Pipe Organ Stops

[Ron32288]

Hi, my Church has a 3 manual pipe organ. I have played it and will soon become the new organist. Since I still am fairly new to the pipe organ, I am wondering what would be a good stop combination. The stops are:

Swell:
Clairon 4'
Tremulant
Schalmei 8'
Trompette 8'
Trumpet 8'
Fagotto 16'
Plain Jeu III
Doublette 2'
Octave Quint 1 1/3'
Gemshorn 4'
Nachthorn 4'
Flute Celeste 8'
Flute Dolce 8'
Prestant 4'
Viola Celeste 8'
Viola da Gamba 8'
Geigen Principal 8'
Rohrflöte 8'
Gemshorn 16'

Great:
Mixture IV
Super Octave 2'
Twelfth 2 2/3'
Gemshorn 4'
Spitzflöte 4'
Octave 4'
Gemshorn Celeste 8'
Gemshorn 8'
Bourdon 8'
Principal 8'
Quintaton 16'

Choir:
Carillon
Sifflöte 1'
Cymbale III
Larigot 1 1/3'
Terz 1 3/5'
Nachthorn 2'
Nazat 2 2/3'
Koppel Flöte 4'
Dulciana 4'
Prinzipal 4'
Quintade 8'
Unda Maris III 8'
Dulciana 8'
Gedeckt 8'
Viola 8'
Principal 8'

Pedal:
Bombarde 16'
Bombarde 32'
Mixture III
Choral Bass 4'
(CH) Spitzflöte 4'
Gemshorn 8'
Flötenbass 8'
Octave 8'
(CH) Lieblich Gedeckt 16'
Dulciana 16'
Bourdon 16'
Contra Bourdon 32'
Contra Principal 32

[jbird604]

Take a look at this web page. There are three buttons on the right-hand side that will take you to the various tutorials or lessons on basic organ playing. I see that the second tutorial is on the subject of registration, and I believe you will find some excellent suggestions there.

The stop list you give is a very nice one and quite typical of a well-appointed classical organ. The instructions on the video should correspond nicely to the stops that you have at your disposal. Good luck!

http://glionnamansell.com/pages/A-Ch...ganists-Primer

[Ron32288]

Thank you jbird, but I know how to play the organ and I know how it functions. I was just wondering what would be a good combination of stops to use, or what other people use.

[jbird604]

Oh, I see. Well, just start experimenting and you'll find some lovely combinations with so many good sounds to work with!

I love celeste stops of all kinds, especially to play for communion. So I'd be trying out all the various celestes and the Unda Maris, using them alone and/or as accompaniment to some of those nice solo sounds -- Schalmei, Carrilon, even the Nacthorn and the Prinzipal would make good solo stops.

Have fun!

[andijah]

Wow, what a great selection of stops (I have 5 :embarrassed: )

I would follow John's advice and start experimenting. Be careful when combining more than two 8' stops on one manual, the sound might start to wobble. But you really have to try it out, each organ is different, and each room is different.

(Can a moderator push this discussion over to the pipe organs, please?)

Edit: Don't know if you might find these videos useful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEbn0ZdXRX0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGNOopA4Qfc

[Leisesturm]

Thank you jbird, but I know how to play the organ and I know how it functions. I was just wondering what would be a good combination of stops to use, or what other people use.

I'm not understanding. If you have been hired to play a beast like that you must know how to go about finding good combinations on that instrument. No one can help you because only you know what the instrument sounds like. That Great Mixture IV might be just the thing to top off the plenum for a Bach fugue or it might be intolerably screamy and therefore only good for the last 10 measures or the final cadence. You can't go too far wrong starting off with the recommended registration set out in the score.

- - - Updated - - -

(Can a moderator push this discussion over to the pipe organs, please?)

Unless I way miss my guess (Contra Principal 32'...) it's not a pipe organ.

[andyg]

Moved to Pipe Organs as requested. Andy G

[andijah]

Unless I way miss my guess (Contra Principal 32'...) it's not a pipe organ.

The thread starter said so... anyway, the thread has been moved, and can probably be moved back again if @ron32288 tells us what it is :-)

[regeron]

It would be helpful to know who built the organ and when and where it was built or installed. That would give us some clues about the sound that might come out of it.

I also find some things to be odd. Mixtures on all manuals, but no reeds on either the Great or Choir, yet the Swell has both a Trumpet AND a Trompette. A Fagotto and an Unda Maris III on the same instrument? All those celestes and no Oboe, Clarinet or Vox Humana?

[myorgan]

Thank you jbird, but I know how to play the organ and I know how it functions.

Ron,

I can only speak for myself when I say that when you listed the stops on the organ and asked for possible combinations, I naturally assumed you did not know how to play the organ well. Stop combinations are an essential part of learning the play the organ.

To the point of your original post, check out the following threads (some stayed on topic, and others wandered):

• http://www.organforum.com/forums/showthread.php?20519
• http://www.organforum.com/forums/showthread.php?20353 (basic registration information)
• https://www.lds.org/music/accompanyi...ers?lang=eng#2 (LDS guidance documents)
• http://www.organstops.org/ (When the site is up, provides definition of stop names)
• You can also try viewing the recommended stop combinations on some of Allen's 3-manual organs in their owner's manuals (http://www.allenorgan.com/www/suppor...rsmanuals.html)

I hope that provides a direction to go.

I also second Regeron's (& others) observations. The stoplist on this organ has some anomalies--not that it's a bad thing--just different. For example, it's quite odd not to have a French Cornet in the Swell, etc. If we knew the builder and/or location, it may help us advise.

Michael

[davidecasteel]

I noticed that the Swell does not have a true Diapason 8'; a Geigen Principal is not the same thing. Perhaps adding a soft flute 8' with it would fatten the tone a little.

David

[regeron]

Note also:

- A pedal division with 3-32s and a 16' Dulciana but no 16 Principal.
- No Choir tremulant.
- Swell - most common string combination is Viola da Gamba + Voix Celeste; this stoplist has Viola da Gamba and a Viola Celeste.

With all due respect, I have to wonder if this is some kind of sham posting. If there is no word on builder, there is no need to continue.

[Ron32288]

Sorry for the delayed response. I'm pretty sure the organ is an Aeolian-Skinner. Im not exactly sure but it was refurbished by Skinner Organs in 2006. The organ sits in a quire loft in the back of the church. The pipes are in 2 wall-like structures behind the organ.

[pictureroll]

As far as I know there is NO Skinner Organ Co. in 2006.

[Ron32288]

Here are some pictures of ther organ and it's stops: