Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1900-05-03
THE ORGANS iNTRICAcIeS.
Some Interesting Comments on ehe '"'i
ous Parts of the Instrument.

1,t.rastine Comments on the Fari-
GUS Parts of the Instrument.
The keyboard of 4 modern church
organ contains from IS to OIL Keys
and is consequently 4 1-2 to 8 octaTes
~ comnoss Tho lowest or bottom
left hand key is G. Now, counting
eacb octave from tho left, 1t reads
TINS: Tho lowest octave is called tho
"CC', octave, written with two cap
it'll C's; the next is the tenor oc-
taye, written with one capital 9;
tho next tho middle octave, writ
ton with an italic G, with a figure l
over it-"Cl;" tho next is the ire
BILE octave. written with an italic
G and "a figure : over it-"C2;" the
next is tho alto" octave, written
with an italio G and q figure over
it-"C3."
The lowest octave is sometimes
called tho bass octave or double
G" octave, and the &C is called the
"gamut e." The G. of tho tenor &C.
tave is called also - fiddle G, y it Civ
ing the sound of G. IN the open string
of the violin. The black keys are al
ways called "sharps, never flats,
such as F sharp" not "G flat.
If, then, any key is wrong, men
ton it as follows: Tenor Il on the
oboe is out of tune, etc, or middle q
sharp on the flute is out Of tune or
weak, etc. If note will not TO-
spond to key when touched on any
particular stop try another stop,
and if it responds on that the first
stop tried is out of order by its pipe
not sounding. Then describe this so:
Middle on tho melodia is "off its
speech. When couplers arc out OF
order, describe the position Of the
note and mention the coupler thus:
Tenor "swell to great is "off. "
A great organ separation Is con-
trivanco used in organs of pneumatic
key and stop action. BY the use Of
two pistonS or buttons over tho keys
o PLAYER can separate OF silence
all the great organ from the other
manuals and instantly restore the
sound again Thus suppose both
swell and choir were coupled to the
great organ and the players hands
were using the great keys, and the
piece called for only the swell
and choir coupled, then pressing
the button lisconnects tho great
organ pro tenn, so that it is silent,
and the fingers noed not be taken off
the great keys, but be kept on and
ready for the sudden loud change by
pressing the relieving button.
A salicional,' from Latin "sali-
oet," weeping, is the French equi7a-
lent for the "tlulciana" in English
and American church organs. The
"vox angelica, or "angel voice" is
the softest stopin the organ. 1t does
not come up to anything angelic that
human beings know of other than
the quiet voice of conscience, tho lat
ter being far more serviceable and
cheaper. The "vox celeste is q stop
tuned slightly "out of tune so rs to
pulsate or beat with any other stop
played with it. 1t has nothing to do
with celestial voices, as far as l
know. We presume heaven is per
feet md all nature as we'll, but any
thing out Of tune offends the mu-
sioian's ear Then why encourage
it? The vox angelica effect can be
got by playing on the salicional
with the swell closed. The best vox
celeste not out of tune is tho "trem-
ulant." Both the angelica and CO.
leste arc excellent stops for indiffer-
emit players to moon about on for
hours, but an overdose produces cold
sweats and other changes, due no
doubt to the temperature of the air
above to where we arc waited. Both
stops are expensive but useless addi-
lions to church organs and probably
never used moro than twice q year,
perhaps never.-Providenco Jour
nal.