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Editor i • George of ThompsonTheatre Organ

WORK OF A GENIUS IN A NOVEL FIELD

trade as the "straw fiddle" - drew Dea­ How John C. Deagan has labored to standardize pitch and to amplify the gan's attention. Recognizing its possi­ resources of the organ. bilities as an orchestra and stage instru­ Based on original material dated August 1, 1926, and supplied to THEATRE ment he made several trips to Africa and ORGAN by Bill Lamb, Apollo Theatre, Princeton, Illinois. other tropical countries and tested var­ ious woods until he obtained a tone Working quietly from year to year in Experiments carried on during his quality more to his liking. This he found his large factory on the north side of Chi­ leisure hours aroused his interest in the in a hard tropical wood, accoustically cago or in his laboratory in California, glockenspiel - a series of toy bells intro­ brilliant, clear, durable and musical be­ where he spends the winter months, is a duced in German orchestras by Mozart. yond anything attainable in the product man who has made most valuable con­ He realized the need for additional tone of our forests. To augment the volume tributions to the world of organ music in color and innovation in ensemble play­ and amplify the quality he began exper­ his own field. He has devoted his life to ing. With the ordinary small tools at imenting, using resonators, an innova­ the invention and perfection of chimes, hand and but an imperfect knowledge of tion not theretofore attempted. And here harps and other percussion stops, fea­ this forerunner of the line of percussions his knowledge of physics and his study tures without which no American organ that later heralded the Deagan name he of tone development came to his aid. of today is considered complete. John C. produced his first set of perfectly tuned The result was the modern xylophone. Deagan has done all this without blare "orchestra bells." As he was blessed After the development of the xylo­ of trumpets or - to make the figure more with that rare adjunct - a perfect musical phone came the need for a deeper, richer, apropos - without the ringing of bells. ear - these bells, though crude in work­ more resonant and mellow tone. Know­ But his contribution to the modern organ manship, were in excellent tune and, in­ ing something of the peculiar tone devel­ is none the less one of the important de­ troduced into the orchestra, were an in­ oped among African natives by means velopments of this century, which has stant success. Though the Deagan gloc­ of wooden bars mounted over gourds, a been marked by so many inventions kenspiel gained quick recognition, it was long series of experiments (involving the which have revolutionized organ con­ not then realized that here was a pioneer use of thinner bars and larger adjustable struction. There are few men whose effort, in that at no time previously had resonators) and long application and achievements or whose personality are there been any attempt to mount wood or perserverance, developed modern mar­ as interesting as that of Mr. Deagan, al­ metal bars in a hanging position on the imba harp. This is the best imitation of though we do not recall that he has ever exact node supplemented with resonators. the true Italian harp tone ever devised appeared as a speaker at a convention Aided by previous research and analy­ for the organ. It has the same liquid, of organists. sis these tones were developed on a scien­ limpid quality, the same vibrant, pene­ Deagan, enjoying a full measure of tific, basic principle from which through­ trating tone and, like its forerunner, is health and mental alertness, and a keen, out the evolution of these instruments capable of the most delightful runs and inquiring mind, was from boyhood a there has been no departure. rapid arpeggios. The bars, thin, short and musician of more than ordinary ability. An ever - increasing demand for simi­ mounted by the suspended cord-and-post His chosen instrument was the clarinet, lar devices nearly half a century ago method, register much lower than the xy­ and by diligent application he had at 20 soon impelled Mr. Deagan to devote all lophone. The tone depends entirely on the earned an enviable reputation as an or­ of his time to manufacture and improve­ resonator for its quality and augmenta­ chestra player and soloist. ments and, never content with the mere tion, the bar itself, struck with padded An exceptional inquisitive mind, a commercial aspect of his efforts, he ex­ mallet, being practically soundless, par­ studious and restless nature, with a pen­ perimented with various metals and al­ ticularly in the lower register. chant for thoroughness that brooked no loys until the crude forerunner became The demand for distant chime or defeat, prompted him to delve into the the perfected orchestra bells, Parsifal church bell effects in band and orchestra science of acoustics, and he became an bells, celeste song bells, etc., in the hand­ compositions prompted the developing ardent student of Helmholz's "Doctrine played instruments and the tonally simi­ of so - called cathedral chimes, and a of the Sensations of Tone", after having, lar organ percussions of today. series of experiments disclosed the fact at a very early age, attended at South Next, a mere toy of foreign import - Kensington, London, a series of lectures a series of roughly- tuned maple bars on of musical sounds by that great scientist. ropes of straw and known to the music (Continued Nex t Page)

