air which are felt in the choir gal- lery near the organ during a winter morning service. ORGAN TUNING. Artistic voicing must be supplemented by scientific tuning to produce the finishing re- sults. The tuner should not only be an expert in his vocation, but should possess conscientious principles united with skill and patience. After an organ has received its final tuning at the time of its installment, no itinerant tuner should be allowed to touch a pipe without legitimate credentials from a reliable organ builder, preferably from the builder of this par- ticular instrument. Many organs have been musically ruined from the crude manipulations of unskillful and unprincipled tuners who roam through the country soliciting an opportunity to tune organs, without bona fide testimonials. With the highest class of builders the first finishing of an organ takes place at the factory, and is not left to be done in the church. After [i6o] Tuning Preparations transportation, however, the pipes will require attention when the organ is set up, notwithstand- ing the work which was done at the factory. In the turmoil usually incident to completing all the appointments of the church, the vital points of artistic tuning are in danger of being interfered with unless the Contract states that "the builders shall have the quiet use of the auditorium during the finishing of the organ." UNSYMPATHETIC PIPES. While in many old organs there were pipes which did not synchronize or blend with each other on account of imperfect voicing, scales, or faulty wind-chest construction, these defects have been eliminated by better methods and im- provements which detect and remedy all imper- fections at the final test of an instrument at the factory. PREPARATIONS FOR TUNING. When an organ is to be tuned, a general survey of the instrument should be given. The bellows weights or pressure springs should be examined to see that the top of the reservoir is even, or level, when the wind is in. All wind leakages should be found and stopped. The wind indicator should be so [i6ij Standard Organ Building adjusted that it will show just the point at which the bellows should be kept by the blower or motor. The motor regulator should be ad- justed. The action work should be regulated so that each key shall have the same depth of touch, and the couplers should also be regu- lated. If the organ is an old one with slide chests, the top boards should be screwed down so as to permit the slides to move freely without bind- ing, but not so freely as to allow the wind to escape before entering the pipes. In order to ascertain the amount of leakage, close all the stops, and with the bellows full of wind, press down as many keys as possible with both arms and hands, one manual at a time, and note if any pipes sound, which will be the case if the top boards are too loose. Note also at the same time the movement of the wind in- dicator and observe the amount of leakage in this test. Organ pipes of all kinds are very sensitive to slight obstructions, which are many, and which a builder cannot guard against after an organ is finished in the church. A cobweb within a pipe will spoil its speech and change the pitch. Then there is dust from the sweeping of the carpets, street dust, flakings from the ceiling, [162] Temperament dead flies, lint and fluff from fine feathers, and in large pipes, even dead birds ! The Stop action should also be given attention to see if all the movements are in regulation. The tubes of the tubular pneumatic action should be examined to see that there are no leakages from the settling of the organ. Every pipe of each stop should be slowly sounded and a memorandum made of any defect to be remedied by the removal of dust, or from not standing firmly down upon the top board. Sometimes the swelling of a rack board will bind the foot of a pipe and cause a leakage and conse- quent flatting of the pitch by raising it partially out of its hole. TEMPERAMENT. As any organist is likely to be called upon to hold the keys in tuning, it will aid him if he understands Temperament and the general principles of tuning, as the tuner inside the in- strument accomplishes his work with greater facility when having a musical person at the key- board as he calls for the notes to be held. For a number of centuries the twelve notes of the chromatic scale were tuned so that the keys of C, G, D, F, and B flat, would sound in tune with their own attendant harmonies, but [163] Standard Organ Building modulations to more remote keys were quite discordant. Organs thus tuned were in use in the United States and England until about the year 1850, when a reform set in to change this mode of Unequal Temperament to what is termed Equal Temperament, which gives each chord of the chromatic scale an equal adjustment of the rela- tionship of fourths, fifths, and thirds of each key so that the attendant harmonies are in propor- tionate tunc. An explanation of the reason for the adoption of Equal Temperament would require an elabo- rate essay on the subject with practical illustra- tion. It is suiBcient to state that its use is now universal among organ builders, and there is no exceptional dissonance in any key or chord un- less made so by incompetent, slovenly or un- principled tuners who will not spend the proper amount of time in tuning an organ correctly. Equal Temperament cannot be learned from books. It can only be acquired in an organ factory through much application and experi- ence, with the possession of an acute sense of musical vibrations and constant work in the tun- ing of organs. Organ tuning is an entirely dif- ferent process from pianoforte tuning, in which [164] Temperament latter the vibrations are not sustained in making the adjustment of temperament. Temperament is the name given to the adjust- ment of the sound waves in organ tuning. It is well known that with a given pipe of estab- lished pitch, if the diatonic fifths and fourths above that pipe in sequential order are tuned through one octave of the chromatic scale, so that there are no recognizable beats, the octave above the starting pipe will be quite sharp of the pitch of the lower pipe from which the tun- ing was started. To correct this condition it is necessary to have each fifth above any given note tuned a certain number of beats /?fl/, or SHORT of a perfect fifth. As a fourth above a given note is an inverted fifth in regard to the octave below, the fourth diatonic pipe is made to beat sharp, or LONG, so that the beats of the fifth and fourth will be quite equal in the number of vibra- tions. This flatting of the fifths and sharping of the fourths can only be learned from practical experience, and can here simply be outlined. The fifths thus tuned are called SHORT fifths, and the fourths, LONG fourths. The tuning is always begun with the 4 ft. Octave, or 4 ft. Principal, in which the Tem- [165] Standard Organ Building perament is first set. The pipes of this stop are not slotted, but are carefully cut off at the pre- cise pitch, and are brought into exact tune by the use of tuning cones. Coned pipes are firmer in holding the pitch than those which are tuned by slotting. The Temperament is carefully adjusted in the three middle octaves, and the other pipes of this stop are tuned to pipes held two octaves apart, as pipes which are an octave apart in tuning are likely to "draw" into tune by sympathetic vibra- tion, an erratic phenomenon which is always an- noying to a tuner. After the Octave stop has been tuned, the Temperament should again be examined and corrected before tuning any other stops. THE PRIMARY BEARINGS OF THE TEMPERAMENT. The order of setting the Temperament is thus illustrated : The starting point is with the 4 ft. Octave of the Great Section, first fixing the pitch with the pipe which sounds on pressing Tenor C of the Manual; the length of this pipe in this stop being 2 feet, it sounds the exact pitch of the normal middle c ( i ) , although played upon the [166] Temperament keyboard an octave lower. So in setting the pitch according to the following example, with the 4 ft. Octave, the tones sound an octave higher than they are written upon the staff. ■s bo bo -e >s e e o o 01 M 1-4 CO Pk ^^( ^-^=^^=^ (^=S I 2 3 4 s Explanation: i. The open note represents the pipe of the 4 ft. stop with the fixed Pitch. The black note indicates the Fifth to be tuned. This Fifth is first brought into perfect tune, and is then slightly flatted with the tuning cone so that the beats are clearly defined, but not too assert- ive, thus giving a SHORT Fifth. 