The Recent Revolution in Organ Building
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The Re c e nt R evo u nion. in O rg an B u i ding B eing a n A c c ou n t of Moder n D evelop men ts B y s G E OR G E LAI NG MI LL E R Fe o o f the Ro o e of O n s s ll w yal C ll ge rg a i t , m Mu a u ne . n En . F s s . B c . O a s g ; ir t , D l ; rg i t of h s hu h e h m no N Y C ri t C rc , P l a Ma r , . ’ e of All An e s Ne w Yo k St . m lat g l , r ; Cle ’ e n s h d e h and s sh t , P ila lp ia , Walla ey Pari h h En nd C urc , gla S E CON D E D ITI ON NE W YORK TH E CH ARLES FRAN CIS PRESS 1 91 3 Pri c e On e D olla r ; in Gr ea t B r ita in Fi ve Shilli ngs o ri ht 9 1 91 b C p y g , 1 90 , 3, y E R E L M LLE R G O G . I ’ E n S on s Lon on tered at tati er Hall , d FOREWORD SOME years ago the elders and deacons of a Scotch church were assembled in solemn conclave to discuss the pro spective installa n n Th was tio of a pipe orga . e table piled high with plans and specifications and di scussion ran rife as to whether they should - - — have a two manual or a three manual instrument a Great and ' or and n . At s D n Swell a Great, Swell, Choir orga la t eaco Mac N ab s and s n n , the church trea urer a per o age of importa ce , n S got a cha ce to peak . ” ’ n s I n see s a Mr . Chairma , aid he, do t why we hould h ve a and n . I n one o n is Great, a Swell a Choir orga thi k that rga quite enough . D n Mac N ab was s and one Now, eaco a ma ter tailor, a good at that ; so the mu sical man who was pushing the thing through appealed to his profession al instin cts in explaining the situation by saying Mac N ab not sa man was Surely, Mr . , you would y that a properly dressed with only a coat on # You would expect him to ” e on s an d s s 1 And was won hav a coat, wai tcoat trou er the day - n n for the three ma ual orga . Of s e e n n o n in s cour e th r had bee orga thi church before , or the worthy deacon might have known more about it . If he had s n te s o e n n read the eco d chap r of thi bo k , he would hav k ow all The n s n t n about it . followi g page have bee writ e with the idea of helping those who may be placed in a similar po sition ; who may be called upon to decide the seriou s question of the purchase new n for n an of a orga their church , tow hall , or auditorium , or the rebuilding of the old one now in use ; who are distracted by the con flictin g plans and contending claims of rival organ “ ” builders ; who are disinclined to rely upon so- called expert 27003 1 (3 F oreword o n n s n s hin s for s s and pi io , “but wi h to look i to the e t g them elve in telligently purchase an in str ument which i s thoroughly up-to e in i ll n ot n s to dat every particular, which w drive the orga i t the rofanitv i s n and l not verge of p every t me he play upo it, wil s — prove a snug ource of in come to its builders for repairs. The n - s n and ss n orga tude t, the amateur, eke the profe io al r n s l s fi n d m i in s and o ga i t, wi l al o uch here that w ll tere t them lead to a better un ders tandi n g of the i nstrument . The revolution in organ -bui lding herein described has for the s n a n e s n n mo t part take pl ce u der the p r o al otice of the author, in s The n s of n n dur g the last fifty year . orga i ts a you ger ge era tion are to be con gratulated on the facilities now placed at their s s nly n s and s n s di po al , mai by the ge iu per everi g effort of four men—as n s herei after de cribed . CONTENTS As It W a s in the B eg i nni ng CHAPTER I I Th e Organ in the Ni neteen th Century CHAPTER III The Dawn of a N ew E ra ; the P neumatic Lever HAPTER I V C . - — Pneumatic a nd E lectr o p neumatic Acti ons Tubular Pneu — — — mati es Divi si on of Orga ns S oun d R eflec tion Octave C ouplers and E xtensi ons CHAPTER V - — S top k eys C on trol of the S top s CHAPTER VI — R adiati ng and Concave Pedal B oards Pedal - stop C ontrol Suitable Ba ss Attachmen ts CHAPTER V I I — — Means of Obtai ni ng E xpressi on Crescendo Pedal S forzan d o — — — Pedal D ouble T ouch Bala nced S well Pedal Control of — — S well by Key s S well B oxes th e S ound Trap Joint Vacuum S well S hutter s CHAPTER V I I I R o o i n — n vs W s— n A n n W S S s . , ev luti i d uppl y pri g eig ht I divid — — ual Pallets Heavy W i nd Pressures Mechanical Bl owers 62 CHAPTE R I X — — — Transference of S top s D ouble Touch Pizzicato Touch the — Un it Org a n S ympathy HAPTE X C R — — Producti on of Org a n T one Acoustic s of Organ Pip es E stes# — — — — Open Ba ss Pi pe s Diapas ons Flutes S tri ngs Re ed s — — V owe—l Cavities U n dulati ng S tops ( Celestes ) Pe rcussi on S tops the Diaph one CHAPTE R X I n n — m m n — N o of n n R s 1 07 Tu i g E qual Te pera e t ew Meth d Tu i g eed . C HAPTER X I I Prog ress of the R evoluti on in Ou r Own C ount ry CHAPTER X I I I — - — — - — Chie f Actors Barker Cavaille Coll W illi s Hope Jones A X I CH PTER V — — H ow W e S ta n d To - day Automatic Players Sp ec ifi c a tions of ’ L oo am o O ns : S t . o s o N table rg a Ge rge Hall , iverp l ; N tre D e , ’ n n m ns A e s S t . u s Lo o s bb Pari ; Pa l Cathedral , d ; We t i ter y ; Conten ts—Con ti nu ed B alru dder y S cotla n d ; W o rces ter Cathedral ; Yale Un iver ’ sit A l s a f o s U . S . S t . t y , ; Pau Ca hedr l , Buf al ; Pari Theatre , n in N ew o U ni of St . J o n the De ver ; Cathedral h Div e, Y rk ; s of o on o n i l o n Me ver ity T r t , Ca ada ; C ty Ha l , P rtla d , L oo C E n n iverp l athedral , g la d INDEX TO ILLU STRATIONS Prehi s toric Double Flutes Th e W n -c s on Th W n - s i d he t ; Fr t View . e i d che t ; S ide View The P neumati c Lever Po rtrai t of Moitassier The Firs t E lectr ic Org an E ver Built The E lectro- Pneumati c Le ver a nd S a o -J on s E t A on Valve Valve e t , H pe e lec ric cti o P P rtrait of Dr . ésc ha rd ’ on so S t u s r f o C le . Pa l Cathed al , Buf al Con sole on Benn ett S y stem C on so in hu ost on le . Tr ity C rch , B Conso o of of N ew o le, C llege City Y rk Principle of the S ound Tr ap ’ E stey s Open Bass Pipes D iapas on Pipe with Le athered Lip ’ H as kell s Clari net wi thout Reed D f . iag ram o Reed Pipe . Vowel Cavi ties D iaphone i n W orcester Cathedral Diaphone i n Aberdeen U nivers ity .