A comprehensive dictionary of organ stops - Allen Organ Studio of ...

73
DICTIONARY OF ORGAN STOPS.
G.
Galonbel—A Mixture stop at St. Ouen, Rouen. MM. Mutin, the suc-
cessors to MM. Cavaille'-Coll who built the organ, are unable to
supply the author with any information concerning the composition
of this stop or the origin of its name.
Gamba—Viola da Gamba, Viola, String Gamba. See also Viola
da Gamba. 8 ft. j 16 ft. ; occasionally 4 ft.
The tone of the Viola da Gamba is akin to that of the Violin. But
the effect on the organ most suggestive of divided orchestral " strings
is obtained by the use of the Voix Celeste stop with a keen Gamba or
Viole d' Orchestre. The Gamba is of smaller scale and less powerful tone
than the Diapason ; it is voiced keen, i.e., with the upper partials pro-
minently developed at the expense of the ground tone. The mouth is
kept low. The stop is best made of tin or spotted metal. Gambas of
fairly liberal scale have successfully been made of wood (e.g., by Schulze,
Booth of Wakefield) ; but the satisfactory treatment of small-scaled wood
trebles presents well-nigh insurmountable difficulties to the voicer. Wood
basses are sometimes used, but here again the difficulty of voicing extremely
small-scaled wocd basses is such as to render them ill-adapted to match
the tone of small metal Viols. There is, however, a very satisfactory wood
bass to the Swell Contra Viola voiced by Mr. Compton in the organ at
All Souls, Radford, Nottingham (Musson & Compton), measuring but
i\ in. at CC. The German Gamba (q.v.) is happily extinct, and the
varieties known as Bell Gamba (q.v.) and Cone Gamba (q.v.) are but
infrequently employed. Of recent years the old colourless Gambas,
suggestive rather of Horn Diapasons, and usually attended by that dis-
agreeable defect of speech known as ' spitting," have well-nigh disappeared.
The introduction of keen aetherial string tones, rendered possible by the
use of the Beard (q.v.), constitutes one of the most remarkable develop-
ments of modern organ tone. The most recent achievements in this
respect are treated of separately under the heading " Viole d' Orchestre."
When not overblown, modern Gamba tones combine excellently with most
other stops. They are in every way preferable to the older variety (but
see Bell Gamba). In 8 ft. pitch, the manual Gamba is now practically
confined to the Swell and Choir organs, having been expurgated from the
Great as injurious to true Diapason tone. Combined with Diapasons of
the ordinary type, Gambas certainly exercise a morbific influence on the
general foundation tone, but to the modern full-toned leathered Diapason
string tone of a certain species, when judiciously blended, is, under certain
conditions, highly beneficial. It is a fact that stringy or slotted Diapasons
" build up " better than those of the type usually preferred, and in par-
ticular blend better with bright-toned Principals. Unless a second
"