2. The Fourth above G is then brought into perfect tune, and is then made slightly sharp, which gives a LONG Fourth. 3. The Fourth above Tenor C is brought into perfect tune, and is then slightly sharped so that the number of beats will correspond with the beats of the SHORT Fifth of i. 4. If this F has the right number of beats compared with i, the upper black note will not have to be changed from 2, as the tuning of that note will coincide with both 2 and 4. [167] Standard Organ Building 5. If the beats of G and F have been rightly adjusted, Tenor C on the Manual and middle c ( I ) an octave above will be in perfect accord with no beats, and will be a proof that the primary bearings have been properly adjusted. Until these five bearings are satisfactory, no further progress can be expected. The next order in setting the Temperament is proceeding by diatonic Fifths and Fourths as far as F sharp, on what is termed the G side of the Temperament. ■c .a 1 ■m B — fsxe2 SiDE -2!! — ("- _(;;— — (|— -(#• The next order will be to proceed by Fourths and Fifths on the F side of the Temperament, as follows: F FgF=7iP Side " ^ — '■?? Sp-Knorao-C bo "S eoaoeo a X Oj3Qj30j3 q c Test The proof of correctness will be that when arriving at 5 on this F side, the G flat will need [168] Temperament no change from the F sharp already tuned at 6 on the G side. If an error has been made, it must be patiently found and corrected. After the Temperament has been proved to be equal in all the Fifths and Fourths of this one octave, the following order is to be pro- ceeded with, after testing the bearings repre- sented at the words "Test," to notice if the beats have changed. Test -iS»- Test ^ -te ^m ^^ ^-&^-^^^-w% ■*-'-*- -^ l^/Jt #^ (h«-(-( ^m arvy^- ^ w { ^^ ^ (^ <^ f , to^A^ ^ II g §fcgF(&^^^^< ^; r^ ^ <^g I- ^(pT^^i^^^i^Eg etc. The Fourths and Fifths should be adjusted through the next octave above, and not only [169] Standard Organ Building tested with the octave, but with the notes held two octaves below. :/E=/tf«=:/*=/ ^^ = tefeVi etc. \^:::\; W~~ '^ \e>- In the next two octaves higher with the 4 ft. stop, the tuning should proceed by tuning the upper pipes two octaves above the lower note, as the pitch will be too high to distinguish the beats between the Fourths and Fifths. ^fer^_/^^E .:^^\ Vzsr- etc. ■■P It is not safe to tune by octaves, as pipes tuned simply an octave apart will draw in tune and thus will not bear the Temperament test. Pipes which are tuned two octaves apart are less likely to draw in tune, and discordant beats more read- ily manifest themselves. The lowest octave of the 4 ft. Octave is tuned with the pipes two octaves apart, thus: [170] General Tuning IE i^^.= /^/: e> Q-Br /i2z :\Si i=\- Ifei etc. The Temperament should be carefully tested with each pipe of the 4 ft. Octave before tuning any other stops. GENERAL TUNING. In tuning an organ, two experienced persons should be employed, one at the console and the tuner inside the organ. Where metal pipes have no tuning slots, rolls, sliding cylinder tuners, or shading ears, the pipes are sharpened by the use of tuning cones of ivory or brass, of several sizes, one end pointed to expand the rim of the pipes, the other end having hollow cones which close the rim to flatten the pitch. Slotted metal pipes are tuned by the tuning roll being turned upward for flatting, and downward for sharping. In the course of time these rolls when rolled up too much to flatten the pitch, the tone of the pipe will lose its resonance. To obviate this liability, tight fitting metal cylinders can be sprung around the pipes just Standard Organ Building below the slots, and instead of retaining the rolls the cylinders may be moved upward or down- ward without injury to the pipes thus tuned. Stopped wood pipes are tuned by moving the tompion, or stopper, downward in sharping, and upward in flatting, care being taken not to start with the pipe too sharp, as the process of flatting necessitates removing the stopped pipes from their place in the rack board. Open wood pipes have tuning shades of metal at the top which are opened out to sharpen, or closed inward to flatten the pitch, but the most modern method is to use a carefully fitted slide which moves in a rabbeted groove. Metal Stopped Diapasons and Chimney pipes are tuned by flexible ears as well as with moveable caps. The Quintadena has moveable caps. The Viol d'Amour is tuned with flexible ears. The reed pipes are tuned by spring wires which are driven downward for sharping, and upward for flatting, with additional tuning rolls at the tops of the bodies for regulating. A slight knock on the tuning wire changes the pitch, and if the wire is driven down too sharp, there is danger of injuring the reed tongue in trying to flatten it. None but an experienced tuner should touch a reed pipe. These pipes [172] General Tuning are a constant source of annoyance in an organ, year after year, and require much care. THE ORDER OF TUNING. After the Temperament has been set, the 8 ft. Open Diapason should next be brought in tune with the 4 ft. Octave, note for note, and then tuned upward from middle c in its own temperament with the 4 ft. Octave shut off. If its own temperament is correct, each pipe will be in tune with the 4 ft. Octave. In tuning to its own temperament, the pipes below middle c should be tested with the notes two octaves apart, proceeding downward chromatically, or accord- ing to the arrangement of the pipes upon the wind-chest. Each 8 ft. flue stop should then be tuned to the 4 ft. Octave, and then its own temperament adjusted and tuned to its own pipes two octaves apart, and then smoothed up with the 4 ft. Octave. A soft stop will draw in tune to one which is louder. Thus the 8 ft. Dulciana, after having been first tuned to the 4 ft. Octave, will not generally be in tune with itself when used alone until its own temperament is set, and so with the other soft stops. The 4 ft. Flutes are first tuned to the 4 ft. [173] Standard Organ Building Octave, and then tested with the 8 ft. stops which have been tuned, note for note, and so with the 2 ft. stops. The Mixtures are tuned in separate ranks and tested with the ranks together, and then again with the prominent flue stops. The flue stops are then all drawn, each note tested in combi- nation, and the discrepancies are corrected. Where there are slide chests, if, when all the stops are drawn, some of them are found flat with the others on account of leakages between the top boards and slides, there is hardly a remedy for this defect. The Reed stops are the last to be tuned, first with the 4 ft. Octave, then with the 8 ft. Open Diapason, and then with their awn pipes alone with the keys held an octave apart. Reed pipes are not drawn in tune by the sympathetic vibra- tion of other stops, but flue pipes are drawn to the more positive reed pipes in tuning. All the stops of the different Sections of the organ are tuned to the Great 4 ft. Octave. If the Swell Section is placed above the Great, the variation of atmospheric temperature should be noted and the Swell stops should not be tuned until the air is of the same degree as that of the Great Section. [174] Organ Derangements In holding the keys for tuning, no couplers should be used. The natural heat from the hands or body of the tuner while at work in the organ sometimes affects the pipes nearest to him, so that in re- vising the Temperament on again entering the instrument, a change may be observed. In the winter season the north side of the building is cooler than the south side, and the tuner is often thereby delayed in setting the Temperament, which cannot be completed until the heat is equalized throughout the interior of the instrument. ACCIDENTAL CAUSES OF DEFECTIVE PIPE SPEECH. The organ is always subject to accidental de- rangements and needs