The Recent Revolution in Organ Building / Being an Account of Modern Developments

by George Laing Miller

ORGAN IN ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL, BUFFALO, N. Y.

This instrument, built by the Hope-Jones Organ Company and opened Christmas, 1908, in one of the finest churches in America, takes position among the great and important organs of the New World. It is built on the "Unit" principle, and is divided between the extreme ends of the lofty structure.

The chancel organ, consisting of four extended stops, occupies the old organ chamber, which opens into the chancel and the transept of the church. This portion of the instrument stands in a cement swell box, its tone being thrown through the arch and into the chancel by means of reflectors. It contains a Diaphone, the full organ being very powerful, although its various tones can be reduced to whispers by closing the laminated lead shutters, which are electrically controlled through the general swell pedal at the console.

The other division of the instrument, the organ proper, is located in the gallery at the distant end of the nave of the church, and in an adjacent room. This gallery division, complete in itself, represents the latest type of Unit organ. Speaking generally, all the stops are common to all four manuals, and to the pedals, and can be drawn at various pitches. Following more or less the analogy of the orchestra, the organ is divided into four distinct portions, each enclosed in its own cement swell box with its laminated lead shutters, controlled electrically from the console swell pedals. These divisions represent, respectively: "Foundation," "wood wind," "string" and "brass."

The entire instrument is played from one console, located in the nave, connected with the chancel organ by an electric cable sixty feet in length, and with the gallery organ by one of one hundred and sixty feet. This key desk is of the well-known Hope-Jones type, which appeals so strongly to most organists. It contains all the latest conveniences: Stop-keys, in semi-circular position above the manuals; combination keys, which move the stop-keys (with switch-board within easy reach for changing the selection of stops); suitable bass tablets, saving time and worry to the player; double touch, offering its wealth of tonal effects, etc. Through the operation of a small tablet the organs can be played separately or together.

COMPASS: MANUALS, 61 NOTES; PEDALS, 32 NOTES.
PEDAL ORGAN (16 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
_Foundation._ Cello 8
Tibia Profundissima 32 Cello Celeste 8
Resultant Bass 32 _Brass._
Tibia Profunda 16 Ophicleide 16
Contra Tibia Clausa 16 Trombone 16
Open Diapason 16 Tuba 8
Tibia Plena 8 Clarion 4
Tibia Clausa 8 Great to Pedal.
_Wood Wind._ Swell to Pedal.
Clarinet 16 Swell Octave to Pedal.
_String._ Choir to Pedal.
Contra Viola 16 One Stud to release all
Dulciana 16 Suitable Basses.
GREAT ORGAN (14 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
_Foundation._ _Wood Wind._
Tibia Profunda 16 Concert Flute 8
Contra Tibia Clausa 16 Flute 4
Tibia Plena 8 _String._
Tibia Clausa 8 Dulciana 8
Open Diapason 8 _Brass._
Horn Diapason 8 Ophicleide 16
Octave 4 Tuba 8
Swell Octave to Great.
Tromba 8 Swell Sub to Great.
Clarion 4 Choir Unison to Great.
Swell Sub to Great. Choir Octave to Great.
Swell Unison to Great. Tuba to Great Second Touch.
One Double Touch Tablet to cause the Pedal Stops and Couplers to move
so as at all times to furnish automatically a Suitable Bass.
Ten Double Touch Adjustable Combination Keys for Great Stops and
Suitable Bass.
CHOIR ORGAN (22 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
_Foundation._ Quintadena 8
Contra Tibia Clausa 16 Quint Celeste (Ten C) 8
Tibia Clausa 8 Dulciana 8
Horn Diapason 8 Unda Maris (Ten C) 8
Gambette 4
_Wood Wind._ Octave Celeste 4
Orchestral Oboe (Ten C) 16 Quintadena 4
Concert Flute 8 Quint Celeste 4
Clarinet 8 _Brass._
Oboe Horn 8 Trombone 16
Orchestral Oboe 8 Tuba 8
Vox Humana 8 Tromba 8
Flute 4 _Percussion._
_String._ Harmonic Gongs 8
Contra Viola 16 Harmonic Gongs 4
Viole d' Orchestre 8 Unison Off. Sub-Octave. Octave
Viole Celeste 8 Choir to Swell Second Touch.
One Double Touch Tablet to cause the Pedal Stops and Couplers to move
so as at all times to furnish automatically a Suitable Bass.
Ten Double Touch Adjustable Combination Keys for Swell Stops and
Suitable Bass.
CHOIR ORGAN (22 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
_Foundation._ Flute 4
Contra Tibia Clausa 16 Piccolo 2
Tibia Clausa 8 _String._
Horn Diapason 8 Dulciana 16
_Wood Wind._ Viole d' Orchestre 8
Clarinet 16 Viole Celeste 8
Vox Humana (Ten C) 16 Quintadena 8
Concert Flute 8 Quint Celeste 8
Clarinet 8 Dulciana 8
Oboe Horn 8 Unda Maris (Ten C) 8
Orchestral Oboe 8 Dulcet 4
Vox Humana 8 Unda Maris 4
FEET. Swell Sub to Choir
_Percussion._ Swell Unison to Choir
Harmonic Gongs 8 Swell Octave to Choir
Unison Off. Sub-Octave. Octave. Swell to Choir second touch
One Double Touch Tablet to cause the Pedal Stops and Couplers to move
so as at all times to furnish automatically a Suitable Bass.
Ten Double Touch Adjustable Combination Keys for Choir Stops and
Suitable Bass.
SOLO ORGAN (8 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
_Foundation._ Clarion 4
Tibia Profunda 16 _Percussion._
Tibia Plena 8 Harmonic Gongs 8
Open Diapason 8 Great to Solo.
_Brass._ Swell Sub to Solo.
Ophicleide 16 Swell Unison to Solo.
Tuba 8 Swell Octave to Solo.
Tromba 8
Four Adjustable Combination Keys.
CHANCEL PEDAL ORGAN (2 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
Diaphonic Diapason 16 Bourdon 16
CHANCEL GREAT ORGAN (7 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
Bourdon 16 Flote 4
Open Diapason 8 Octave Gamba 4
Doppel Flote 8 Horn 8
Gamba 8
CHANCEL CHOIR ORGAN (4 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
Doppel Flote 8 Flote 4
Gamba 8 Horn 8
GENERAL.
Sforzando Pedal, Balanced Swell Pedal for Foundation, Balanced Swell
Pedal for Wood Wind, Balanced Swell Pedal for String, Balanced Swell
Pedal for Brass.
General Balanced Swell Pedal for all or any of the above.
Five Keys for indicating and controlling the position of the various
Swell Pedals.
Tremulant for Wood Wind.
Tremulant for String.

ORGAN KNOWN AS THE HOPE-JONES UNIT ORCHESTRA,
IN THE PARIS THEATRE, DENVER, COLORADO.

This fine instrument was installed in May, 1913, and hailed by the people of Denver with great enthusiasm. The president of the Paris Theatre Company, writing under date of June 9, says:

"The wonderful instrument * * * is proving a source of interest to the whole city and has materially added to the fame of 'The Paris' as the leading picture theatre of Denver. No thirty-piece orchestra could accompany the pictures so well as the Hope-Jones Unit Orchestra does. Neither would it so completely carry away with enthusiasm the crowd that flock to hear it."