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Correct Pronunciation Of Stop Names


Guest Psalm 78 v.67

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I did, years and years ago, hear a respected organist of the area I then lived in, pronounce that syllable as "oll", personally, perhaps owing to my upbringing, I stick with the pronunciation "orl".

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How about "Cornet"? My organ teacher fell about laughing when I pronounced it "Corrrné" and said that we were in England so let's pronounce as we see it. I asked him how he pronounced the name of the French city L Y O N S? No answer, but my copy of Novello's Music Primer No.3, "The Organ" by one J.Stainer (the book with lovely woodcuts of organs' mechanisms) connected with my right ear...

 

Just in passing, the name of the stop numbered 38 on the organ in St John the Apostle, Torquay mentioned above must have casued the odd giggle from students... B)

 

P

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Those are on the tough side.

 

1. Flow'tahdo, with a closed o as in "of"

 

2. Bakhon'thillyo, the kh pronounced as in "Khachaturyan" (that coughing noise), the th as in "therapy".

 

Pierre: I don't know if it's usual in the Flemish language, but you seem to abandon the final "e" in pronouncing Posaune and Waldflöte. In German, we wouldn't. My transcription would be

 

1. Poh'sownah

2. 'Vallt Flurteh, as Vox has stated.

 

Best,

Friedrich

 

For bajonncillo, I'd say "bakhotheejo", the "j" being slightly softer than in English, the accent on the penultimate syllable.

 

Peter

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I did, years and years ago, hear a respected organist of the area I then lived in, pronounce that syllable as "oll", personally, perhaps owing to my upbringing, I stick with the pronunciation "orl".

 

Apparently, I still use the wrong pronunciation of Gemshorn, I'm too old to change now.

Anyway, for what little it's worth I'm sure Keraulophon is pronounced Kerowlofon. [something to do with Aulos - ?Greek for Flute.]

 

In passing: I recently heard 'oover' used by Mariella Frostrup on BBC Radio 4's Book Programme for the French/English 'oeuvre'!

Almost every day brings up an example of media people who should know better saying things equally well adrift.

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Anyway, for what little it's worth I'm sure Keraulophon is pronounced Kerowlofon. [something to do with Aulos - ?Greek for Flute.]

Yes, the parts are kera (horn) + aulos (flute or shawm) + phonein (to sound). Horn flute or something like that.

 

Panta ta agatha (no, she's no aunt of mine),

Friedrich

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Tony, for the record,

 

Torquay St John had Latin named stops as they were (translated!) changed when I was an apprentice working on the organ circa 1948. I seem to remember All Saints Babbacombe also had Latin stop names but do not know if and when they were changed.

 

Regards,

 

FF

 

Yes, back in the 1860s/70s, W. Rockstro - the organist of All Saints', Babbacombe - was the local "organ consultant". He designed the specs of several of Torquay's organs. They were all much the same pattern, that of being rather sketchy four-manuals with Latin stop names. Apart from one instrument which is still a sketchy four-decker, all the others have now been reduced to three. The Latin stop names have gone from them all. St. John's retained its Latin stopnames longer than the others, right up until the rebuild by Walkers in 1957, not in 1948 as suggested by Frank. I know this as a local organist who was one of the two organists at the church for several months in 1954-5 still remembers the old four manual console with the Latin stop names on which he used to play. I believe that the old console is/was kept downstairs in the cellar in Torquay's museum.

 

Regarding Keraulophon, I've always said it as in "all", but have no authority for that!

 

And, with Cornets, I describe them with a "t" if we're talking about English organ music, and with "ay" if discussing anything "continental" - for what it's worth!

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And, with Cornets, I describe them with a "t" if we're talking about English organ music, and with "ay" if discussing anything "continental" - for what it's worth!

Personally I think that's right and proper. Surely English organists of the Baroque would only have pronounced it the English way.

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In passing: I recently heard 'oover' used by Mariella Frostrup on BBC Radio 4's Book Programme for the French/English 'oeuvre'!