proper care by an ex- perienced repairer and tuner. Dust and dirt will accumulate on the languids of flue pipes and throw the smaller pipes out of pitch and Speech. Small chips of wood will be blown into and lodge in the flues and wind ways. For this reason all the caps of wood pipes which cover the flues should be fastened on with screws, so that they may be taken off and placed back again. Pipes will get hit and toes knocked out of place ; the upper or lower lip will get jammed ; [175] Standard Organ Building the tuning slot may have been rolled down too far and then rolled back again; the rack boards may have swelled so as to raise the pipe foot off the hole in the top board; the canting of the tompion of a wood stop ; the splitting of a wood pipe at the top, and the accidental turning around of a pipe by careless handling. ORGAN DERANGEMENTS. The chief causes of organ derangements are the extremes of dryness and moisture. These deleterious agents have to be contended with in the highest class of organs. They unavoidably cause shrinking and swelling of the materials, thus changing the relative conditions of the various parts. These changes necessitate the regulation of the action to meet the inevitable effects, and in former methods of construction with slide wind-chests, affecting even the tuning characteristics. A novice should not attempt to remove the dust which obstructs both the speech and pitch of the pipes. Such work should only be done by an experienced tuner. CIPHERING. Ciphering is a name given to the sounding of a pipe or pipes from any accidental causes, or [176] Ciphering from defective construction. All organs are subject to the accidents of chips or dirt lodging upon the leather surface of a valve, causing air to pass into the pipe when a stop is drawn. This cannot be obviated until access is obtained to the valve and the obstruction removed. Sometimes when a pipe is taken from its position, a loose screw will fall into the pipe hole, or a chip or bit of saw-dust left in the wind-chest will blow upward and lodge upon a valve. A frequent cause of ciphering is the lodgment of a leather bui^ton or obstacle which has worked in from the keyboard under the thumper bar, which will be irtdicated by the key being slightly depressed. A comiion domestic pin will often find its way between two adjacent keys so that they will bind and hold a valve open. In the progress of improvements, the valves now used in standard organ building are inde- structible and are without defects. With the slide chests, leakages at the slides and runs in the wind-chest channels were tem- porarily obviated by "bleeding" the pipes, which was done by boring a 'small hole in the foot of the pipe just under th^ languid to give vent to the leakage without cafusing the pipe to sound. This caused a weakness in the original tone of the pipe which was detrimental to its [177] Standard Organ Building full speech, and was a poor temporary relief to cover defects. An examination of the manual pipes of old organs will reveal such attempts to obviate cipherings. The only permanent relief was in removing all the pipes of that Section and taking out the wind-chests where the defects could be remedied, but this was seldom done, and the subterfuge of "bleeding" was the least expensive way out of the difficulty. Cipherings in slide chests often cccar from the warping or twisting of a valve which can only be remedied by taking it out, c.ressing it true with a plane and releathering it. The leather of such valves at times su'ck. into the valve seat and shuts off the full wind of the pipes on that channel. With the tubular pneumatic ventil chest, any stop in that Section where a ciphering occurs may be shut ofif until the valve is cleaned with- out affecting any other stop, and "bleeding" is never required. It should be understood that no organ is en- tirely exempt from temporary derangements, not due to faulty construction, which will need regu- lating in the course of time, and church officers should be on their guard not to employ tuners or repairers wlio have not reliable credentials [178] The Value of an Organ upon the printed letter heads of well known organ builders. THE VALUE OF AN ORGAN. The value of an organ is not determined by a large number of stops or accessories displayed in an outline Specification, but by the durability of the workmanship and superior quality of voi- cing whereby fewer stops will produce a better musical effect than a large number with dispro- portionate scales and inferior voicing. For this reason competitive estimates from various grades of organ builders are not a test of the true musical value of an instrument. A standard organ builder constructs his in- struments so that they are adapted to the internal architecture and dimensions of the audience room in power and serviceableness, devoid of harshness and forced quality of tone, producing grandeur and refinement of timbre without sen- sational stops which are of no practicaF use. However well a Specification may appear on paper, it is not a criterion of musical value in making a decision. Each stop must have its proportionate scale and voicing in relation to every other stop in the entire organ. A Specifi- cation is simply an outline for the guidance of builder and committee in having the organ made [179] Standard Organ Building as complete as possible according to the musical capacity which it represents, for the position which it is to occupy. THE PURCHASE OF AN ORGAN. In purchasing an organ it should be treated as a work of art, and not as mercenary mer- chandise having no soul, for the object of the installation of a Church instrument is to awaken religious inspiration. A standard builder has his perfected methods well tested in every department without intro- ducing experimental or trifling devices to gain the influence of prospective purchasers or novitiate organists. Such a builder knows best how to construct his instruments for their positions and purposes ; what scales of pipes to use, and the qualities of tone which will best blend and balance to- gether. His prices are fixed according to the actual value of each instrument which is determined by the cost of manufacture, and he does not enter competition by reducing his prices or using "borrowed" stops to meet a cheaper class of labor, nor does he place a fictitious valuation on his products with the intention of making a reduction in order to secure a contract. [i8o] Organ Specifications He can be trusted to fulfill every detail of the contract which he has signed, without his in- tegrity being questioned, and he will take no advantage of the confidence placed in him. With such a builder, the purchasing officers may safely place their order, with absolute as- surance that the work will be finished accord- ing to agreement without giving further thought to the matter until the organ is ready for delivery. Should the Contract state that every detail is to be in harmony with the methods incorporated in " Standard Organ Building," this book may be used as a criterion by which the organ will be tested. ORGAN SPECIFICATIONS. An Organ Specification is a schedule of stops, couplers, pedal movements, accessory mechan- ism and adjuncts, written or printed, upon which the capacity and price is estimated in closing a contract. Further than describing the materials and mechanism, a Specification gives no definite idea of a musical standard except as it represents the productions of one Organ Company. If a number of organs, manufactured by dif- ferent builders, should be placed side by side for criticism, they would be dissimilar in tone [i8i] Standard Organ Building quality and power, ranging from a higher to a lower grade. This difference in quality should be considered by church authorities in compar- ing estimates. An organ containing a limited number of stops may be voiced on a heavy wind pressure and made more powerful as to noise, than an in- strument with a larger number of stops having delicacy and variety of timbre, costing a greater price, but the noisy instrument will be heartless in comparison. The musical value of a Specification must be based upon many years of experience in