3 theatre organ I bombarde WORK OF A GENIUS, cont. phony orchestras has been expressed in erous fortune developing massive, scien­ personal letters and autographed photo­ tifically proport ioned, composite- toned (Continued from Page 3 I graphs by such luminaries in the world bell metal tubes that are a giant out - of­ of music as Frederick Stock, Walter Dam­ door edition of the Deagan cathedral rosch, Bodansky , Stransky , Sousa, Sto­ orgatubes which are tuned to minute ac­ that because of its composite character kowski , Victor Herbert , Polacco, Paster­ curacy and are played from the organ and its inherent multiplicity of partials nack, Fred Innes, Percy Grainger and console by the regular organist, who is or overtones the true chime tone could numerous others . thus enabled to blend belfry chime music be produced with tubes of drawn bell The demand in symphony orchestras right into the church services. metal, scientifically varied in length, di­ for a celesta effect led to the development For bringing such music easily within ameter and wall thickness. of a metal bar percussion which many the reach of every community and for With the application of the chime stop years ago he produced successfully and pioneer effort the world owes a debt of to the organ came the need for educating to which he gave the name harp - celesta. gratitude to J. C. Deagan, the master organists on its character, for many of Accurately tuned resonators augment the builder of musical percussion instru­ the less discerning were want to play this tone of the bars. The tone is of a liquid ments, whose untiring zeal in the pursuit colorful stop entirely too fast and more sweetness that has made this instrument of ideals has bestowed on the world a than one tone at a time. by far the most popular organ stop (ex­ legacy. Until the development of the entire cepting possibly cathedral chimes) of all line was well toward completion the the musical percussions. A fact not gen­ many innovations in tonal effect had erally appreciated, but which organ found a big outlet through the stage and Be sure and keep us notified builders were quick to recognize , is that of your change of address. for ensemble use in bands and orches­ though percussion instruments were de­ tras. An outstanding example was that vised originally to meet the demand for of the organ builders, who soon recog­ tone color and innovation in ensemble nized in the solemn, dignified and state­ ADVERTISERS!! playing, their maximum musical capa­ .•.•;•:· ly tone of the newly - perfected cathedral city is best appreciated in the beautiful Send All Material chimes an ideal adjunct and promptly blending and pointed tone effects they added a chime stop to their church or­ add to the organ pipes and because of and Inquiries gans. The question of pitch had ever the nicety with which mallets of exactly For Advertising To been in a chaotic state and when more the right density throughout the register than three decades ago the piano and are provided for each tone of the scale. DEWEY CAGLE-AD MGR. organ manufacturers adopted A - 435 as It has been Mr. Deagan 's privilege to see the standard international pitch, as a the phenomenal expansion of the organ protest against the high or concert pitch 3291 GUIDO STREET during more recent years and to realize OAKLAND, CALIF. 94602 of between A - 454 and A - 461 in vogue that no organ is considered complete up to that time, Mr. Deagan, feeling that without its chimes and harp. in the interests of uniformity and bril­ Deagan's travels having given him an liancy a slightly higher pitch than A -435 insight into the use of carillon music as a was imperative, spared neither time nor community institution , he felt that far New A. T. 0. E. expense in bringing about the adoption greater perfection was necessary to meet National Headquarters for orchestra and band of the Stuttgart the more exacting musical demands of standard - the pitch of the latter days of the American public ; that carilloneurs Address Beethoven - A-440. Appearing before should be chosen for their musicianship, P. 0. Box 7404 the convention of the American Federa­ rather than their physical strength. To Bitter Lake Station tion of Musicians, of which organization that end he omitted from his considera­ he was a charter member, Deagan, tions the cast bell type and spent a gen- Seattle , Wash . 98 733 through his influence among the more prominent musicians, was able to induce that organization to adopt his view and pronounce as standard the pitch now .___,,, 1 THEATRE ORGAN universally used. To such an extent was ,l"l'A., .....• the federation with him that it is a matter STYLINGS of record that in enforcing their edict, fines were levied in some localities on . ;- ,,, members failing to live up to the pitch requirements. When the organ bec~m_e ~4/ii- the beautiful theatre instrument that 1t 1s today, its builders fell into line, with the result that due to Mr. Deagan's effort, out ,,. of chaos and confusion has come a uni­ .·~-.,J, versal pitch, A - 440, that meets every re­ Decca Recording quirement of the musical world today. Effective beyond every other influence 1. INTERMEDIATE From Beginner to Theatre Styling, complete * in settling the mooted question of pitch study of chord construction, bass, rhythm, was the Deaganometer - a device inven­ stops, etc .; 40 cute tunes included . ted by Deagan whereby musicians are 2. STYLING$ #1 Modern Technique, Glissandos, Blocking, Pro- tricks, etc . ; enabled to determine by both eye and methods of top organists included in 25 arrangements. ear the exact pitch they are using . Ap­ Unique instruction mailed in De Luxe Album. • Each $ 15.00. preciation of this accurate pitch measure Box 49, Woodland Hills, California 91364 and the help it has been to large sym- december 1966 4