Year: 1875

@-N~-A NNS


Two weeks ago we noticed to the read
ers of the APPEAL the arrival OF an or
gan at st. Mary's Catholic church, from
the factory OF Felix Barckhoff, 124O
Hope street, Philadelphia, and then
gave a technical description of 1t,
its powers and capacity, which
attracted great deal of atten-
ton, and led to the presence
Of a large gathering Of the professional
and amateur musical talent OF the city
on the occasion OF its trial and test
Nearly all of our organists were present,
and each in turn subjected the noble in
strument to the test of his capacity and
taste, so that before the close of what
proved to be very well ordered and
happily improvised concert, the organ
was proven in a dozen different ways to
be one of the best, if not the best, for its
power and reach in the city. On Friday
last we improved an opportunity afford
ed US by the manufacturer to he present
at further trial Of it, and it gives us
pleasure to bear our testimony to the great
excellence and evident superiority OF an
organ that is pecuiiarly adapted to the
expression Of all the variety of tone,
volume and power demanded in the pro-
gress of the rich and solemn services of
the Catholic church. 1t possesses 3
sweetness and eSenness of tone that Is
prominently conspicuous quality, and at
the same time q distinctness that is
never lost no matter what the profound
depth of the bass reached or the volume
produced by the use Of the more
sonorous stops or pedals. A fair
representative of the king of
instruments, satisfying all demands Of
service that has done more than all
others to preserve the highest graces OF
harmony, We cannot otherwise than
praise in unstinted measure this first
Barckhof organ ever put up in the
south. 1t is such an instrument as the
builder can rest his reputation upon,
sure that all unbiased minds will accord
it place in thefirst class of organs of
its standard. The mechanism is all of
very superior finish, the pipes being of
English block tin, iron rods being intro
duced wherever possible, SO as to secure a
continued evenness in tone, no matter
what the changes in the weather. The
castings in the interior are all of plain
but substantial and worknanlike finish,
that of the exterior being especially no.



in its accomplishment. 1t is gothic
throughout, the pipes being Of silver re-
Iieved with gold. The carving, which
is very delicate, is, we understand, the
work of one of the Franciscan brothers,
labor OF love, and certainly reflects
the devotion Of one whose heart pro-
voked the cunning hand that wrought
out all the tracery and entabla-
ture which 80 clearly and beauti.
fully illustrates the gothic style of
architecture. 1t is casing altogether
different from that of any other organ
in the city, and is as unique as the organ
it covers is superior in all that goes to
make up the greatest of all musical in
struments. In the trial of Friday last,
which continued over one hour and q
half, the capacity of this organ was fully
tested, and all its beauties of harmony
and tone evolved. Each stop and pedal,
die, and all the known combinations of
both by which volume, power, sweet
ness, and soul-felt, devotional and in
spring accompaniment could be pro-
duced, were called forth in turn until
there was no room for other than praises
and encomium. Among the stops which
Mr.. Barckhof particularly prides him.
self upon, and as we think justly, we
will mention the ViOla di BrGcciO and
the 'eoIian harp, both his own inven-
tion. 1t is impossible to convey in
words an idea of the beauty and effects
of these stops which in some passages
added immensely to the expression
and color the player produced. We
might also mention the flute stop
whose tones were clear and pure as
If from Benin. But we cannot stay to
particularize. We are fully satisfied that
st. Mary's church possesses very supe-
rior instrument, perhaps the best in the
city, made as tits in every part-interior
and eXterior-with a conscientious pur-
pose on the part of the manufacturer to
excel. 1t is an organ that to hear, as to
see, carries conviction that Mr.. Barck-
hoff is emulous of preserving his repu-
tation; a reputation earned by rare
fidelity to his art, and which Is certain
to be increased at the south, even as it
has increased at the north and west. AS
writer in Pittsburg paper has said:
"Animated by the great principle, only
to furnish the best, the most perfect even
in the smallest details, Mr.. BarckhOff
has succeeded in producing nothing but
masterpieces of art, hence the struc-
ture Of his organs are lofty, ele-
CANT and majestic, and as to So
lemnity, grandeur and rich volume
Of tone have justly obtained acknowl-
edged pre-eminence over every other
instrument had on this side of the
ocean, By reaching such lofty aims
Mr.. B. secured for himself the great
prize to have excelled all that which
hitherto had been accomplished in this
respect. Like a true disciple Of art,
he does not carry on his profession
merely mechanically, since his distin-
guished knowledge in matters of science
and art enable him to construct his Or
gan works according to the rules
and maxims of mathematics and ac-
coustic. Thus, we find in all his work
true artisanship, all constructed by
skillful hands of the best material, all
easily movable and to the purpose.
Every particle is speaking witness to