Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 2.djvu/604

592 however were sounded nearly a tone higher than on a modern organ, and hence the inconvenience; for transposition on an unequally tempered organ was impracticable, on account of the 'howling of the wolf,' as the defective tuning of the other scales was termed; and equal temperament did not take its rise until 1688–93, and then only in Germany; the organ in the Church of St. Jacobi, Hamburg, being apparently the earliest one tuned according to that system.

In 1663 (July 28) a rate was made at Wimbourne for buying a new organ; and in 1664 (Sept. 10) an arrangement was made with 'Robert Hayward, of the Citty of Bath, orgin-master, to erect and set up a payre of organs in the Church,' for £180; which contract was completed in 1665. Although this maker's name is not to be found in the list of native members of his craft contained in the standard works on the subject, yet in excellence he was not a whit behind his countrymen whose names have become better known.

The instrument originally consisted of 'Great Organ with Choir Organ in front.' The Stopped Diapasons were of metal down to Tenor F, with chimneys. Hayward anticipated Harris's type of organ to a remarkable extent, as will be perceived on comparing the following list of stops with the St. Sepulchre's specification given farther on.

Neither Dallam's nor Hayward's organ contained an Echo.

The organ in Exeter Cathedral, constructed by John Loosemore, possessed a remarkable feature in its Double open Diapason, which contained the largest pipes ever made in this country. The fourteen pipes of which this stop consisted, were grouped in two separate sets of seven each, against two of the columns of the great central tower, and therefore at some distance from the main body of the organ; and were acted upon by an additional set of pallets. The dimensions of the largest pipe (GGG), were as follows:—

The large Exeter pipes, like those at Halberstadt, did not produce much effect when tried by themselves, for an old writer, the Hon. Roger North, says of them, 'I could not be so happy to perceive that in the musick they signified anything at all'; but (like those at Halberstadt) they manifested their influence when used in combination; for another writer, at the commencement of the present century, observes respecting them, 'no effect alone, but very fine with the Diapasons and Principal.'

The following was the scheme of the Exeter Cathedral organ, in which we find the open diapason duplicated:—

On July 5, 1666, Thomas Harris entered into an agreement with the Dean and Chapter of Worcester, according to which 'within eighteen months he shall set up in the choyre a double organ, consisting of great organ and chaire organ.' The list of the stops for this instrument has been preserved, and goes far to explain why Harris did not for some time meet with quite as much encouragement as Smith. His specification is made up simply of the same kind of stops as were in vogue in England before the Commonwealth, and presents but slight indication of its author's having profited by his sojourn abroad. The specification was as follows:—

The compass of the organ is not given, but some interesting particulars occur as to the dimensions for two of the metal pipes. The two great open diapasons, which were 'to be in sight, east and west,' were to contain 'a 10-ft. pipe, as at Sarum and Gloucester, following the proportion of 8 in. diameter in the 10-ft. pipe; and 4 in. diameter in a pipe of 5ft.'

Although he specified the dimensions of his largest pipe, Harris mentioned nothing as to the key upon which it was to act—whether F, F♯, or G; and the omission of this particular would have left the question as to the downward compass and consequent pitch of his organ in great uncertainty, were there not means for obtaining the information by deduction.

Thomas Tomkins, organist of Worcester Cathedral, who published his 'Musica Deo Sacra' in