organ building; upon a long practical acquaintance in playing organs of different builders, and upon a sound knowledge of voicing and acoustics. A standard organ builder will be likely to draw up the most appropriate specification, but the foregoing requisites should be possessed by any expert who may be employed by a church committee to draw a schedule and details of construction, and he should hold himself re- sponsible for the faithful execution of the work. It is not safe to trust an eccentric amateur to furnish a specification according to his fancies, in which sensational stops and adjuncts might [182J Form of Contract be introduced which would be detrimental to the proper balance of tone, which a first class builder would refuse to sign. Before a Contract is signed, all doubtful points should be made clear and be fully decided by preliminary correspondence or interviews be- tween purchaser and builder. In every instance the voicing should be left to the builder. He knows best as to the musical requirements for the position which the organ is to be built. Each Organ Company furnishes prospective purchasers with illustrated catalogues having graded specifications in which their claims and methods are presented. (For the reason that specifications should be prepared especially for the requirements of the edifices and services, specimens are omitted in these pages.) A FORM OF CONTRACT. It is this day agreed by and between .... Party of the First Part, and .... Party of the Second Part as follows : The Party of the First Part agrees to build an organ according to the annexed Specification and details of Construction, which are hereby accepted and made a part of the Contract, and [183] Standard Organ Building erect the same in the edifice of the Party of the Second Part, complete and ready for use, on or before .... A. D. 19 — , or as soon thereafter as possible, subject to unforeseen transportation delays. All materials used in the construction are to be the best of their respective kinds, of ample substance, and the workmanship throughout is to be of the highest class and finish. Should a representative expert be employed by the Party of the Second Part to supervise the Specification and Details of Construction and inspect their fulfilment, it is understood that he will act at the expense of the Party of the Sec- ond Part, and that he shall have freedom to observe the progress of the work at the manu- factory and during the erection of the work in the edifice. It is to be understood that the contract price shall include all work, materials, transportation, and incidentals necessary for the completion of the organ, and that any changes which shall be made after the work is begun, shall be at the expense of the Party of the Second Part, and that the organ will not be considered as com- pleted until the pipes have received their final regulation and tuning in the edifice. All preparations in readiness for the recep- [184] Form of Contract tion and protection of the organ, such as plat- forms, sheathings, etc., independent of the organ case, shall be made at the expense of the Party of the Second Part. The Details of Construction shall be in har- mony with the principles of modern organ build- ing as inculcated in the book entitled "STAND- ARD Organ Building," upon which the criti- cism of the instrument shall be based prepara- tory to its acceptance. Upon the test and examination as therein in- dicated, should the said organ be found not to comply with the terms and specifications of this Agreement, then the Party of the First Part agrees that it will remedy all structural defects make good such defect, or failing in this, will remove said organ. The said Party of the First Part further agrees that it will remedy all structural defects therein at any time within five years after the completion of said organ, at its own expense, ex- cepting natural wear, damage caused by fire, roof leakages, or other causes not connected with the construction of the organ. The said Party of the Second Part agrees to pay to the said .... Party of the First Part, upon the completion and acceptance of the or- gan, the sum of ... . dollars. [185] Standard Organ Building The said Party of the Second Part agrees that the said .... or its representative, shall have uninterrupted possession of the auditorium of the edifice, properly heated and lighted, for the purpose of setting up, regulating and tuning of said organ for a period of . . . . days at the time of finishing the work upon said organ. The said Party of the Second Part hereby agrees to test and examine said organ imme- diately upon the completion of the same in the edifice, in the presence of the representative of the said Party of the First Part, and if found in harmony with the Specification and Details of the Contract, will then accept and settle for the organ in agreement with the provisions of this Contract. The said Party of the Second Part hereby agrees to assume all risk of damage to said or- gan or parts thereof, and insure it against fire from the time it is deposited in the edifice. It is agreed that if a water motor is furnished, the Party of the Second Part shall do all pip- ing and plumbing necessary to operate the same so that the pipes may be connected by the Party of the First Part without delay. It is also agreed that if an electric motor is to be attached, the Party of the Second Part shall do all the wiring necessary to connect the motor. [i86] Essential Qualifications It is also agreed that all mason and carpenter work necessary for a firm foundation for both organ and motor shall be done by the Party of the Second Part. It is further agreed that if the party of the First Part is subjected to any expense on account of delay in the aforementioned preparation for the organ, or motor, the expenses shall be borne by the Party of the Second Part. Witness our signatures at ... . this .... day of .... A. D. 19 — Party of the First Part. Party of the Second Part. ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS OF A RESPONSIBLE ORGAN COMPANY. The active officers are men of sterling char- acter and influence in their community and ex- tensive business relations. The office management is founded upon meth- ods which are modern and progressive, with business principles based upon integrity and a [187] Standard Organ Building healthy determination to produce only the high- est quality of workmanship at reasonable and legitimate prices. An ample capital invested and at command, which insures the faithful fulfilment and guar- anty of each contract. The official representatives are intelligent and responsible. A talented superintendent with practical knowledge of the requirements of the musical and mechanical departments. Expert foremen of departments, employing only skilled workmen. A sufficient number of employees to construct all the instruments within contract time. The most skillful voicers and tuners to pro- duce the best musical results. Artistic draughtsmen for the architectural and mechanical designs. Reliable experts for finishing the organs in their final positions. An absolute guaranty in providing for the making good any defect in material and -yvork- manship within the designated period. Systematic standardization of every depart- ment, which insures a duplication of the specific qualities on which the reputation of the Com- pany has been established. [i88] Essential Qualifications The avoidance of cheapening any department of labor or material, always holding to the high quality with which their reputation has been established. An independence of decision in refusing to build any instrument under conditions which in their judgment will be detrimental to the art of organ building, and thus injure their reputation. All honor be to such commendable independence which will decline to enter competition rather than to take a contract under conditions which the result would give dissatisfaction to both parties. The right to withdraw from executing a con- tract if changes are proposed which would cause an instrument to be unsatisfactory either in mechanism or tone balance. The judgment and experience of a Standard Organ Builder should