PENNY WHISTLE TO ORGAN.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3465, 20 April 1920, Page 3

PENNY WHISTLE TO ORGAN.

R()MANQE OF "AN IN.DUST,RY.

Britain has long occupied‘ (1, preeminent. position in the organ building industry, and the great developments and iniprovenieiits which have taken place in. the king of instruments during the last fifty years are almost entirely due (.-uys the Pall Hall Gazette)’ to British ingenuity and I'esoul'cefuluess. ‘ In listening to the sonoi-ous and siwe-inspiring tones of a modern eatliedral organ, one linds it diificult. to realise the great instrument had its origin in what we know today as the penny whi's‘tlo. Yet this is the case. Many centuries ‘rlgo a musician conceived -111“ NIOO pambining :1. number of these pipes and so foriniiig an instiruinent.‘ Tlic ends were inserted into a box, which was filled with air from a small hand-bellows. By maniifacturing strips of wood which covered and uncovered the ends of the whistles it was possible to produce Euusic of sorts. That was the early pipe organ.

It was not until the nineteenth can-3 rlll~y. that the org'zln' c:lnle into its own.‘ Its lnhoduction into Clllll'CllCS marked an epoch in the hiélory of the induslry, which they began to develop and expand. The old and laborious method of h:-ind-blowing was sllpel'ceded by the lxydi-aulic engine, which has in iurn lwun displaced by the electric. Inofor. Finally, flu: lHfX'oLluCl'loll by British l)u1l(l(r1‘s of tubulzir-pncrumatic and. cl0(-l'1'o—pnoumatic action proved to the worldl that British organs ‘represented the last word in mechanical pmfoction and in tone. Under the pnouln:.v('i<:» systenl. it is possible to place the console oi‘ lieyboarcl in one part of the hall or church and the speaking pipes in unotlleii With the old “l‘rac.l<el"’ systcxn this was impossible. _

It nnxy be said with iruth that organ.-building is one of the lesser key‘ industries. The trade gives enlploy—‘ merit, either directly or otherwise, to many thousands of people; The ol'ga.n-.! builders themselves employ very large staffs, comprising designers, erectors,} tuners, voicers, etc. Then there are‘ many carpenters throughout the (301111-‘ try engaged in the manufaeture of one wooden. pipe alone-—«the -'St'oppE‘d.l diapason. The tlioiisarrdsw of meatl‘ ‘pipes in :1 sirigle org:iupl'ovidc em-: ployment for a large number of metal‘ workers. Ivory workers produce the; keys and stop-levers. Lead workers make the tubular action. The pipes‘ at the front. of the organ keep many .p:lintc-rs busy, and stainors finish 011' ‘the woodwork. ,\\’il'e workers ,st.eel workers, cloth workers, leather workers, e]ec.ltriuizlns all eon’rribute their share towards the building of the inslrument——'m _faet, over ‘.l. score of trades p:ll'h'vi.pat.e in the erection of lan orgz'ul.-

Bcfore the war, Bfitains exported many i.ntsl'uments, for in the colo-

nies especially our organs were in‘ great clemzmd. The very few organs» we did import uslmll_y came from Germany. During the war, of course, Government work hold up fiorguin’ building‘, as it did other iiidustries, and every few organs wei‘e built 01' oxported. Now, liowever, the trade is in full swing oiice morie, and builders are wisely taking every ‘oppol'tunit.y of dmnonstrafing to the world. the supcrioi-ity -of the Britisli pipe~ol'g‘:ln. Germany is likely to'l‘)l"ov'e our most serious compoti‘r,ol' in‘ Hie 'world.’s i nlm'l<otS. i '