Almost every day brings up an example of media people who should know better saying things equally well adrift.

 

[rant mode on]

Yes, my pet hates at the moment, as used ad nauseam in a recent "Horizon" programme on BBC2 (who should know better) are "noo-kewl-ah" for nuclear, instead of the correct "knew-klee-ah", and, as used so vilely often these days, "should of" instead of "should have".

 

In another job, I have frequently to approve reports sent out in my name, or that of my functional area, but written by others. I am apparently known as a martinet for spelling*, punctuation, grammar, etc., to the extent of not allowing such things to be sent out unless they have been scrutinised first, and all infelicities corrected. (I especially abhor the results of so called "spell-checkers"!) [/rant mode off]

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Guest Stanley Monkhouse

' ... my pet hates at the moment, as used ad nauseam in a recent "Horizon" programme on BBC2 (who should know better) are "noo-kewl-ah" for nuclear, ...'

 

I blame Homer Simpson.

SM

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How about "Cornet"? My organ teacher fell about laughing when I pronounced it "Corrrné" and said that we were in England so let's pronounce as we see it. I asked him how he pronounced the name of the French city L Y O N S? No answer, but my copy of Novello's Music Primer No.3, "The Organ" by one J.Stainer (the book with lovely woodcuts of organs' mechanisms) connected with my left right ear...

 

Just in passing, the name of the stop numbered 38 on the organ in St John the Apostle, Torquay mentioned above must have casued the odd giggle from students... B)

 

P

Try asking a Yorkshire bandsman if he plays a 'corrné' and see what he says...

 

R

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How is it supposed to be pronounced then?

AJJ

Games horn (not a gem's horn, or "Now there's a gem, Shaun!").

 

Best,

Friedrich

 

P. S.

Do the Welsh have their own stop names? If so, this thread might be just the place to discuss them.

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' ... my pet hates at the moment, as used ad nauseam in a recent "Horizon" programme on BBC2 (who should know better) are "noo-kewl-ah" for nuclear, ...'

I blame Homer Simpson.

SM

 

I never met a German catholic who could pronounce "Diözese" (German for "diocese") correctly. They all get stuck, lips pointed, on the Umlaut (Di-ö-zöö-se). Well, it sounds pretty alright.

 

And to keep this on-topic: One colleague, having been educated as an organist in London and written a thesis on a British composer, used to say "Dye-EY-pay-zun" when telling about his practice sessions at St Michael's Cornhill.

 

Best,

Friedrich

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PS Do the Welsh have their own stop names? If so, this thread might be just the place to discuss them.

 

Well the 32' reed in St Asaph Cathedral is a Sarff --- the Welsh for ??????

 

Sssssssssssssserpent... B)

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' ... my pet hates at the moment, as used ad nauseam in a recent "Horizon" programme on BBC2 (who should know better) are "noo-kewl-ah" for nuclear, ...'

 

I blame Homer Simpson.

SM

 

Sorry, I don't know who you mean.

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And, with Cornets, I describe them with a "t" if we're talking about English organ music, and with "ay" if discussing anything "continental" - for what it's worth!

 

What about when it's spelled "Kornett," as is the case on a number of German and neo-Classical British instruments like the GDB at Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall in York?

 

Here's an interesting one: "Sylvestrina" (as in nos. 26 & 27 on http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N01130 ) - should the emphasis be on the second syllable, or the third?

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And what about 'Cornopean'.

 

I have always believed the emphasis should be on the 'e'.

 

However, I am sure I once heard Francis Jackson pronounce it with the emphasis on the second 'o', and I would be the last to contradict him.

 

Is my memory at fault or have I been mispronouncing all these years?

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'Was once on a BIOS jaunt - a well known 'organologist' had some of us in stitches talking about stops such as (this is what they sounded like) SALISI O NAL and CORNO PEAN. I think we also had a SESQUIAL TERA as well.

 

AJJ

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