AN ESSAY IN MEMORIAM
Like the Dodo and the Passenger Pigeon, the Octopod is extinct. This species had an effective life of less than a century; its last known member was born in 1935 and was dead by 1970. Isolated specimens may continue to lurk in out-of-the-way places, but their demise can only be a matter of time. This essay is a memorial tribute to the Octopod and its passing.
In our utilitarian world it is hardly surprising that the Octopod finds no place. Like so many mutant breeds its foothold on life was always tenuous. Living as it did in a society (the organ world) whose evolution was subject to the most violent changes and reversals, its placid, retiring character ill-equipped it to prevail over the trials of fate and fortune. To have expected it to grapple effectively with the violent forces of fashion and dogma would have been to attribute to it a sturdy vigour which was not in its nature. Octopod: ave et vale.
Every serious explorer in the territory of the organ (that strange world with its mixture of vociferous, dominating instruments which revel in situations of high public visibility, together with those timid, aged dwarfs which lurk in dim and dusty corners) has heard of the Octopod, but few have met one face-to-face. Many have been deceived by organs which masquerade in some of the trappings of Octopoddery, but a close examination quickly reveals such shams for what they are. It seems as though many organs secretly long to join the Octopod brotherhood, but have felt unable to take the final, irrevocable step - the discarding of any stop above unison pitch. And with good reason, for the presence of those ranks at 4ft. pitch has, through the years, been almost guaranteed to provide the organs which possess them a measure of safety and security which the Octopod sadly lacks when hunted by its most feared natural predator - the tonal improver, the rebuilder of organs.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OCTOPOD
The Octopod first saw the light of day in the 1850s. Its creator was an English vicar, John Baron, who in 1858 published a book entitled "Scudamore organs, or practical hints respecting organs for village churches and small chancels on improved principles". This was the era when, inspired by the high-church ideals of the Oxford movement, surpliced choirs were being introduced in chancels up and down the country, and village bands were replaced by organs. New ideals of dignity and reverence began to pervade the liturgy of the church, and how better to express them than in the creation of the Octopod? The first of the species, the Adam of the Octopod race, was built to John Baron's design in his church at Upton Scudamore, Wiltshire, by Nelson Hall in 1856 (illustration left). Here is its stoplist, a resplendent example of the Octopod ding an sich:
Baron had rebelled against "the present epidemin tendency to multitudinous and
agglomerative extravagance in organs". He considered that "the office of the organ,
in ordinary parish churches, is to direct and support
the singing; and that fulness, variety, and beauty, must mainly be supplied by the
well-trained voices of the choir and congregation"; therefore "one stop of forty-nine pipes
may be made sufficient to direct and support the singing of a large village congregation".
The 'Scudamore' organ quickly gained popularity. Its most famous proponent was the first
Henry Willis who, perhaps sated by the dazzling tonal kaleidoscope of his larger organs,
returned to this musical monad to refresh his soul. His brochure of 'Scudamore' organs
(c.1860?) included the following:
A similar organ was the 'Lieblich' model by T.C. Lewis; an undated example was recorded
in the 1950s at All Saints, Hulcott, Buckinghamshire:
For the seriously ascetic, Willis provided an even more restrained instrument:
This echoes the original Scudamore organ, like the memory of a lost golden age. And a
spiritual fall there certainly had been, for Willis's brochure lists strange and unholy
accretions to the perfect design: a 4ft. Principal added to the Open Diapason, even a 2ft.
Fifteenth and an 8ft. Dulciana. The presence of the latter stop is a particularly odious
sign, suggesting as it does a pale imitation of the original and perfect Open Diapason; the
two might even occur in conjunction, as in the undated Willis organ at St. Michael, Walton,
Buckinghamshire:
As early as 1858 A.W. Bryant ('The Church Organ Co., Salisbury') built the following 4-stop
Octopod, later installed at St. Mary, Pitstone, Buckinghamshire:
In 1877 Harrison & Harrison (Durham) issued a prospectus for their range of 'chancel
organs' from which the following is taken:
And thus the Octopod as we know it was born. Compromise and dilution had set in: the Open
Diapason lost its full compass, its all-sufficient unity, and was supported by the makeshift
stopped bass. The sibilant whispers of Salicionals and Dulcianas filled the air.
Full-compass stopped flutes were not far off.
