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DICTIONARY OF ORGAN STOPS.
Beard— Bar, Bridge, Frein Harmonique (q.v.), Roller.
A mechanical appliance frequently attached to the mouths of small-scaled
flue pipes to assist their speech. The word " beard " is the generic term
for a host of varieties, of which the principal types are the "bridge" or
"bar," the "roller" and the "frein harmonique." The bridge is a fiat or
shaped piece of wood fixed across the mouth of the pipe—sometimes
attached to the underside of the ears, and then known as " box-beard " or
" fender," or the device as " box-eared." The roller is a round piece of
wood fixed in between the ears. It is attached to them by means of pins
or by the process of punching the ears into the roller. Occasionally
rollers are made of brass or phosphor-bronze, and for small pipes some
capable voicers use aluminium in preference to wood. For illustration see
Salicional. The frein harmonique is a metal roller or flat beard attached
to a spring, soldered on to a metal pipe or screwed on to
a wooden one. It was invented by Charles Lemaire, a
voicer in the employ of Zimmermann, the pipe-maker of
Paris, and was brought out by Gavioli et Cie of the same
city, the well known orchestrion makers. The claim to
superiority is based on the fact of its adjustability. But
it is altogether questionable whether this feature is
desirable, as the delicate adjustment is very liable to
accidental derangement by a hurried or careless tuner.
The only examples in this country with which the author
is acquainted are at Derby Road Chapel, Nottingham
(Conacher), and St. Mary, Westwood (Compton). But
frequently the name frein is indiscriminately applied to
other varieties of fixed beard.
As early as 1878 a removal brass roller was invented
by Herr Sauer, of Frankfurt-on-the-Oder. Except occasionally
in the case of large pedal pipes, the roller, on
account of the superior results and greater facilities for
manipulation and delicate adjustment it offers, has almost
entirely superseded the bridge. Some German builders
and Messrs. Walker employ a plano-concave variety of
beard presenting a broad surface concave to the mouth
of the pipe. Whether improved or facilitated results are
thereby obtained the author cannot say.
It is generally supposed that bars were introduced
into this country by Schulze, and rollers by Lewis. It is,
therefore, of interest to note that a bearded Dulciana by
Snetzler exists at All Saints' Church, Pavement, York.
The Snetzler Dulciana at Beverley Minster is also bearded,
but in this case the beards are probably a later addition.
Frein Harmonique-
(adjustable).