The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-29

slider the effects of heat and cold
upon these pipes, both fue and reed.
AT the setting up of the instrument
by the builders, the pipes were tuned
to what is known as international
pitch" with the thermometer standing
at about 20 degrees, and the organ is
never at international pitch when the
thermometer indicates any Varia-
tion from 20 degrees. Wher the
temperature is greater than 20 degrees,
all the pipes are lower in pitch.
when less than seventy degrees they
are higher in pitch, the amount of
their rise and fall in pitch depending
upon the greater or less variation in
temperature. The flue pipes rise and
fall uniformly in pitch and hence are
always in tune with themselves. This
is not true. however, with the reed
pipes, and here is where the trouble
comes. The reed pipes do not rise or
fall to the same extent that the flue
pipes do, nor are all the reed stops
of an organ affected equally by heat
or cold, which causes another discrep-
ancy in pitch. The pipes of the 'vox
humana," for example, are only slight
~ affected by the changes # TENT
erature, which materially affects all
the rest of the pipes. 1t will readily
be seen that the keeping of the fue
and reed pipes to the same pitch de-
pends upon two things: either the tenn
perature of the church must be very
nearly the same every time the organ
is used. or every reed pipe in the organ
must be tuned every time there is II
change in the temperature. To this
there Is no alternative. If neither of
these conditions is met, either the ears
of the congregation will be assailed
with discordant harmonies, or the or
ganist must refrain altogether from
using the reed stops. During that part
of the year when the church is heated
artlfcially, care on the part of the jani-
tor will ensure the proper temperature
at the public services. 1t is unfOrtu-
! nate, however, that so many churches
have no heat in them except on sun
! days or when they are about to be
used. This subjects the organ to the
| highest extremes in temperature. and
this of itself is injurious to the instIu-
ment. In the summer time there is no
way OF regulating the temperature. One
Sunday the thermometer registers 30
! degrees in the shade, the next will be
cold, wet day. with a difference Of
| temperature of, perhaps. 3j degrees.
| Indeed such extremes have been known
| 10 occur the same day. Even with less
radical changes Of temperature there
is only one thing to do: the reeds must
! he tuned. With regard to the reeds in
the Elm Park church organ, / tune
them myself. The ability to tura the
/ reeds Of his organ should be acquired
| by every male organist Ca lady's skirts
a ,1lt s.1N f,,,,
/ reed stops in the Elm Park organ are
( five in number Cor one-s4venth OF the
entire number of stOps). each having
/ siNty-one pipes-in all. 3O5 pipes. These
reeds are tuned just before every or
gan concert, the tuning requiring from
one and a half to two hours. am no
| less particular about the tune Of the
! instrument at the Sunday services. and
have not infrequently tuned the reeds
on Sunday when the weather has made
a sudden change. 1t is evident from
what I have said that no organ. whather
small on large, can be properly kept in
tune with periodical visits from some
iout-oftown tuner The leading churches
of New York make contracts with
| tuners to tune the reeds of their or
gans, or to ascertain IL they need tun-
mT, every Saturday throughout The
year. 1t is immaterial who does the
tuning, providing ii be done well. Or
ganists are altogether too lax in this
matter of tuning. | have attended SER
vices in large churches having large
organs with numerous reed stops, and
Notwithstanding that these reeds were
horribly out of tune the orgauist used
them constantly. Music committees
and church trustees are not infrequent-
ly 10 blame for the wrCtched condition
of their organs. | once knew of a trus-
tee at a church where the organist
could not tune his reeds actually grow
at the extravaganza of calling in a
tuner once in six months