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

104 DICTIONARY OF ORGAN STOPS.
many followers, who preached a crusade against Mixture work. The
success of the movement can well be measured by the amount of
apologetic literature it called forth, and by the fact that it stirred the
theorists up to ponder for themselves what really was the function of the
Mixture. Setting aside the somewhat abortive attempts at lightening the
touch of organs by the employment of " split pallets " (which affected the
tonal development of the organ in no appreciable manner), it may be said
that it was not until the introduction of pneumatic actions that the decline
of Mixtures became at all widespread. Even then the movement was
virtually confined to English organ building. And the announcement by
Mr. Hope-Jones, at the beginning of the last decade of the past century,
of his complete discardment of all Mixture and mutation work, may fairly
be stated to have marked a distinct epoch in the history of the controversy.*
The adoption of the pneumatic action and mechanical blowing at once
opened up the path for the development of large-scaled foundation work
and heavy-pressure reed work. The modern builder meets the requirements
of large bodies of singers, not by a fierce din of Mixture work, but
by a massive volume of good sustaining foundation tone, contributed alike
by Diapasons and reeds. In moderate sized organs, the most modern
school of tonal design finds it possible—nay, even preferable
rto dispense
with even the Twelfth and Fifteenth, in favour of a soft Double reed on
the Swell. And certainly the modern Diapason is well able to maintain
the essential supremacy of the Great organ.
The situation, it so happens, is rather embarrassed by the fact that
Mixtures do not blend well with modern foundation work. This is not
due to "absurd wind-pressures" or any other of the familiar bites noires of
the school of old-fogeydom, which clings tenaciously to the Georgian era
of organ building. It is simply due to the fact that if a respectable
foundation be added to an organ which is all "top," the "middle" will be
found wanting, and its absence will cause a horrid lacuna, or gap, in the
tonal structure, analogous to that in the familiar "piccolo and big drum"
effect. The sole way to make powerful Mixtures " blend " in the organ is
to substitute for Diapasons something which, for want of more appropriate
* My reasons for making this seemingly rather controvertible statement have to do
with the work of developing the foundation work of the organ, which Mr. Hope-Jones
made peculiarly his own. Personally, I do not favour the total abolition of Mixture
work, save in small organs. With regard to Mr. Hope-Jones' work, let me here, in
order to meet any possible misunderstanding, seize the opportunity of defining my
attitude— quite in an impersonal spirit. Briefly, there is a great deal which is simply
magnificent ; there is also that which I cannot but regard as rather exaggerated and
overdone. The Hope-Jones organ may often have strayed far from the razor-path of
perfection. But I set Mr. Hope-Jones' tonal ideals far above even his work. I consider
them truly "epoch-making'' (as the Germans forcibly put it), the true complement to the
work of " Father" Henry Willis.—J. I. W.
—