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

DICTIONARY OF ORGAN STOPS. 113
Orchestral Oboe was invented by Mr. Hope-Jones. It is very piquant in
tone and possesses less body even than the Willis variety. The pipes are
of the most diminutive scale, widening as they ascend, and of true length.
They are sometimes surmounted by bells, and are usually made of tin.
The tongues are very narrow, but thick. Burton Parish Church (Norman
& Beard, and Hope-Jones); Battersea Polytechnic (Beale & Thynne,
voiced by Whiteley). There is no doubt that thick tongues are essential to
the best results. Under such conditions only is it possible to get a tone
piquant, rather than thin and characterless. Increased wind pressure is, of
course, necessitated, but the subdued power of the stop may be retained
by the use of narrow shallots. The Contra Oboe is a delightful stop,
specially useful as a quiet Swell double reed. Some of Willis' are so
smooth as to suggest the combination of a flue pipe therewith, when
heard in contrast to his fiery Cornopeans. In 4 ft. pitch the Oboe is
occasionally employed as an Echo Clarion. Except possibly under
extreme circumstances in a chamber organ, in such a capacity the stop is
of no practical value.
Oboe d' Amore—Oboe d' Amour. (Lat.) Amor = love. See Oboe,
Echo.
Oboe Echo Oboe d'Amore (q.v.).
An Oboe of soft, subdued tone. The pipes are usually capped.
Schulze's Echo-Oboe at Armley Church, Leeds, is a quiet wood flue stop,
on ij in. wind. Its tone is indistinguishable from that of a reed. The
voicing presented such difficulty that Schulze vowed he would never make
another. Whilst deserving of all credit as an exemplification of the
proverb Artis est celare artem, such feats of legerdemain are absolutely
devoid of all practical value. The instrument, Oboe d'Amore, was an
alto Oboe It was much used by J. S. Bach. An example of this organ
stop occurs at Washington Temple, U.S.A., (Kimball, Co.).
Oboe-Flute—4 ft
A delicate Flute invented by William Hill, of small scale and slightly
stringy tone. An example existed at Worcester Cathedral. Obsolete.
OBOE-HORN— 16 ft. ; 8 ft.
Invented by Mr. Hope-Jones. The Oboe-Horn, as its name implies,
may be described tonally as a cross between an Oboe and a Horn. In
construction it is an Oboe of large scale, with weighted tongues. The
Oboe-Horn was designed as a compromise suited to the conditions de-
tailed under Oboe. Victoria Rooms, Clifton ; Sutton Coldfield ; Llandaff
Cathedral.
Obtusa—Obtusior. (Lat.) Obturare = to stop up ; c.f. (Eng.) obtuse.
A name for Gedeckt occurring in ancient specifications.