Organ scales having duplexed registers.
Anybody here have any experience with any organ having registers that can be operated on multiple groups? I know of only one such organ scale--the 39 Ruth. The idea of having bells that can play from either counter melody or melody seems useful, as the bells could possibly solo against something in the melody group as, say, the first time through the trio of a march, when the organ isn't playing at forte level. That way, one could have the sparkle of bells without the clatter of them playing all the ornamentation as well as the tune. There was one organ in the U.S. that had bells connected to the counter melody and it was a welcome relief to hear them used in this manner at times. As I understand it, both examples of the No. 39 Ruth had registers connected to play on both groups, but they weren't identical, and neither of the duplexed registers were percussions. I'm a hobbyist arranger and builder, thinking it might be worthwhile to add this feature to an organ I'm still designing. Any help or opinions you might offer would be greatly appreciated. Dave Vincent

I am also a church organist and I have played a little bit of theater organ here and their so I can understand. I my opinion I think the bell register should be connected only to the Melody line beacuse it is possible for the bell's to over power or take away from the melody line to your average and reguler listener weather if the bells are connected to the counter melodey or they alternate. I have also heard the Draaiorgel "St.Bernerd" via CD and the bells have their own section on the book. If you listen to Wurlitzer band organs with bells on them you can tell that they are connected to the melodey line with extra haromies included in the melody line. I have rarely listend to ruth organs with bells but when, I have they where connected to the melody line not the conter melody. Some played with the forte register and others with the Piano or Pianissimo register or they just come on at random. Cordially: -Justin Senneff

I don't think the bells on the St.Bernard have their own keys: they're connected to melody, if I'm not mistaken. The organ has 22 bells, so in a 68-key organ, 22 keys for bells would be very strange :wink:

Metallophone on Bursens 68 - Sint Bernard
The bells don't operate seperately on the 68-key Bursens organs. They play on melody and are connected to the forto register. In the forto register bells are added on melody, trombones on bases, woodblock changes into snare drum and a cimbal is added to the big drum. An example. On the Beatles Mania book of Tom Meijer, Hey Jude starts with a bell solo. This is done by selecting the register forto using only melody keys. You can listen to it on www.draaiorgelsintbernard.tk They all left the factory in this combination. Some were altered into 69 or 70 keys. This gives the possibility to give the bells a seperate register. An example of this change is the organ Venlo. Both organs, and many more will play on "Bursens conjures music from wood" the special Bursens organ festival in Hoboken near Antwerp on October 5th. http://www.mechamusica.be/?q=en/Bursens2008 Johnny Claes

On "Hey Jude" if the bells don't have their own section than from what section of the violen solo playing, counter melody?

Registers of the Sint Bernard
Justin, If you have the CD Bernardissimo of the Bursens organ Sint bernard you can read on the cover how it is compiled. The CD can be ordered on www.draaiorgelsintbernard.tk Johnny Claes

I do have the cd Somewhere,(Saint.Anthony, Ora Pro Nobis) truly a beautiful organ.