be followed in adopting the final specifications, space to be occupied, and motor to be employed in furnishing the wind supply. Such an Organ Company may be trusted without question from the signing of the con- tract to the completion of the instrument when ready for acceptance and settlement. [189] Standard Organ Building THE FINISHING OF AN ORGAN. In the finishing of an organ in the edifice it should be understood that the voicing has been perfected at the manufactory, and that the church finisher is simply to regulate such pipes as require attention after transportation. It is not well to have constructive work or voicing of an organ done in the church, but the instrument should be completely built and musically perfected in the factory, with its su- perior facilities for accomplishing the work. It is very important that the organ should not be brought into the auditorium until all plastering, frescoing and tile work have been done and are thoroughly dry, as the delicate organ wood work is quickly affected by the dampness incident to the finishing. Many excellent organs have been temporarily thrown out of use soon after their acceptance, on account of the dampness of delayed church finishing, and could not be used until the action was restored by heat and readjusted. THE TEST OF AN ORGAN FOR ACCEPTANCE. When an organ is finished in the position for which it is built, it may be subjected to the [190] Testing an Organ following critical tests before its acceptance, viz.: 1. First play a Choral Hymn with full chords in both hands and double pedal notes, with each speaking stop and couplers drawn, and note if the wind is steady and sufficient to supply the demands. If blown by hand or water power, note the number of up and down strokes per minute required to keep the bellows reservoir full of compressed air. Notice if the top of the reservoir is kept at the full height without sinking. If the feeders do not keep the reservoir top without sinking more than three inches, they are not of ample capacity to supply the demands. This test might be more fair if all sub and super couplers are left off. If the organ is blown by a fan blower of any description, there should be no sinking of the reservoir top. Should the top be lowered, it would prove that the blower is too small, or the speed insufficient, and it should be replaced by one of larger size. If the operation of the blower is heard in the choir gallery or audi- torium, the noise should be obviated. 2. The next test will be more severe on the wind supply, but it should be given, because it will meet every emergency to which the organ [191] Standard Organ Building can be submitted in every species of organ music. Draw every speaking stop and coupler and hold the following chord one minute, and note if the bellows reservoir keeps its full height during that time. If the organ contains one or more sub coup- lers, it may prove to be a more severe test than the instrument can bear. If so, take off the sub couplers and make the same test. If the reser- voir top is held up without sinking, it will be a fair test. If the organ is blown by hand it will require all the strength of the pumper, and if the instrument has a i6 ft. Open Diapason in the Pedal Section, two persons would be re- quired, one to relieve the other. Manuals < Pedals ^z :szr s- 3. Shut off every stop, and with the bellows full, place both hands on each manual separately [192] Testing an Organ and hold down as many keys as possible, and listen. If any tone is heard, or more than one tone, the leakage must be discovered and remedied. 4. The next trial is an important one to illus- trate the steadiness of the wind when detached chords are played. First by the following ex- ample with the Full Organ, and next with the Open Diapasons, playing the left hand very stac- cato and noting if there is any tremor of the sustained right hand chords. If the notes of the right hand are unsteady, concussion bellows will be needed on the wind trunks of that Sec- tion. Next try the Full Swell and Full Choir in the same manner. I'll I f I f Nltfjia^^ ^ wn till i ^^^r- P^ -ggig- 9 ^ i i i i SE ■ 7-'j-'j "J r-f p 5. The efficiency of the Couplers should next be tested. First, draw the Full Swell and play [193] Standard Organ Building note for note from the Great manual with no stops drawn on the latter. If a note is defective, the Coupler should at once be regulated. Then test in the same manner the Swell to Choir Coupler with all the Choir stops closed. Next the Choir to Great with all the Choir stops drawn, with none on the Great. Next, the Swell to Great at octaves should be tested in the same manner, and also the Sub Couplers. 6. Next, the Manual to Pedal Couplers, note for note, with the Pedal stops closed. 7. Next, the Composition Pedals and Thumb Pistons, to see that the stops are brought on promptly and in tune. 8. Next, each stop should be examined by playing each note slowly and separately through- out the chromatic compass to hear if the pipes are evenly voiced and in good speech. Observe if any other pipes sound than the one which is being played. 9. It requires careful inspection to discover if any Manual Stops have been borrowed for use in the Pedal Section. Take for instance, the Swell 16 ft. Bourdon, the thirty or thirty- two lower notes of which are now commonly transmitted to the pedal Section for a very soft pedal stop. Shut off all couplers and draw this [194] Testing an Organ Swell stop and the softest i6 ft. Pedal stop. Take each note in the Pedals from the lowest upward, and hold one at a time, and while do- ing so, touch the corresponding key in the Manual stop with several repetitions and listen if there is any addition to the Pedal tone. The process may be reversed by holding the Manual key and repeating the same note on the Pedals. If there is no change in the tone during these holdings and repetitions, the Pedal stop has been borrowed from the Swell Section, and this trans- ference is always indicated in the Specification by reputable builders. The same test may be given other Pedal stops where there is a suspicion of their having been borrowed without having been included in the Specification. Other 1 6 ft. Manual stops should be ex- amined in the same way, and sometimes startling discoveries will be made. If this test is doubt- ful, it may be proved by counting the number of Pedal pipes in connection with the wind-chests on which they stand. Pedal Augmentation, or Extension, may be discovered when not mentioned in the Specifica- tion by counting the number of pipes on each Pedal wind-chest. Pedal Augmentation is le- [195] Standard Organ Building gitimate when it is clearly stated in the Specifica- tion, and there should be no concealment of the fact. Some builders have a system of pipe trans- ference so that certain of the Great and Swell stops may be played as Choir stops, using dif- ferent names for the latter, without the number of pipes being in the organ represented by these stops. This is sometimes so adroitly done that the substitution is not detected by an organist until his attention is called to it by an expert. In some instances builders have been known to use but one set of pipes in a Pedal Section where the Specification and stop names indicate five or six Pedal stops. In the Specifications the borrowed pipes are written as "NOTES," instead of "PIPES," which is often intended as a deception, and the test of an organ should be made with the Specification in the hands of the examiners. It is to be regretted that this custom of "bor- rowing" without indication has been increasing to a greater extent than is generally known, and it is to aid in correcting this degenerating tendency that specific allusion is here made in reference to a custom which is not practiced or tolerated by a standard organ builder. These critical tests should be made before the [196] The Guaranty inaugural concert or recital in which the organ is publicly displayed. When every detail is found to be in agree- ment with the requirements of the Contract, and the organ has been publicly tested, settle- ment is to be made by the church authorities with the builder or his representative accord- ing