Grloious Excess Or Indigestion?

[ajt]

 

I had the Vox Angelica tuned sharp at the Minster several years ago - it just did not have that magical effect which one associates with this stop. Now it is etherial and restful - and very beautiful.

 

I thought Angelicas were always meant to be flat, Celestes sharp?

[Stephen Dutfield]

When I talked about these with Saxon Aldred (Compton apprentice c 1955) he always referred to the PolpPHONE as a PENTatone - I gather that originally they were made to provide 5 notes each - not sure of the logic of this or when it changed

 

You're quite right - I'd forgotten that one! Yes, the original 'cube bass' did do five notes and was originally called Pentatone. It became Polyphone when they started doing one unit to play almost the whole octave down to EEEE.

 

It's not clear when or why the 12 note/6 pipe 16' bass became commonly known as a Polyphone, but I'd guess it was because the essential principle of internally opening another cavity to create a greater volume/lower pitch was the same.

[pcnd5584]

I thought Angelicas were always meant to be flat, Celestes sharp?

 

Yes - but if it did not work aurally, who cares?

 

As tuned flat it was dull - now it is both restful and beautiful.

[ajt]

Yes - but if it did not work aurally, who cares?

 

Not me!

[OmegaConsort]

One Liverpool parish organ had "added" a quinted 32 foot reed, which sounded ridiculous. Just a vile noise. That has, I understand, since been disconnected.

 

R

 

 

Another 2 manual with a 32 reed in Liverpool is of course in the lady chapel at the cathedral; added in the 1990's I think and I suspect small scale? Dont know whether this is excess, indigestion or out of keeping with the original concept as I have not heard the organ since those most recent additions.