Whole pages of disquisition may be saved if we proceed at once to apply these maxims to the specification of the smallest and least costly organ which we shall recommend for a village church: an organ, namely, with four stops only.
1. Organ No. 1. The manual will be from CC to E in alt, 53 notes.
_Remark._--The key-board is more sightly when its two extremities are rendered similar by this omission of the top F. But the further omission of the four upper notes would still leave a compass of 49 notes, amply sufficient for the accompaniment of voices.
(_a_) Open Diapason, metal throughout, or of metal from Gamut G, with seven pipes of open wood below.
_Remark._--These open wood pipes, when properly scaled and voiced, have some advantages over metal for our present purpose, and may be placed so as to close in the back of the case instead of panelling.
(_b_) Principal of metal throughout, being the octave of the Open Diapason, to which it will therefore be made to conform as regards scale and voicing.
_Remark._--The two stops, (_a_) and (_b_), when played together, will furnish the element of power, or loudness, to the organ.
(_c_) Stopped Diapason of wood throughout, or of metal with chimneys from middle C to top; but not with a Clarabella of open wood as its upper part.
_Remark._--The metal Stopped Diapasons which have come down to us from the days of Harris, and other old builders, are often of exquisite beauty of tone. Modern builders are apt to neglect the stop, and to treat it as a mere "Coppel," or vehicle for exhibiting the qualities of imitative stops. We should be glad to persuade them to make the upper octaves of oak, after the example of Schmidt.
(_d_) Stopped Flute of wood throughout, or of metal with chimneys as to its three upper octaves. This stop pretends to no imitation whatever of the well-known musical instrument, the Flute, but is simply the octave of the Stopped Diapason, of which it should follow the scale and voicing.
_Remark._--The two stops, (_c_) and (_d_), when played together, supply to the organ the important element of softness and tranquil clearness; and when added to (_a_) and (_b_), they enhance the fullness and volume of those stops, while correcting a certain crudeness or tendency towards harshness. The Stopped Flute fulfils a further most important office. When added to the two Diapasons (without the Principal), it imparts not only a most pleasing silvery sweetness to the tone, but gives a definiteness of pitch which will correct the tendency of school-children to sing out of tune. This stop should, therefore, on no account be omitted, or cancelled in favour of more showy or conspicuous qualities of tone.