to the terms specified, which includes a reliable Guaranty by the builder. THE GUARANTY. The Guaranty of an organ is an important feature in the completion of a Contract. Without a well established business reputation for honorable dealings, and ample financial re- sources, a Guaranty is sometimes not fulfilled. Many organs in various parts of the country have no one responsible for them on account of the bankruptcy of the builders before the ex- piration of the Guaranty, and there is no redress where the instruments have proved defective. The terms of the Guaranty are expressed in the Contract, which should be for five years or more. A Guaranty which is written as "Un- limited," should be questioned. It evinces an anxiety on the part of the builder to secure a Contract without regard to his future re- sponsibility. [197] Standard Organ Building THE CARE OF AN ORGAN. It is not wise for organists to attempt to tune their organs unless they have had practical ex- perience in an organ factory. Experimenting with the pipes of a good organ leads to disastrous results which can only be remedied by a professional tuner. Curiosity often incites an organist to meddle with pipes and take them out of their place for inspection. This endangers the tuning, as a slight change in position in replacing, affects the pitch in relation to other pipes. An organist who has no inherent mechanical genius should not venture inside an organ, or attempt to adjust the delicate mechanism. Access to the interior of an organ should al- ways be prevented. No person unfamiliar with organ structure should be permitted to climb about in an organ, or to touch the pipes. No pipe should ever be taken from its place and be blown into. Small pipes are sometimes stolen by unprin- cipled curiosity hunters, leaving no tone to respond from the keys. Choir boys should not be permitted to go In- side the organ. It is too costly and delicate an instrument to be exposed to avoidable injury, [198I The Care of an Organ and in many places it is really surprising that the organ is ever in condition to be used. Whenever any derangement occurs which needs more than a simple adjustment, the builder of the organ should be notified and his advice solicited. He will suggest that a com- petent and responsible person be sent to attend to the repairs, either one of the travelling representatives, or if necessary, some one from the factory. Such experts are travelling in all parts of the country engaged in installing new organs. No tinkering experimenters should be per- mitted in the attempt to repair organs. The organ console should be kept locked when not in use by the organist, and inexperi- enced persons be denied access to the keys and stops. Windows in an organ chamber should not be left open, but be fastened down to prevent damp air being absorbed by the interior mechanism. In Baptist churches where the baptistery is near the organ, the water should be emptied immediately after use and not allowed to stand, as the vapor would affect the organ unfavorably. Where there is a heater in the room directly beneath the organ, the under side of the organ [199] ' Standard Organ Building floor should be covered with asbestos paper to prevent the heat going directly through the floor into the organ. It is not well to have a hot-air register near or within the organ case. The Swell Box should always be left wide open when not in use, especially when the audi- torium is being heated for the services, thus equalizing the temperature inside more readily. To prevent squeaking of the bellows ful- crum, all joints should be kept properly oiled. The motor bearings should also be oiled at stated intervals. No church decorations of evergreens or flow- ering plants should ever be brought into contact with the organ, or placed overhead, as bits of leaves would be liable to fall into the pipes or action work. If a church is heavily decorated with green trees, the moisture which emanates from them is detrimental to the action work. THE SETTLEMENT FOR THE ORGAN. When an organ is purchased by subscription, it is a wise plan to have all the amount raised be- fore a contract is signed, and the whole transac- tion should be completed on sound business prin- ciples. When the bill of lading has been sent from the [200] Settling for an Organ factory office, the contract should be thoroughly examined and the terms of payment gone over carefully. The amount for the cash payment should be deposited in the bank in readiness for prompt settlement, and the parties interested should all be familiar with the contract items by carefully reading the Agreement. All preparations for the immediate setting up of the instrument should be ready for its recep- tion, such as platforms, motor connections, etc. On the completion of the instrument in its final position, arrangements should be made for the examination, acceptance and payment as agreed. When there is a delay in finishing the church edifice it is unwise for the builder to forward the organ and run the risk of storage until the building is ready. Under such circumstances it is just and fair for the purchaser to advance one- half of the purchase money to the builder, and not compel him to await the completion of the edifice for the whole amount which will be due him. In the Signing of a Contract, the signatures of the Party of the Second Part should be le- gally authoritative. With the Roman Catholic churches the con- tracting party is the officiating clergyman, with the consent of the Bishop of the Diocese. [20I] Standard Organ Building In Episcopal churches, the Rector and Vestry should sign the contract. In Independent churches, the President or Chairman, and Secretary of the Board of Trus- tees, or Parish Committee, should sign the Con- tract. Where a Sub Organ Committee is appointed to purchase the organ, in addition to their names as such, the signatures of the President and Sec- retary of the Board of Trustees should be writ- ten in addition to the signatures of the Organ Committee, to show that the transaction is based upon a direct and positive vote of the Society. Unless an Organ Committee has especial au- thority to sign a Contract by a vote of the Society through its regular officers, each member of a sub committee may personally be held for the settlement in a legal contest. This is a matter of importance, because the Trustees of a Society have been known to reject a Contract signed by a sub committee after an organ has been built, and have refused to accept the organ on its arrival, occasioning legal ex- penses to both parties. Where an organ is donated to a church by a private individual, it is well for the settlement to be made through the church officers, whose names should be defined by the Contract. This [202] Repairing Expenses will signify that the donation has been accepted by the Society, so that the builder will be as- sured that all preparations will be in readiness for the reception of the instrument in the posi- tion which it will occupy. In closing a contract with the selected builder, it would be a matter of courtesy to the unsuccess- ful bidders to notify them that the award has been made to another party, so that the prospect may be crossed off, because each competitor has necessarily incurred expenses in presenting his claims, which should be recognized by church authorities after soliciting estimates. REPAIRING EXPENSES. Each Organ Company has a department of experienced and reliable workmen who devote their attention to necessary repairs. For such work it is much more satisfactory for church au- thorities to place repairs and tuning in the hands of the builder of the organ than to engage itin- erant and irresponsible tuners who often do much damage to an excellent instrument. The charges of the builders for such reliable workmen are from $8.00 to $10.00 per day from the time they leave the factory until their re- turn, with the railway fare, hotel bills, needed materials and all incidental expenses added. [203] Standard Organ Building When practicable it is more economical and satisfactory to arrange with the builder for the constant care of the organ at a fixed annual sum, thus providing against