CITY HALL, PORTLAND, MAINE.
This organ was built by the Austin Organ Company, of Hartford, Conn., in 1912. It was presented to the city of Portland by Mr. Cyrus K. Curtis, of the Saturday Evening Post, in memory of the late Hermann Kotschmar, whose "Te Deum" is well known in the United States. The organ is in a handsome case on the platform at one end of the hall and is entitled to take its place among the world's great instruments. It is certainly a coincidence that those who have been associated with Mr. Hope-Jones in business now rank as the foremost organ builders in America, as witness this fine organ and that in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York.
The Portland organ has four manuals of 61 notes, CC to c3, and pedal of 32 notes, CCC to g. There are 88 sounding stops and 33 couplers.
FEET. FEET.
Sub Bourdon 32 2d Open Diapason 8
Bourdon 16 3d Open Diapason 8
Violone Dolce 16 Violoncello 8
1st Open Diapason 8 Gemshorn 8
Doppel Flute 8 Double Trumpet 16
Clarabella 8 Trumpet 8
Octave 4 Clarion 4
Hohl Flute 4 Cathedral Chimes (enclosed
Octave Quint 3 in Solo Box).
Super Octave 2
SWELL ORGAN (16 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
Quintaton 16 Harmonic Flute 4
Diapason Phonon 8 Flautino 2
Horn Diapason 8 Mixture, 3 and 4 ranks
Viole d'Gamba 8 Contra Fagotto 16
Rohr Flute 8 Cornopean 8
Flauto Dolce 8 Oboe 8
Unda Maris 8 Vox Humana 8
Muted Viole 8 Tremulant
Principal 4
ORCHESTRAL ORGAN (13 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
Contra Viole 16 Quintadena 8
Geigen Principal 8 Flute d'Amour 4
Concert Flute 8 Flageolet 2
Dulciana 8 French Horn 8
Viole d'Orchestra 8 Clarinet 8
Viole Celeste 8 Cor Anglais 8
Vox Seraphique 8 Tremulant
SOLO ORGAN (12 STOPS)
FEET. FEET.
Violone 16 Concert Piccolo 2
Flaute Major, Open Chests 8 Tuba Profunda 16
Grand Diapason 8 Harmonic Tuba 8
Gross Gamba 8 Tuba Clarion 4
Gamba Celeste 8 Orchestral Oboe (enclosed) 8
Flute Overte 4 Tuba Magna 8
ECHO ORGAN (IN ROOF) (7 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
Cor de Nuit 8 Echo Cornet, 3 ranks
Gedackt 8 Vox Humana 8
Vox Angelica 8 Harp
Viole Aetheria 8 Tremulant
Fern Flute 4
PEDAL ORGAN (AUGMENTED) (21 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
Contra Magnaton 32 Gross Flute 8
Contra Bourdon 32 Violoncello 8
Magnaton 16 Octave Flute 4
Open Diapason 16 Contra Bombarde 32
Violone 16 Bombarde (25-inch wind) 16
Dulciana (from Great) 16 Tuba Profunda 16
First Bourdon 16 Harmonic Tuba 8
Contra Viole 16 Tuba Clarion 4
Second Bourdon 16 (From Solo Enclosed)
Lieblich Gedackt (Echo) 16 Contra Fagotto 16
Gross Quint 10 1/2 (From Swell)
Flauto Dolce 8
There are 6 Composition Pedals to the Pedal Organ and 8 Adjustable
Pistons to each Manual controlling the Stops and Couplers. Stop-keys
are used.
Accessory: Balanced Crescendo Pedal, adjustable, not moving registers;
Balanced Swell Pedal; Balanced Orchestral Pedal; Balanced Solo and Echo
Pedal; Great to Pedal, reversible; Solo and Echo to Great, reversible;
Sforzando Pedal.
LIVERPOOL CATHEDRAL, ENGLAND.
The firm of Henry Willis & Sons was established in 1845 by the late "Father" Willis, who took his two sons, Vincent Willis and Henry Willis, into partnership with him in 1878. The majority of the patents and improvements produced by the firm were solely the work of "Father" Willis, although his son Vincent was associated with him in certain of the later patents. Vincent Willis left the firm in 1894, six years previous to the death of "Father" Willis, which occurred in February, 1900, and the business has since been carried on by his son, Mr. Henry Willis, with whom is associated Mr. Henry Willis, Jr., the grandson of the founder.
The famous traditions of the firm in the field of reed-voicing and flue tone have been maintained by the present partners, who are both experienced voicers; and in general up-to-date mechanical details the firm is in the forefront of the English organ-building industry; as is evidenced by their recently obtaining the contract for the magnificent divided organ which they have now under construction (1913) for the enormous New Cathedral of Liverpool, the specification of which is here appended.
There are five manuals, of 61 notes, CC to c3, and a radiating and concave pedal board of 32 notes, CCC to g. There are no extensions or duplications. With the exception of the Celestes, which go down to FF only, every stop is complete, of full compass. There are 167 speaking stops and 48 couplers, making a total of 215 draw stop knobs.
FEET. FEET.