A revised brochure was issued by Harrison & Harrison in 1881, which included the above
two designs almost unchanged. Six years later their catalogue told a very different story:
two and three-stop organs now inevitably included a 4ft. register. The simple perfection
of the golden age was at an end, and the Octopod was obliged to leave its paradise and make
its way among the harsh realities of a fallen world.
In order to survive, the Octopod had to leave behind the child-like simplicity of its
formative years and adapt itself to the needs of the wider musical world. Its one-manual
one-stop state was now only the memory of a dream, and it began to appear in diverse guises.
The latter instrument is vitally important in three ways. First, it marks the appearance of
an Octopod with more than two manuals. Second, it contains the first known 16ft. pedal
Bourdon in an Octopod. (Pedants have argued that the true Octopod must possess stops at 8ft.
pitch only. This is a typically short-sighted academic argument, which ignores the obvious
fact that the defining feature of the Octopod is that all stops must be at unison
pitch. 16ft. pitch is the pedal unison, and no reasonable authority today would want to
resurrect the so-called "8ft. argument".) Third, it marks the appearance of a clever piece
of camouflage adopted by the Octopod around this time, viz. the octave coupler. By this means
the Octopod was able to give a fair impression of being endowed with a rudimentary chorus,
while still remaining true to itself and containing unison stops only. The "octave illusion",
as it came to be called, was an important factor in the Octopod's continuing survival.
Occasional examples seemed to hark back to the golden age of Octopodal unity, though hedged
about with compromises and excresences:
Other Octopods served quietly in small churches up and down the country.
The Positive Organ Company, under the direction of the organ theorist Thomas Casson,
installed many instruments such as the following in the early years of the 20th-century.
It would be churlish to deny it membership of the Octopod fraternity on the basis of the
16ft. manual stop.
Some Octopods showed other tonal eccentricities:
Other organs attempted to be Octopods, but failed at the final hurdle:
Such a generous provision of Octopodal tone - and then the 4ft. flute. So near, and yet
so far.
Some organs contained one Octopodal department in an otherwise normal tonal scheme:
This was an unusually large example of such a disposition; smaller organs such as the following
were far more common:
But these are mere counterfeits of Octopoddery, cowardly organs tempted to dip a toe in the
water but afraid to completely take the plunge into the restful sea of pure unison tone.
Robert Hope-Jones has been vilified, in received wisdom, with the destruction of the
traditional organ chorus and the cultivation of the Octopod. Unfortunately we can make
no such sweeping claim with a clear conscience, though it would be pleasant to imagine a
single charismatic figure wholeheartedly devoted to the cause of unison tone. A glance
through some of his stoplists quickly gives the lie: 4ft. ranks are everywhere present (no fewer
than nine in his IV/40 for Warwick Castle) and the effect of his 4ft. Quintadenas -
intended to provide a spray of harmonics - is well known. His magnum opus at
Worcester Cathedral (IV/55) even had three 2ft. stops. It was only in his smallest
schemes that Hope-Jones painted a tonal picture of unsullied purity:
The octave coupler strikes the only false note, as though the artist was apologising for
the originality of his scheme. And how wonderfully planned it is: the Great with its
archetypal complement of diapason, flute and string; the Pedal boosting it with a (valvular)
reed. The four tonal elements of the organ lie naked in their aesthetically
inevitable beauty. Who could ask for more?
Hope-Jones' flame passed to Ingram (Hereford) after the turn of the century. The 1904 organ
at St. Bartholomew, Elvaston, Derbyshire, is opus 636 of "Ingram & Company, Successors to
Ingram, Hope-Jones & Company". This wonderfully characterful stoplist (as recorded in a
commemorative booklet of 1905) was marred only by the silly, old-fashioned Gemshorn on Swell.
Unfortunately the instrument as completed substituted a 4ft. Harmonic Flute for the proposed
Vox Humana, thus compromising the Choir division too.
What a wonderful proposal: 18 stops, and only one 4ft. as a sop to conservative
organists.