all contingencies and in- suring the well working of the organ. COMMISSIONS. After a contract has been closed, organists and dealers in musical merchandise often write or- gan builders stating that by a complimentary word they have influenced a committee to make a favorable award, and claim a "commission" for such services from one who does not include a pecuniary recognition to musicians or brokers in the prices quoted in the contract, and who does not conduct his business upon methods re- quiring the aid of payment to sinecures, and who does not depend upon the purchased opinions of persons who are not regular employees of the working force of the manufactory. In a biographical sketch of a late distin- guished Secretary of the Royal College of Or- ganists, London, Eng., it is related "that he was never known to accept one of the many 'commis- sions' which used to be so shamelessly taken (and even asked for) by other less eminent brethren of the craft in connection with the plac- ing of orders for new organs. His only desire [204] specification Estimates when made responsible for the ordering of an organ, was to get the utmost value and the high- est artistic results from the funds available for the purpose." A SCHEDULE FOR ESTIMATING THE VALUES OF SPECIFICATIONS. The following Table for estimating the pro- portionate valuation of standard organs, is based upon the Pitch of Speaking Stops running through the full compass of the Manuals, with a Pedal Section of thirty-two notes, to be com- plete in the edifice; to have tubular pneumatic applied to the key, stop-action and couplers, with individual valves for each pipe, including the motors for wind supply, and all modern ac- cessories, containing all details suggested in the preceding pages. These approximate prices are not founded upon the cost of the pipes of any stop, but upon the aggregate of all parts of the necessary mechanism which constitutes an organ con- structed with the highest class of skilled labor and materials. 3Z ft. Open Pedal Stops $3ooo 3a ft. Closed Pedal Stops 1000 16 ft. Open Pedal and Manual Stops 700 16 ft. Closed Pedal and Manual Stops 450 8 ft. Open Pedal and Manual Stops 35° [205] Standard Organ Building 8 ft. Closed Pedal and Manual Stops 300 4 ft. Stops , 250 2§ ft. Stops 200 2 ft. Stops 150 II rank Mixtures 225 III rank Mixtures 250 IV rank Mixtures 275 V rank Mixtures 300 ADDITIONAL PRICES FOR 73 note wind-chests for Super Couplers, per Stop $ 15 Each Manual Stop transmitted to Pedal 100 Each Borrowed Stop transferred to any manual 100 Each Pedal Stop Augmented or Extended 100 Extended or Reversed Console. (To be estimated by the organ builder.) Divided Cases. (To be estimated by the organ builder.) Electro Pneumatic Action. (To be estimated by the organ builder.) RESIDENTIAL ORGANS, Enterprising organ builders are recognizing the growing demand for effective pipe organs in the homes of lovers of organ music, and are giv- ing much study to the tonal and mechanical re- quirements in the special scales of pipes, refined voicing and the perfected mechanism which is demanded, and which should be built on the lines indicated in the previous pages of this treatise. While a church organ is built and voiced to serve its purpose in a large resonant auditorium, the sounding space for a residential organ is [206] Residential Organs necessarily restricted, and the robust speech of the pipes must be delicately tempered to give musical satisfaction without being too demon- strative. Many wealthy American homes contain ex- cellent organs of large capacity, some of them costing upwards of fifty thousand dollars, and professional organists are regularly employed for recitals. Very satisfactory organs with the modern im- provements advocated in this book may be ob- tained for from fifteen hundred dollars and up- ward. These instruments are well balanced in their specifications and possess the capacity for rendering all classes of organ music. With new stops having a variety of tone color, which always remain in tune and order, they encourage earnest study, and may be obtained within the means of salaried incomes. In advocating the more general introduction of small pipe organs in the home, it must not be expected that they will produce the full sonority of the large church or concert organs, as such in- struments would be entirely out of place, but they will be instruments of special construction and of delicate intonation, with all the variety of organ, fiute, string and reed tone adapted to studio and drawing-room requirements. [207I Standard Organ Building Small pipe organs have not hitherto been sat- isfactory in the home, because builders who are more interested in large organs have not entered into the wants of patrons who are now desiring studio or library organs on which all classes of organ music may be well interpreted. Portable pipe organs with their limited di- mensions cannot be successfully made, and the cohimonplace drawing-room organs of the past did not produce satisfactory musical results. In residences already built it is diiBcult to find an appropriate position for the organ, which requires certain fixed dimensions in width, depth and height, which are obtrusive when placed in the drawing-room. If there are double parlors, one of them may be used for organ, using the wide opening for the front of the instrument. With such a position, in addition to the Sec- tion enclosed in a swell-box, the entire organ may also be enclosed with swell folds by having an additional set fitted to the inside of the door frame, so that the whole instrument may be made doubly expressive. This is a great desideratum for a library or studio organ, because the power may be graduated by the player so as to be adapted to the sonority of the room. In such instances all the speaking pipes of the [208] Residential Organs Great, Swell and Pedal Sections are enclosed so that the graded power of the full organ may be managed in well balanced proportion, and the accompaniments of either Great or Swell solo stops may be made as expressive as the solo stops. Where a residential organ is thus located, the organ front may be made as a screen of appro- priate lattice work, or provided with display pipes symmetrically arranged. If it is not possible to obtain space in a home already built, an annex may be built for the organ. A music room twice as long as wide with a height equal to the width, say fifty feet long, twenty-five feet wide and twenty-five feet high, has been found very resonant for the dis- semination of the tones of a residential organ. For the smallest organ the height from the floor to the ceiling should not be less than ten feet, with as much width and depth as possible. If the residence is yet to be built, the architect should be instructed to provide adequate dimen- sions for the music room and space for the con- templated organ. A residential organ remote from an organ builder should not cohtain the conventional brass tongue reed stops which need constant care. Their place is better filled with the new reedless stops which are beautiful and sym- [209] Standard Organ Building pathetic, and which are always in order and tune. The manual and pedal keys should be of full compass, and all the manual stops should extend through the compass of sixty-one notes without being divided or grooved for the purpose of making one set of bass pipes answer for two stops, neither should there be any borrowing of manual stops whereby one set of pipes is used for two manual stops with different names. Modern residential organs are usually equipped with mechanism for automatic tran- scriptions of symphonies, overtures, operatic selections and popular concert music by means of the music rolls used in self-playing instru- ments, in which the organist has only to take full command of the registration according to his taste, thus adding to the effectiveness and educa- tional usefulness of these organs. This accessory renders it possible for members of the family who are not versed in the tech- nicalities of manual and pedal playing to bring out the works of the masters, which have been especially arranged for the pipe organ, and greatly enlarges the