Dble. Open Diapason, wood 32 *Violoncello, metal 8
Dble. Open Diapason, metal 32 Flute, metal 8
Contra Violone, metal 32 *Quintadena, metal 8
Double Quint, wood 21 1/3 Twelfth, metal 5 1/3
Open Diapason No. 1, wood 16 Fifteenth, metal 4
Open Diapason No. 2, wood 16 Mixture, 17th, 19th, 22d
Open Diapason No. 3, wood 16 Fourniture, 19, b2l, 22, 26, 29
Open Diapason, metal 16 Contra Trombone 32
Contra Basso, metal 16 *Contra Ophicleide 32
*Geigen, metal 16 Trombone 16
Dolce, metal 16 Bombardon 16
*Violone, metal 16 *Ophicleide 16
Bourdon, wood 16 *Fagotto 16
*Quintaton, metal 16 Octave Trombone 8
Quint, wood 10 2/3 *Octave Bassoon 8
Octave, wood 8 Clarion 4
Principal, metal 8
* Stops marked * are in separate Swell Box.
Wind pressures: 6, 7, 10, 15, and 25 inches.
CHOIR ORGAN (23 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
Contra Dulciana 16 *Gambette 4
*Contra Gamba 16 Dulciana 2
Open Diapason 8 *Flageolet 2
*Violin Diapason 8 *Dulciana Mixture, 10, 12, 17,
Rohr Flute 8 19, 22
*Claribel Flute 8 *Bass Clarinet 16
Dulciana 8 *Baryton, dble. vox humana 16
*Gamba 8 *Corno di Bassetto 8
*Unda Maris (FF) 8 *Cor Anglais 8
Flute Ouverte 4 *Vox Humana 8
*Suabe Flute 4 *Trumpet (orchestral) 8
Dulcet 4 *Clarion 4
* Stops marked * in separate Swell Box.
Wind pressures: 4 inches; Trumpet and Clarion, 7 inches.
GREAT ORGAN (28 STOPS, 1 COUPLER).
FEET. FEET.
Double Open Diapason 16 Octave Diapason 4
Contra Tibia 16 Principal 4
Bourdon 16 Flute Couverte 4
Double Quint 10 2/3 Flute Harmonique 4
Open Diapason, No. 1 8 Twelfth 2 2/3
Open, No. 2 8 Fifteenth 2
Open, No. 3 8 Piccolo Harmonique 2
Open, No. 4 8 Mixture, 10, 12, 17, 19, 22
Open, No. 5 8 Sesquialtera, 19, b21, 22, 26, 29
Open, No. 6 8 Double Trumpet 16
Tibia Major 8 Trumpet 8
Tibia Minor 8 Trompette Harmonique 8
Stopped Diapason 8 Clarion 4
Doppel Flöte 8 Solo Trombas on Great
Quint 5 1/3 (By Coupler)
Wind pressures: 5, 10, and 15 inches.
[Transcriber's note: in "Sesquialtera", the "b21" above, the "b"
represents the music "flat" symbol.]
SWELL ORGAN (31 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
Contra Geigen 16 Lieblich Flöte 4
Contra Saliciona 16 Doublette 2
Lieblich Bordun 16 Lieblich Piccolo 2
Open Diapason, No. 1 8 Lieblich Mixture, 17, 19, 22
Open Diapason, No. 2 8 Full Mixture, 12, 17, 19, b21, 22
Geigen 8 Double Trumpet 16
Tibia 8 Wald Horn 16
Flauto Traverso 8 Contra Hautboy 16
Wald Flöte 8 Trumpet 8
Lieblich Gedackt 8 Trompette Harmonique 8
Echo Gamba 8 Cornopean 8
Salicional 8 Hautboy 8
Vox Angelica (FF) 8 Krummhorn 8
Octave 4 Clarion, No. 1 4
Geigen Principal 4 Clarion, No. 2 4
Salicet 4
Wind pressures: 5, 7, 10, and 15 inches.
[Transcriber's note: in "Full Mixture", the "b21" above, the "b"
represents the music "flat" symbol.]
SOLO ORGAN (23 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
*Contra Hohl Flöte 16 Concert Flute 4
Contra Viole 16 Octave Viole 4
*Hohl Flöte 8 Piccolo Harmonique 2
Flute Harmonique 8 Violette 2
Viol de Gambe 8 Cornet de Violes, 10, 12, 15
Viol d'Orchestre 8 Cor Anglais 16
Viole Celeste (FF) 8 Clarinet (orchestral) 8
*Octave Hohl Flöte 4 Bassoon (orchestral) 8
French Horn (orchestral) 8 Tromba Real 8
Oboe (orchestral) 8 Tromba Clarion 4
Contra Tromba 16 *Diapason Stentor 8
Tromba 8
All Stops in a Swell Box except Stops marked *.
Wind pressures: 7, and 20 inches.
CLAVIER DES BOMBARDES (TUBA ORGAN) (6 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
Contra. Tuba 16 Octave Bombardon 4
Bombardon 8 Tuba Clarion 4
Tuba Mirabilis 8 Tuba Magna 8
Wind pressures: 30 inches; Tuba Magna, 50 inches.
