Kinlet Parish Church with the Bishop organ
Dirty Work at the Crossroads
(Playing Aids 2)
One of the challenges of pipe organs is that no two are alike. David Bridgeman-Sutton begins a mini-series looking at how organ builders over the centuries have tackled the problem of driving such complex "kings of sound".
|
Bernhard (“ Father ”) Smith moved to London in 1667. England had smashed most of its organs during the previous 40 years, driven most organ-builders in to exile and then realised its mistake. Smith saw opportunities for a craftsman like himself with wide experience of the instruments of his native Germany and of Holland.
The limitations of the organs then in use in England were readily apparent. Most had only a single full-compass manual with, sometimes, a second division, descending only to G or at best C below middle c. Transition from louder to softer passages was difficult.
Smith’s shifting movement was designed to overcome the problem. This pedal-operated device shut off upperwork and reeds on the Great without moving the stop-knobs by means of spring-loaded sliders. It was said to be heavy and cumbersome to use, though it permitted some alternation between two registrations.* (See footnote) |
1: Plate of "Inventor of the Composition Pedals" on the organ in Kinlet parish church, UK
|
|
This complex system became redundant as the need for two or more full-compass manuals was accepted. (Oddly, in the twentieth century, with pistons in general use, the firm of Hunter & Son offered a more flexible pneumatic development of the shifting movement on some of their two-manual instruments, a stop-knob “Choir On” silencing the louder stops on the Great.)
As the style of the Romantic period superseded that of the Classical, a more flexible approach to registration was necessary - and that on organs with ever-increasing tonal resources. About 1830, a London organ-builder, JC Bishop, presented a paper to the Royal Society of Arts describing his invention of “ composition pedals ”. At that time, this Society was the forum to which most British inventors took their ideas; not only were its Fellows influential in promoting these, but medals and financial awards went to the meritorious. |
2: The console of 1864 at Usk Parish church.
|
Bishop, though, found himself at the centre of a scandal. Before starting his own business, he had worked for Benjamin Flight, a builder then held in some regard. After Bishop had read his paper to the RSA, Flight appeared on the scene, claiming that he himself had invented the mechanism and that the idea had been stolen from him. In support of this contention, he produced drawings, signed by himself and bearing a date on which Bishop had been in his employment. During the subsequent enquiry, watermarks were examined and it became clear that Flight’s plans must be forged. They were drawn on paper that had not been on the market at the date they bore, or, indeed, until after Bishop’s drawings had been exhibited. For many years, the maker's plates on Bishop instruments were engraved, “Inventor of the Composition Pedals” (pic 1).
The pedals, each of which draws a fixed group of stops, quickly became universal on instruments of the British school, except the smallest. They contributed greatly to the development of playing style. Picture 2 shows the fine console of 1864 at Usk Parish church with pedals governing Great on right and Swell on left, with the Great-Pedal reverser in the middle. Later, thumb pistons were a logical development - see Buttoning up
The pedals, each of which draws a fixed group of stops, quickly became universal on instruments of the British school, except the smallest. They contributed greatly to the development of playing style. Picture 2 shows the fine console of 1864 at Usk Parish church with pedals governing Great on right and Swell on left, with the Great-Pedal reverser in the middle. Later, thumb pistons were a logical development - see Buttoning up
On the European continent, the use of ventils was generally preferred. The arrangement appears to have originated in Germany at an uncertain date. Walcker’s patents of 1842 related to improvements to a system already in use.
Groups of stops belonging to the same division are placed on independent windchests, to which wind is admitted by valves, usually governed by pedals. Entire sections (often mixtures, reeds and mutations) may thus be brought on and shut off merely by depressing or releasing the relevant pedal. Stop-knobs are not moved by this action. As couplers are also frequently operated by pedals, this can make for a spectacular array.
Groups of stops belonging to the same division are placed on independent windchests, to which wind is admitted by valves, usually governed by pedals. Entire sections (often mixtures, reeds and mutations) may thus be brought on and shut off merely by depressing or releasing the relevant pedal. Stop-knobs are not moved by this action. As couplers are also frequently operated by pedals, this can make for a spectacular array.
3: Pedalboard of Cavaillé-Coll’s famous instrument in St Sulpice, Paris.
Picture 3 shows part of the console of Cavaillé-Coll’s famous instrument at St Sulpice, Paris. The third visible pedal from the left - which is locked down in the “on” position - governs the ventil to the reeds of the pedal organ, bringing on any combination of reeds that has been set up on the stop knobs. (The words “Anches Pédale” may be seen on the handsome ceramic label above the pedal.) Moving right, the next group of five pedals governs sub-octave couplers - one to each manual: the next group of four consists of ventils to Grande, Bombarde, Positif and Récit respectively, controlling reeds and upper work as noted above. Two of a group of five inter-manual couplers are seen next. Note the colour-coding in orange, red and black. Out of sight, an the extreme left, is the “Effets d’Orage” - producing the impression of thunder from a group of bass pipes. These were effects were much used when “storm” pieces were popular. These organs are not for the faint-hearted!
David Bridgeman-Sutton,
September 6, 2006
September 6, 2006
FOOTNOTE:
"A shifting movement of the kind described in paragraph two exists in the 1779 Avery chamber organ now at Ponsonby Baptist church. This instrument was recently restored by Goetze & Gwynn, specialists in this work"
(Thanks to Bruce Elliot for this)
"A shifting movement of the kind described in paragraph two exists in the 1779 Avery chamber organ now at Ponsonby Baptist church. This instrument was recently restored by Goetze & Gwynn, specialists in this work"
(Thanks to Bruce Elliot for this)
Pictures credits, with thanks to:-
- 1 and 3 - Jenny Setchell.
- 2 - Philip Wells.