Other instruments could become Octopods by default. The 1909 Nicholson at All Saints
Church, The Wyche, Malvern, Glos., contained nine speaking stops and five spare
slides. A contemporary report noted that three of these prepared stops were to be at 4ft.
pitch; they have never been inserted, and thus the organ remains as an example of that elusive
beast, the three-manual Octopod:
By the 1930s the Octopodal species had suffered severe assaults on several fronts. There was
George Dixon, with his insistence on chorus structures (he told Reginald Whitworth that if an
organ was to have but two stops, one of them would have to be at 4ft. pitch in order to
ensure a chorus effect), Cecil Clutton with his eulogies of traditional European organs, and
Willis III with his new-fangled mutations. Despite all this, isolated Octopods still made an
appearance:
Such examples were rare. Twenty years later the Royal Festival Hall organ burst upon the
musical scene and the Octopod's doom was assured. By the late 1960s instruments such as the
following were the flavour of the time:
Verily may we cry "Ichabod"! The Abomination of Desolation, in slick and streamlined 1960s
guise, had come to roost in the innermost bastions of British musical tradition.
The Octopod fled wailing, and was seen no more.
In 1991 I made an eagerly anticipated visit to the church at Crowhurst, a few miles from my
home in Sussex. I had been alerted by a friend that an Octopod remained in its natural
habitat there, having survived owing to the remoteness of the country parish. I had read
the stoplist with delight, and confirmed it from the Charles Drane notebooks in the Organ
Club Library.
Imagine my eagerness as the ancient wooden door of the church creaked open at my touch. In
the dim light I reverently made my way to the chancel, where a pipe-rack glinted faintly
in the gloom. As I drew near, breathing in the familiar ecclesiastical smell of varnished
pews and damp hymn-books, my eyes were inexorably drawn to the modest array of drawstops at
either end of the keyboards.
Anticipation became horror.
The Great Claribel Flute
was gone; in its place smirked a 4ft. Principal. The Swell Voix Celeste had been supplanted
by a maliciously grinning 4ft. Gemshorn. In an instant my joy turned to ashes. I covered my
face and walked away.
8 Open Diapason
Four octaves of pipes, CC to c3, were clothed in a simple case. There were no pedals, no
accessories, nothing to detract from the magnificent unity of Baron's tonal concept. Truly,
this first Octopod contained within itself the seeds of all its descendants. They may have
elaborated and extended it - though always in a horizontal tonal plane - but they never
improved upon the self-contained sufficiency of this, their ancestor. In a sense, everything
that followed was a degeneration from this archetypal Octopod.
No. 1 Open Diapason, metal, from Gamut G to f3 in alt.
Stopped Diapason, wood, from CC to FF-sharp.
Price £35 to 40.
N.B. The foregoing are the contents of the original Douglas organ,
in cedar, contrived to be as simple and compact as possible, for
transmission to India: the area at the base was 4ft. 6in. by 2ft.,
and the height from the floor to the top of the tallest pipe, 12ft.
It is not surprising that India, with its mystical religious bent, was quick to appreciate
the merits of this organ. The stoplist is a perfect metaphysical 2-in-1; it has caught the
process of organ-evolution at that point where the absolute 1 divides to form the relative 2.
In Taoist terms, it is that point where the great unmanifest splits into Yin and Yang.
8 Open Diapason (bass from Gedact)
8 Lieblich Gedact
No. 2 Open Diapason, metal throughout,
compass of keys CC to f3 in alt; 54 notes.
Price £40 to 50.
8 Open Diapason
8 Dulciana
49-note compass.
8 Open Diapason tc
8 Gedackt tc
8 Dulciana tc
8 Stopped Bass 1-12
20-note pedalboard permanently coupled.
No. 1 Price, 25 guineas. Compass CC to G, 56 notes.
A simple Singing Organ of sweet and rich 8ft. Tone, containing
12 Stop Bass Pipes and 44 Salicional Spotted Metal Pipes,
with Foot Blower complete.
No. 2 Price, 40 guineas. Compass CC to G, 56 notes.
An organ of 3 Stops, giving a nice variety of Tone,
from soft to loud, with fair power.
1. Open Diapason, 8ft. Metal, 44 pipes.
2. Stopped Diapason, 8ft. Wood, 12 pipes.
3. Dulciana, 8ft. Metal, 44 pipes.
THE CONTINUING FORTUNES OF THE OCTOPOD
Darlington, Co. Durham. Residence of Mr. Shaw.
Harrison & Harrison 1878.
Stoplist by Dr. Armes (Durham Cathedral).
GREAT
8 Dulciana
SWELL
8 Lieblich
8 Gamba (tc)
30-note pedal board permanently coupled to the manual keys.
56-note manual compass.
Mechanical action.
Thomas S. Jones & Son, Organ Builders, London.
"Pattern 1" stoplist, undated (c.1890?)
