Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Reed Organ.
ceive the importance of the invention and
to apply it practically, says Baynton Taylor
in London "Music." The improvements
which they have effected in the instrument
SOME REMARKS UPON ITS HISTORY AND EVOLU-
are,
of course, admitted. Seeing that the
TION FROM AN ENGLISH STANDPOINT.
improved instrument is now manufactured
largely in Canada and in Europe, the term
HE Reed Organ is the name by which American organ is hardly suitable. Per-
we have chosen to indicate that most haps it will one day be given a title as ap-
charming and useful musical instrument plicable and distinctive as organ, trumpet,
popularly known as the American organ. and harmonium are to those respective in-
Other instruments which are closely akin to struments. In the concertina and accordion
it, such as the harmonium, accordion, and we find, on a very small scale, the har-
concertina will be referred to under their monium principle with its force bellows
respective names, and very briefly descrihed combined with the suction bellows principle
so that the difference between them may of the reed organ. The reed organ has
be understood. This is necessary, as the only been before the public for the short
fame of the reed organ suffers through space of about thirty years and during that
being confounded with the others. Its brief period it has deservedly acquired
leading principles originated very early in enormous popularity. And though it has
the history of the world, and were first ap- been improved upon enormously, structur-
plied in the form of the reed pipe, with ally, its possibilities are so immense that a
which idle shepherds amused themselves. higher degree of perfection will, doubtless,
Very slowly, indeed, the idea of improve- be eventually attained. The resources of
ment dawned upon the human mind and the reed organ are undreamt of by the
culminated in such instruments as the bag- public at large, the general impression being
pipes, clarionet, hautbois, and bassoon. that it is only another kind of harmonium.
In all these we find one or more reeds in While so great a misconception prevails
one or more pipes (corresponding with the the reed organ will not receive the recogni
organ reeds and reed cells), blown by a tion which is due to it as a really beautiful
current of air supplied by the human lungs musical instrument.
(corresponding with the harmonium force
The reed organ presents in a small com-
bellows). A few centuries ago the same pass, at a very moderate price, not only
principles were applied to several stops in a portable orchestra suitable for use either
the pipe organ—such as the trumpet, haut- in the concert hall or in the home, but also
bois, and bassoon—all of which are com- a very effective substitute for the pipe or-
posed of a pipe (reed cell) for each note, gan, where cost and space are limited. It
with a suitable reed therein. But instead may be mentioned that one of the larger
of being able to speak at any wind pressure reed organs has been used with admirable
they can only speak at the one pressure to effect in Westminster Abbey, which is in-
which they are set. Thus all gradations of deed a very severe test of its capabilities.
tone power, so necessafy to proper expres- As a meansof accompaniment forevery kind
sion, are lost, and the pipe organ, in this of solo instrument, as accompaniment to the
respect, remains decidedly inferior to the human voice, and as an adjunct to stringed
reed organ.
orchestras, it is of the greatest value. At
Within the present century inventive the command of one performer it offers a
minds have evolved from the instruments variety of tones imitative of many of the
above referred to the harmonium and its instruments used in the orchestra with the
varieties (such as the now out of date Sera- additional advantages of greater range and
phine), etc. These have exactly the same comparative ease in playing. The best
essential parts as are found in the reed or- imitations are naturally those of reed in-
gan, namely, blowing apparatus, bellows- struments, such as the hautbois, bassoon,
feeders, bellows, wind-trunk, sound-board, clarionet, and saxophone. Next in import-
reeds in reed cells, a stop action for bring- ance to these are the string tones which
ing on or taking off any particular set of represent in surprising degree some of the
reeds, a key action and keyboard for open- characteristics of violin, viola, violoncello,
ing or shutting any one of the reed cells, and contra-bass.
swells and swell pedals, a frame-work, a
Brass instruments are as yet only indif-
music-desk, and an outside case. The pipe ferently represented, but the imitations of
organ also has similar parts, but the har- saxhorns, French horns, and Cors Anglais
monium and reed organ differ in these and are fairly effective. A good imitation of
other most important respects. The har- trumpets, trombones, and cornets has yet
monium is blown by a force bellows, its to be achieved. The flute imitation is only
reeds are on the outside of the reed cells, passable. That of the fife is better, but
and its reeds are all of one flat pattern. that of the piccolo is almost perfect. The
The reed organ has a suction bellows, its acolian harp is a beautifully imitative stop.
reeds are enclosed in their reed cells, and The vox celeste combined with the vox
each set of reeds has its own special humana is, in organs by the best makers,
curve, and twist, by which its special tim- a marvelous imitation of many of the char-
bre is created.
acteristics of the human voice. One great
The American organ was invented by an desideratum yet to be supplied is a really
Englishman in England, but derives its good reproduction of the pure, rich, full,
name from the fact that our enterprising deep, thrilling, and grand tones of the pipe
cousins in America were the first to per- organ diapasons. This is, doubtless, a dif-
T
ficult task, but not an impossible one if we
may judge by the pipe-like tones which
some makers have already been able to pro-
duce. The reed organ in addition to the
above has distinctive tones of its own. Its
powers of expression, its great variety, its
marvelous sympathy of tone exist, but they
are only fully possible to one who studies
and uses the instrument properly and who
has a musical nature.
liazelton Brothers.
HERE is one name that stands out
clearly and with special force at the
closing of a year notable for its many varied
changes in the music trade industry, and
that is Hazelton Bros.
Unostentatious in their methods, they
have, nevertheless, steadily advanced dur-
ing the past year both in the broadening
of their business connections and the
production of pianos, which unequivocally
demonstrate that constant improvement
and progress is, with them, the order of
the day.
Hazelton Bros, have something more
than a commercial interest in the pianos
which they manufacture. They have an
old-time reputation as makers of musical
instruments or undoubted excellence to
maintain—not only to maintain but acceler-
ate. Hence the coming year will witness
an activity in the business and technical
departments of the Hazelton house that
will prove beyond all question of doubt
that the concededly high standard of the
Hazelton pianos, in the way of tonal qual-
ity and artistic case work, will be further
enhanced. Still better—valuable agencies
established, so that the big constituency of
Hazelton admirers will be further aug-
mented.
T
A Water Power Church Organ.
ARLISLE, England, probably has the
only church organ in the world that
is blown in the following way: The water
for that purpose is collected in two large
cisterns on the roof of the church. From
these cisterns or tanks the water passes
down a pipe into two cylinders, like those
of a steam enigne. Exactly over these
cylinders are two feeders, made exactly like
the regulation reservoir of an organ bel-
lows, each having a diaphragm, or middle
leaf, which is moved up and down by
meansof pistons. Attached to these leaves
are two rods which pass down into two
beautifully finished stop valves. The re-
ciprocating motion is obtained by the
cylinders operating first upon one valve and
then upon the other. The blast of air ob-
tained by these two feeders is continuous,
but can be varied by a steam equilibrium
throttle valve which the reservoir of the
bellows closes as it becomes thoroughly in-
flated. The entire work is under the im-
mediate control of the organist by suitable
gearing leading to valves in the tanks.
C