Pipe dreams

While researching cathedral organs for a music translation I have become intrigued by the fascinating world of organ stops. Most people will recognise these as the round white knobs on the organ console which are pulled in or out to select a particular organ sound. But how many of us have actually taken a closer look?

Step up and you will see the stops, individually labelled, with the most wonderfully beautiful and evocative names. And even in English churches you will often come across a host of different languages on one organ. Some of my favourite examples include the heavenly Vox Angelica (Latin: voice of an angel) and Flûte d'Amour (French: flute of love) as well as the Zartflöte (German: delicate flute) and the impressive Swell to Great.

If you can’t wait to explore your local church or concert hall, the internet has the answer. The online Encyclopedia of Organ Stops (http://www.organstops.org) lists stop names from around the world in over 15 languages, including a current total of 727 stops in English, 920 in German, 118 in Spanish and even 1 in Provençal.