Books › A special loan exhibition of musical instruments, manuscripts, books, portraits, and other mementoes of music and musicians, formed to commemorate the tercentenary of the granting by King James I of a charter of incorporation to the Worshipful company of musicians in 1604 .., 1904 › scan 106
Scan 106
A special loan exhibition of musical instruments, manuscripts, books, portraits, and other mementoes of music and musicians, formed to commemorate the tercentenary of the granting by King James I of a charter of incorporation to the Worshipful company of musicians in 1604 .., 1904
22 lines. Read by computer on 1 October 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1was known in Europe in the seventeenth century, as Mersenne in 1635 published an illustration of the Burmese "Phau": but the principle remained unnoticed and unused till the end of the eighteenth century, when Père Amiot sent from China to the French Secretary of State two "chengs" or Chinese mouth organs, and drew his attention to their capabilities. The result was the invention of the "orgue expressif." Towards the close of the last century an improved form called the "American organ" appeared; but, with its principle of inhalation, it is really a return to the primitive cheng. Between the free-reed and the metal tongues of the musical box there is a close analogy, the latter being set in vibration by "plucking," the other by a current of air: in neither case is a pipe or tube, as in the true organ reed, necessary.
3An interesting form of reed is the diaphone of Mr. Hope Jones, which in its action is very similar to the movement of the lips when a brass or cup-mouthpieced instrument is being sounded. This principle might be usefully extended to represent more closely the horn, trumpet, and trombone tones in the modern organ.
5It is impossible to record here the many improvements effected in organ-building and arrangement during the last three centuries.* In all large instru-
7* The following are some of the more important improvements generally adopted since 1604:—
8c. 1661. "Shifting" compaction Pedals employed by DALLAM.
9c. 1675. Diagonal Wind Reservoir used in small organs.
101712. A "Sliding Swell" attached to the Echo Organ by A. JORDAN.
111762. The Horizontal Wind Reservoir invented by CUMMINS.
12c. 1780. The "Venetian Swell" adapted from the Harpsichord by GREEN.
13c. 1790. Pedals introduced into England.
141809. Compaction Pedals improved by BISHOP.
151826. Bishop's "Concussion" Bellows to equalize pressure.
161832. Barker's Pneumatic key action.
171847. The "Tubular Pneumatic" action of MONTESSENI.
181860. Hydraulic Motor invented by Joy.
191867-8. Electricity applied to key action by BARKER, BRYERSON and WILLIS.
201871. Pneumatic compaction knobs.
211881. Electric-Pneumatic action of SCHMOLE and MOLS.
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