"the Modern British Organ"

[Pierre Lauwers]

This book is now available on-line.

As it is a very important and interesting one -despite its author being momentarily

out of fashion in some circles- I give the link here.

There is not date, but I guess it could date from the late 1930's or 40's.

 

It is a big Pdf file (288 pages) so do not try to open it at once.

Click to the right, then save the file on your disk. It takes then about

ten minutes, and you have got it.

 

Again, this book belongs to the core of the organ litterature (but you do not

need to show it to everybody; you can hide it behind the Dom Bédos :angry: )

 

http://www.archive.org/download/modernbrit...g00huntuoft.pdf

 

Pierre

[heva]

Thanks Pierre.

 

A quote from it (about (leathered) diapasons): "The object of the leathered lip was, as Hope-Jones stated, to reintroduce the "full, rolling effect of the old diapason work of Father Smith and Renatus Harris." The "full, rolling effect" was reintroduced in conjunction with greatly increased power. That was the claim, and the claim was substantiated.

 

Robert "the neo-baroque" Hope-Jones? :angry:

[Guest Cynic]

Thanks Pierre.

 

A quote from it (about (leathered) diapasons): "The object of the leathered lip was, as Hope-Jones stated, to reintroduce the "full, rolling effect of the old diapason work of Father Smith and Renatus Harris." The "full, rolling effect" was reintroduced in conjunction with greatly increased power. That was the claim, and the claim was substantiated*.

 

Robert "the neo-baroque" Hope-Jones? :angry:

 

 

*If you believe that a Hope-Jones Diapason Phonon sounds anything like a Renatus Harris Diapason only louder, do you want to buy this (non-existent) watch?

As always, advertising claims are one thing, reality another!

 

I have yet to hear an attractive leathered Diapason.

There are some powerful ones around, with rare but genuine uses - the foundation of a huge chorus, perhaps. None IMHO have ever been attractive played on their own. Does anyone 'out there' know any different?

[MusingMuso]

*If you believe that a Hope-Jones Diapason Phonon sounds anything like a Renatus Harris Diapason only louder, do you want to buy this (non-existent) watch?

As always, advertising claims are one thing, reality another!

 

I have yet to hear an attractive leathered Diapason.

There are some powerful ones around, with rare but genuine uses - the foundation of a huge chorus, perhaps. None IMHO have ever been attractive played on their own. Does anyone 'out there' know any different?

 

 

====================

 

 

I'm not absolutely sure from musical memory, but I have certainly played attractive diapasons (very subtle ones actually) with leathered lips; largely in America. Wurlitzer Diapasons are leathered, and they are very nice, but the trouble is, I don't think they were ever combined into independent choruses as such. (Some Wurlitzer Diapasons are actually Diaphonic: at least in the basses).

 

The most obvious ones which spring to mind are those of John Compton, which are often quite high-pressure, but also quite subtle. Put them all together with the (usually derived) upperwork, and the effect is quite champagne-like.

 

Trust me on this, but I am no expert on leathered diapasons, and I look forward to other comments on the subject.

 

MM

[MusingMuso]

Thanks Pierre.

 

A quote from it (about (leathered) diapasons): "The object of the leathered lip was, as Hope-Jones stated, to reintroduce the "full, rolling effect of the old diapason work of Father Smith and Renatus Harris." The "full, rolling effect" was reintroduced in conjunction with greatly increased power. That was the claim, and the claim was substantiated.

 

Robert "the neo-baroque" Hope-Jones?

 

 

========================

 

 

This is quite amusing, but no less a figure than Ralph Downes always said that the 3rd Diapason at Worcester (OMG.....that word got mentioned again), was his favourite. That was the Hope-Jones one!

 

 

MM

[Pierre Lauwers]

It is quite sure Hope-Jones influenced the Neo-baroque period.

The aim of the Diapason phonon was indeed to imitate the older types,

because Hope-Jones found the Schulze type too harsh.

(He went as far as....Regulating at the flue only, not at the toe!)

Now if he succeeded or not is another debate; I myself know

(euh, rather knew) a splendid leathered Diapason in England,

which was accompanied by a (partly) leathered Principal (4' also)

(I fear, dear MM, we're talking about Mr Downes's favorite. Fortunately

I had the good idea to take the scales!)

Another point with Which H-J was a precursor was the Regals. He reinvented

short-lenght resonators...Intended to imitate vowels.

(See Miller's "Revolution in organ-building").

 

The Neo-baroque "Bewegung" had no real interest in history, it was rather

something new, camouflaged behind "historic" Marketing.

I knew "big guys" in Belgium who designed "Bach-Buxtehude" organs without

having put a foot in Germany to visit ancient organs, but they knew all

about Dufourcq, Bornefeld, etc, ideas; it was an emulation between themselves,

with their 20th century's ideas, and the historians had strictly nothing to say.

And so it all had more in common with the Post-romantic experimental period,

among which Hope-Jone's are important.

 

The leathered Diapason I talked about above wasn't a basis for a Chorus, it was rather

the basis of a choeur de fonds; for the Chorus you simply draw another, un-leathered

one.

Togheter with its 4' counterpart (itself not made for the chorus as well), it was the backbone of the Full organ,

able to cope with a terrific Full-Swell ("encaged" in a brick swellbox).

 

But now let you all go on with your reading, there are many others interesting points...

 

Pierre