field of the home organ, Happy are those amateur organists who have sufficient income to furnish a music room with such an appropriate instrument, who in their re- [2IO] Consecration elusive moments hover over the keys and stops, awaiting the awakening of lofty inspiration! THE CONSECRATION OF THE ORGAN. (To be recited at the dedication of a new organ while an appropriate accompaniment is being played with the soft stops.) Open are thy golden mouths, Ever waiting to incite Songs of praise which raise the soul Up from earthly strife and blight ; May thy myriad voices e'er With angelic hymns unite. As the Sabbath morn returns. Let thy sacred tones inspire Those who yearn for purer lives, With devout, sincere desire; At the solemn Vesper hour, Breathe response to heaven's choir. Softly swell thy distant notes. Like seraphic strains above; Soaring with thy thrilling power To the highest throne of love ; Trembling now in sweetest strains As descends the Spirit Dove. [211] Standard Organ Building And when mourners tread these aisles, And their aching hearts are sore, Comfort give in soothing chords ; Calm their grief, and peace restore. May thy dreamy, mystic waves Bear them to the unknown shor^. When before the altar stand Those who pledge their marriage-vow. Join in tender unison With thy diapasons low; Bursting forth with joyful themes. Let thy trumpets gladly blow! May no loose and trifling touch Taint with desecrating hand Keys that ope celestial streams. Flowing on so full and grand ; Blend with harmonies divine, Wafted from the unseen land! W. H. C. [212] INDEX INDEX Acceptance of an organ, zoi Acoustic basses, 96, 153 Acuta, iig Adjustable combinations, 65 Aeoline, iig Anemometer,' 145 Annealed zinc, 89 Arrangement of Pipes, 5a Augmentation, 6» Balanced crescendo pedal, 65 Balanced swell pedals, 50 Balance of tone, 158 Bass Flute, 6j, n8 Bassoon, iig Beards, 151 Bell Diapason, 118 Bellows, 20 Bellows reservoirs, 21 Bellow springs, 21 Bellows weights, 21 Blocks, 86 Blowers, 67 Bombarde, 119 Boots of reed pipes, 107 Borrowing, 55 Bourdon, 119 Bourdon Flute, 119 Bourdon Sub Bass, 103, 119 Box Bellows, 22 Bridges, 151 Building frames, 20 Carillons, 119 [2 Care of an organ, 198 Case work, 76 Celestina, 119 Chimes, 137 Chimney pipes, 134 Choir section, 46 Ciphering, 176 Clarabella, 120 Claribel Flute, 120 Clarinet, 120 Clarion, 120 Chancel organs, 11 Concussion bellows, 24 Conductors, 76 Concert Flute, 120 Compass of manuals, 35 Compass of pedals, 36 Compass of wind-chests, 35 Composition pedals, 63 Commissions, 204 Compound stops, 113 Concave and radiating pedals, 43 Consecration of the Organ, 211 Console location, 80 Contracts, 183 Contra Bass, 120 Contra Bourdon, 120 Contra Fagotta, izo Contra Gamba, 121 Conveyances, 76 Cor Anglais, I2i Corno, 121 Cornopean, 121 15] Index Couplers, 38 Crescendo pedal, 65 Defective pipe speech, 175 Diagonal feeders, 20 Diapason, 121 Diapason Phonon, 122 Diapason tone, I2i Diaphone, 122 Dolcan, 122 Dolce, 122 Dolcette, 122 Dolcian, 122 Dolcissimo, 122 Doppelfioete, 122 Double Bassoon, I20 Double Dulciana, 123 Double languids, 150 Double Melodia, 123 Double Open Diapason, 123 Double Stopped Diapason, 123 Double Trombone, 123 Double Trumpet, 123 Double touch, 37 Doublette, 123 Dowel beards, 151 Dulcet, 123 Dulciana, 123 Dulciana Cornet, 124 Duplex Basses, 3 Electric action, 31 Electric motors, 70 Erzahler, 124 Euphone, 124 Expressive organs, 51 Extended trebles, 35 Extended wind-chests, 35 [2 Fagotto, 124 Fan blowers, 68 Feathered pipes, 91 Feeders, 2i Fifteenth, 124 Finishing an organ, 190 Flageolet, 124 Flautino, 124 Flauto Amabile, 124 Flauto Traverse, 125 Flue pipes, 92 Flute a Chiminee, 124 Flute d' Amour, 125 Flute Harmonique, 125 Flute Octaviante, 125 Flute tone, io2 Flute tone stops, 102 Form of contract, 183 Foundation tone, 99 Foundation stops, 84 Free reeds, 107 Frein Harmonique, 151 French horn, 117 Front display pipes, 53 Front pipe decoration, 78 Fugara, 125 Fundamental stops, 84 Gallery organs, 81 Gamba, 125 Gambette, 125 Gedeckt, 125 Geigen Principal, 126 Gemshorn, 126 Gemshorn Flute, 126 Gemshorn Quint, 126 Grand Diapason, 126 Grand Principal, 126 16] Index Gravissima, ia6 Gravity valves, 33 Gross Floete, 127 Ground sills, 19 Guaranty, 197 Half stopped pipes, 104 Harmonia Aetheria, 127 Harmonic basses, 96, 127 Harmonic bridge, 151 Harmonic flue pipes, 95 Harmonic Flute, 127 Harmonic Piccolo, 127 Harmonic reed pipes, 96 Hautbois d' Amour, 127 Heavy vpind pressures, 59 Hitch-down swell lever, 51 Hohl Floete, 127 Horn, 128 Hydraulic motors, 67 Inadequate pedal stops, 76 Individual valves, 26 Inverted mouths, 129, 140 Jubal Flute, 128 Keraulophon, 128 Key action, 36 Key stop action, 44 Labial reedless stops, 112 Labial Clarinet, 128 Labial Oboe, 128 Labial Saxophone, 128 Languid, 86 Lead in pipes, 87 Leathered upper lips, 152 Legitimate harmonics, 117 Lieblich Gedeckt, 129 Lips of pipes, 86 Location of organ, 79 Location of console, 80 Magnaton, 129 Major Bass, 129 Manual octave couplers, 39 Manual sub couplers, 39 Manual unison couplers, 38 Materials of organ pipes, 87 Mechanical blowers, 67 Melodia, 129 Melody stops, 129 Metal pipes, 87 Metal toes for wood pipes, 90 Mixtures, 113, 130 Motors, 67 Motor valves, 26 Multiplication of couplers, 40 Musette, 130 Mutation stops, 112 Names of manuals, 70 Net weights, 17 Nighthorn, 130 Nasard, 130 Normal pitch, 72 Oboe, 130 Octave, 131 Octave couplers, 39 Octave Quint, 131 Octave Viol, 107 Open Diapason, 131 Open Principal, 132 Ophicleide, 133 [217] Index Organ derangements, 17$ Organ pipes, 86 Organ stops, 83, 97 Overtones, 114 Pedal augmentation, (a Pedal couplers, 4r Pedal pitch, 75 Pedal Sub Bourdon, 135 Pedal transmission, 62 Philomela, 133 Physharmonica, 133 Piccolo, 133 Piccolo Harmonique, 133 Pipe markings, 74 Pipe metal, 87 Piston combination knobs, 64 Pitch, 94, 154 Pitch compass, 72 Pitch indications, 73 Pitch of stops, 73 Pitch vibrations, 95 Pneumatic lever, i Pneumatic stop action, 31 Pneumatic tubes, 30 Pneumatic ventil wind-chests, 27 Posaune, 136 Position of organ, 10 Power of tone, 24, 94 Prices of organs, 205 Principal, 100 Production of tone, 147 Promptness of speech, 26 Purchase of an organ, 180 Pyramidal Flute, 133 Qualifications of a standard or- gan company, 187 Quint, 134 [2 Quintadena, 134 Quintaton, 134 Quint Flute, 134 Reed pipes, 107 Reed pipe voicing, 155 Relation of manuals and pedals, 41 Repairing expenses, 203 Residential organs, 206 Resultant tones, 96 Reversed consoles, 8i Rohr Floete, 134 Safety valves, 2i Salieional, 134 Sanctuary organs, ii, 8i Saxophone, 134 Scales of pipes, 85 Section, 71 Septa ve, 72 Sesquialtera, 135 Settlement for an organ, 200 Sforzando pedal, 65 Speech of flue pipes, 96 Space dimensions, 16 Specifications, 181 Spitz Flute, 135 Spotted metal, 88 Springs, 4 Standardization, 6 Stentorphone, 135 Still Gedeckt, 135 Stop action, 43 Stopped Diapason, 135 Stopped Flute, 135 Stopped pipes, 84 String tones, xo6 18] Index Sub Bass, 135 Sub Bourdon, 135 Sub couplers, 39 Suggestions to building commit- tees, 10 Sunken positions, 82 Super couplers, 39 Super Octave, 135 Swell boxes, 47 Swell folds, 47, 49 Swell pedal, 50 Swell section, 45 Table for estimating values, 179 Temperament, 163 Temperature, 159 Temperature for tuning, 159 Testing an organ, 190 Tibia Clausa, 135 Tibia Major, 136 Tibia Plena, 136 Tierce, 113 Tilting tablets, 44 Timbre, 91, 93 Tin, 87 Tone balance, 158 Transference, 58 Transmission, 62 Traverse Flute, 136 Tremulant, (>(> Tuba, 136 Tuba Mirabilis, 136 Tubular pneumatic action, 29 Tromba, 136 Trombone, 136 Trumpet, 136 Tubular chime bells, 137 Tuning, 160 Twelfth, 137 Twenty-second, 137 Unda Maris, 137 Universal Wind-chests, 28 Upper partials, 114 Value of an organ, 178 Ventil wind-chests, 27 Viola, 138 Viola da Gamba, 138 Viol d'Amour, 138 Viol d'Orchestre, 138 Violina, 138 Violin Diapason, 138 Violina, 138 Violino, 138 Violoncello, 138 Violone, 138 Voicing, 140 Voicing flue pipes, 140 Voicing machine, 144 Voicing reed pipes, 155 Vox Angelica, 139 Vox Celeste, 139 Vox Humana, 139 Wald Flute, 140 Water motors, 67 Weighted reed tongues, 156 Wind-chests, 25 Wind gauge, 14s Wind pressures, 145 Wood pipes, 90 Wind trunks, 24 Zinc pipes, 89 [219]