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possesses a soft tone, with a keen edge and a limited amount of foundation
pit~h.
This extreme development of harmonic partials allows this sound to
blend easily into quieter ensembles, giving them a "singing" quality, like the
sound of violins in the symphony orchestra. This tone quality is placed on
the Swell manual, where
it
is 'most useful in producing romantic sounds.
Broader, more Diapason-like strings are also on the Choir manual as aids to
the accompaniment function of that division.
An extra set of tone generators, playable on the Swell manual , creates the..
Celeste' effect. (Optional on Model 32-A) An organ Celeste is created by ,
setting precisely-tuned oscillators against purposely sharp-tuned oscillators .
Historically, the resulting undulating "beat" is said to resemble "celestial
voices", hence the stop name "Voix Celeste." This gently undulating sound
is unequalled in adding warmth and emotional depth to organ tone. Two
distinctive celeste voices are included: Flute Celeste and String Celeste.
The compass of these voices is from tenor C to c2.
In pipe organs, all of the above tone qualities (Diapasons, Flutes and Strings)
are derived from a pipe sound caused by a vibrating column of air set in
motion by the action of air impinging on a knife-like edge on the upper part of
the pipe mouth. These pipes and their resultant sounds are classed collec-
tively under the name Flue Stops.
THE REED FAMILY
Pipe organ Reed Stops make use of the vibrations of a brass reed tongue
against a fixed shallot, t he resulting impulses being qualified and given tonal
shape by a resonator placed above the reed assembly. Reeds are of two basic
types, solo and chorus reeds., The Solo Reeds are of an imitative orchestral
character, best used when standing alone in a melodic line. The Clarinet and
Oboe belong to this category. The Chorus Reeds, such as the Trumpet(plus
the Clarion on the 32-C/D) may be used in a solo capacity, but are voiced for
the purpose of adding "fire" to the full Diapason and Flute Chorus, due to the
extreme harmonic development of these stops. The 16' trombone in the Pedal
(mod~l
32-C/D) adds "snarl" and percussiveness to the Pedal Ensemble.
ENSEMBLE
Much has been mentioned so far about the "ensemble" of an organ. This is
perhaps the single most important factor in determining the success or
failure of a church organ. Ensemble refers to the manner in which the
various stops complement each other, and the manner in which they all add
up to a homogenous tonal mass. No one sound should overpower the basic
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