Swell To Solo

[John Robinson]

On the topic of odd couplers, The organ in the Paul Recital Hall at Juilliard in New York has a Pedal to Great coupler.

 

I wonder if anyone has ever used it?

 

Cologne Cathedral has a Pedal to Solo (IV man) on the Transept Organ.

I'm not sure how this would be used, unless by organists without legs?

 

John

[Guest Cynic]

Cologne Cathedral has a Pedal to Solo (IV man) on the Transept Organ.

I'm not sure how this would be used, unless by organists without legs?

 

John

 

One obvious use for all these Pedal to manual couplers (and it pains me to say it) is for lazy organists to cheat when pedal solos appear! If the purpose of such a coupler was ever to enrich the manual, this would be pretty well negated by the fact that all extra tone thus derived would stop dead half-way up the keyboard.

 

Being charitable, it is just possible that such things are put there (these days) to provide for Duet recitals.

[JWAnderson]

This is almost correct - it has a transfer Swell on Solo.

 

http://www.westminster-abbey.org/organ/org_specs/index.html

 

This is presumably to enable the use of the Upper Choir on Swell transfer, in order that this division cam function as a two-clavier department, played from the two middle claviers. Accompanimentally, I shoud imagine that this is quite a useful function.

 

Yes your right about this. It has the transfer couplers for Gt on Ch manual, Lower Ch on Gt manual, Upper Ch on Sw, Sw on Solo & Solo on Bombarde so you could have the manuals like they are in France etc.

 

JA

[Frank Fowler]

As far as I am informed a Pedal to Great coupler exists in Notre-Dame de Paris as well.

 

 

If I remember correctly, Downside Abbey Compton had a Pedal to Manual (I am not sure which manual). Dom Gregory Murray is alleged to have said it helped ensure the pedals were correct in the big Bach pedal solos for broadcasts.

 

FF

[Vox Humana]

Yes your right about this. It has the transfer couplers for Gt on Ch manual, Lower Ch on Gt manual, Upper Ch on Sw, Sw on Solo & Solo on Bombarde so you could have the manuals like they are in France etc.

Except that if this were the intention it should be the Upper Choir that transfers to II and the Lower Choir to III rather than vice versa, yes?

[Vox Humana]

He would get on well with Nicolas Kynaston, who (when acting as consultant, but I forget for which job) said that octave and suboctave couplers were the hallmark of lazy thought and poor design.

Hear, hear. For (sub)octave couplers anyway. It's amazing how many people dislike extension organs but swear by octave couplers. IMO the 8ve is useful with célestes, but only rarely with anything else.

 

The 1851 G&D Limehouse organ with tenor C swell has a Swell to Pedal which is an octave coupler - which makes ENORMOUS sense. If you're using the double and playing up an octave, the coupled note is in the right place; if you want a Pedal cantus firmus you can get it.

Presumably the cantus firmus bit is fortuitous rather than by design. Would G&D have envisaged that use?

[JWAnderson]

Except that if this were the intention it should be the Upper Choir that transfers to II and the Lower Choir to III rather than vice versa, yes?

 

You could be right, but I always thought that the Positif (or the Lower Ch at WA) would be on the 2nd manual unless you have another main division like the Grand Choeur or something like that.

 

If you have a look at the Westminster Abbey organ website it shows all the transfers there:

http://www.westminster-abbey.org/organ/org_specs/index.html

 

JA

[pcnd5584]

Which would mean taking the treble off the soundboard too - perhaps you could then find room for some upperwork?

 

Actually it is on a clamp from G20. It would need a separate under-action, in order to be able to achieve this. Then there would be room for more upperwork. As you know, we do not really have that much....

 

 

On the topic of odd couplers, The organ in the Paul Recital Hall at Juilliard in New York has a Pedal to Great coupler.

 

I wonder if anyone has ever used it?

 

Eugene Lavery

Assistant Organist

Holy Trinity Cathedral

Auckland

New Zealand

 

Probably Virgil Fox - when playing JSB's Toccata, in F.

 

 

... so you could have the manuals like they are in France etc.

 

JA

 

[David Coram]

You could be right, but I always thought that the Positif (or the Lower Ch at WA) would be on the 2nd manual unless you have another main division like the Grand Choeur or something like that.

 

If you have a look at the Westminster Abbey organ website it shows all the transfers there:

http://www.westminster-abbey.org/organ/org_specs/index.html

 

JA

 

I know of one scheme where the organist wants Great and Positif exchange, but I've never seen it done (perhaps I have and forgotten).

 

Aubertin's two-way (II-I and I-II) couplers are another example of an unusually good idea. I have seen one Collins job where he had tried the same but operated by shoving the top manual against virtually no resistance at all - consequently you needed both hands, full attention and several seconds to become uncoupled again.

 

Pedal Divide is something useful which ought to be used more.

 

If we're going off down the road of transfers, then Norwich deserves a proper mention because every single one of its many rocker switches is invaluable and has clearly been thought through by an organist.

 

I'd forgotten the Wimborne Krummhorn was on a clamp - presumably a clamp which only connects from G20, as the bass is already on a unit chest? Home for a nice Mounted Cornet perhaps?

[Vox Humana]

You could be right, but I always thought that the Positif (or the Lower Ch at WA) would be on the 2nd manual unless you have another main division like the Grand Choeur or something like that.

 

If you have a look at the Westminster Abbey organ website it shows all the transfers there:

http://www.westminster-abbey.org/organ/org_specs/index.html

 

JA

Actually I had been looking at the Spec. I don't know the instrument so assumed that the Lower Choir was a Baroque division and the Upper Choir Romantic. Looking again I see my assumption could be wrong and if the Upper Choir is one of those anaemic, English Choir Organs...