The Stops of this department will be played from the fifth Keyboard,
the action being controlled by Draw-stop Knob marked "Tuba On."
ECHO ORGAN (19 MANUAL AND 4 PEDAL STOPS).
ECHO PEDAL.
FEET. FEET.
Salicional 16 Fugara 8
Echo Bass 16 Dulzian (reed) 16
ECHO MANUAL.
FEET. FEET.
Quintaton 16 Flautina 2
Echo Diapason 8 Harmonica Aetheria (flute
Cor de Nuit 8 mixture), 10, 12, 15
Carillon (gongs) 8 Chalumeau 16
Flauto Amabile 8 Cor Harmonique 8
Muted Viole 8 Trompette 8
Aeoline Celeste (FF) 8 Musette 8
Celestina 4 Voix Humaine 8
Fernflöte 4 Hautbois d'Amour 8
Rohr Nasat 2 2/3 Hautbois Octaviante 4
Wind pressures: 3 1/2 and 7 inches.
Both Pedal and Manual Stops in Swell Box. The Echo Manual Stops played
from the fifth Keyboard, the action being controlled by Draw-stop Knob
marked "Echo On."
Arranged in two double columns on the left-hand or bass jamb are 48
draw-stop knobs for the Couplers and Tremulants. The principal
Couplers may also be operated by reversible pistons and the Tremulants
(3) by reversible pedals. There are also 5 reversible pedal pistons
for the Manual to Pedal Couplers. In addition to the usual
Inter-manual Couplers there are on the Choir, Swell, Solo, and Echo
organs Sub and Super and Unison (off) Couplers, each on its own Manual.
A novelty is a coupler labeled Solo Tenor to Pedal. By its use the
upper 20 notes of the pedal-board are available for a tenor solo by the
right foot, at the same time the Pedal tones are cut off from these
notes and the remainder of the pedal-board is available for use by the
left foot as a bass.
The stop control is effected in the first place by 9 Adjustable
Combination Pedals to the Pedal Organ. Then there are 9 Adjustable
Combination Pistons to the Choir, Great, Swell, Solo and Echo organs
and 5 to the Tuba organ. It is possible to couple each set of these
Manual Pistons to the Pedal organ Combination Pedals, either by
draw-stops or by piston, thus moving pedal and manual stops
synchronously.
All these Combination Pedals and Pistons move the draw-stop knobs,
showing a valuable index of their position to the organist.
There are 5 Adjustable Pistons on the treble key frame (and 5
duplicates on the bass key frame) for special combinations, on Manuals,
Pedal, and Couplers.
There are 5 pedals to operate the various swell boxes of the lever
locking type--a locking movement allowing the performer to leave pedal
in any position. The swell pedal for the Pedal stops can be coupled to
any of the others.
The Tremulants have attachments allowing the performer to increase or
decrease the rapidity of the vibrato at will.
The action throughout is electro-pneumatic and tubular-pneumatic
(according to distance of pipes from keyboard), excepting the Manual to
Pedal Couplers, which are mechanical to pull down the manual keys.
There are seven separate blowing installations of electric motors.
The instrument occupied two special chambers on each side of the chancel, and a portion of the south chancel triforium. There are four fronts, two facing the chancel and two (32 feet) facing the transepts. The console is placed on the north side above the choir stalls. The organ is the gift of Mrs. James Barrow and cost (without cases) about $90,000. The specification was drawn up by Mr. W. J. Ridley, nephew of Mrs. Barrow, with the full approval of her committee, Mr. Charles Collins, Mr. E. Townsend Driffield, the Cathedral organist, Mr. F. H. Burstall, F. R. C. O., and Henry Willis & Sons.
It is claimed that this organ is now "the largest in the world." We give the dimensions of some notable instruments for the sake of comparison:
Paris, St. Sulpice, 118 stops; London, Albert Hall, 124; Sydney Town Hall, 144; St. Louis Exposition, 167; Hamburg, St. Michael's, 163, and Liverpool Cathedral, 215.
[1] This is really only c3 (see footnote, page 22), but we have decided to adopt the usual nomenclature.
James Ingall Wedgwood, in writing his excellent "Dictionary of Organ Stops," felt it incumbent upon him to offer an apology, or rather, justification for introducing the name of Hope-Jones so frequently.
The author of this present volume feels the same embarrassment. He, however, does not see how it would be possible for him, or for any future writer, who values truth, to avoid reiteration of this man's name and work when writing about the modern organ.
The author's thanks are due to the Austin Organ Company, the Bennett Organ Company, Dr. W. C. Carl, the Estey Organ Company, the Hook & Hastings Company, the Hope-Jones Organ Company, the Hutchings Organ Company, Mr. M. P. Moller, Messrs. J. H. & S. C. Odell, and the E. M. Skinner Company, of the United States; to Messrs. Casavant Frères, of Canada; to Messrs. J. H. Compton, W. Hill & Son, Dr. J. W. Hinton, Alfred Kirkland, John Moncrieff Miller, and Henry Willis & Sons, of England; to Dr. Gabriel Bédart, of Lille, and M. Charles Mutin, of Paris, France, for valuable data, photographs and drawings, kindly furnished for this book.