GREAT
8 Open Diapason
8 Dulciana (tc, bass from Pedal Bourdon)
SWELL
8 Lieblich Gedact
8 Viol d'Gamba (tc)
PEDAL
16 Bourdon
Three unison couplers; Swell super8ve optional.
Compass: 61/30.
250 pipes.
Durham, Co. Durham. Residence of Mr. Smallwood.
Harrison & Harrison 1882.
GREAT
8 Open Diapason
SWELL
8 Gamba (1-12 stopped wood)
CHOIR
8 Lieblich Gedact
PEDAL
16 Bourdon
Couplers: Swell to Great, Swell Octave to Great, Swell to Choir, 3 to Pedal.
Mechanical action.
Little Maplestead, Essex. St. John.
C.H. Walker, 25 Manchester Square, London. c.1900?
(originally installed in Little Maplestead Hall)
8 Stopped Diapason
8 Dulciana
Octave coupler.
Compass: manual 56 notes, pedals permanently coupled, 25 notes.
Mechanical action.
Great Alne, Warwickshire. Parish Church.
Builder & date unknown.
GREAT
8 Stopped Diapason
SWELL
8 Open Diapason (stopped Bass)
PEDAL
16 Bourdon
3 unison couplers; Great octave; Swell octave.
Swingfield, Kent. St. Peter.
Home-built organ, undated.
GREAT
8 Violin Diapason
8 Viol d'Amour
SWELL
8 Wald Flute
8 Gamba
Tremulant
PEDAL
16 Bourdon
3 unison couplers.
Compass: 56/30.
Mechanical action.
West Malling, Kent. Swan Street Baptist.
Richardson (Manchester & Preston) c.1912.
GREAT
8 Open Diapason
8 Stopped Diapason Bass
8 Clarabella
SWELL
8 Gamba
8 Lieblich Gedact
Tremulant
PEDAL
16 Bourdon
Couplers: Great to Pedal, Swell to Great.
Compass: 56/30.
Mechanical action.
Rockcliffe, Cumbria. Parish Church.
Builder & date unknown.
GREAT
8 Open Diapason
8 Clarabella Flute
SWELL
8 Gamba
8 Viol d'Orchestre
8 Stopped Diapason
PEDAL
16 Bourdon
West Humble, Surrey. St. Michael.
Positive Organ Company, undated; installed here c.1958.
16 Double Bass
8 Open Diapason
8 Gedact
8 Viol
8 Melodic Viol
Octave coupler.
58-note compass.
Weston Colville, Cambridgeshire. St. Mary.
Bedwell (Cambridge), undated.
GREAT
8 Open Diapason
8 Stopped Diapason
SWELL
8 Viol d'Orchestre
30-note pedalboard; couplers but no pedal stops.
Sandwich, Kent. St. Bartholomew.
Halmshaw (Birmingham), c.1900?
8 Open Diapason
8 Stopped Diapason bass
8 Stopped Diapason treble
8 Bell Diapason
8 Dulciana
8 Vox Angelica
4 Harmonic Flute
PEDAL
16 Bourdon
Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Ragged School.
J. Porritt (Leicester), undated; rebuilt by J. Housley Adkins (Derby) c.1925.
GREAT
8 Open Diapason
8 Stop Diapason
8 Dulciana 1-12 grooved
4 Principal
4 Harmonic Flute
2 Fifteenth
SWELL
8 Open Diapason
8 Gedact
8 Viol di Gamba grooved
8 Vox Celeste tc
8 Oboe
PEDAL
16 Bourdon
3 unison couplers.
Hassocks, Sussex. Keymer Road URC.
Bishop 1902.
GREAT
8 Open Diapason
8 Clarabella
8 Lieblich Gedact
SWELL
8 Violin Diapason
8 Hohl Flute
4 Salicet
PEDAL:
16 Bourdon
3 unison couplers.
THE EDWARDIAN OCTOPOD
Cardiff, Glamorgan. All Souls, Cardiff Docks.
Hope-Jones 1896.
GREAT
16 Contra Tibia
8 Open Diapason
8 Phomeuma
8 Viol d'Orchestre
PEDAL
16 Bourdon (Great)
16 Diaphonic Horn
Great to Pedal; Great octave.
I GREAT
16 Contra Tibia Clausa unit 1
8 Open Diapason unit 2
8 Tibia Clausa unit 1
8 Viol d'Amour
II SWELL
8 Horn Diapason
8 Lieblich Gedacht
8 Viol d'Orchestre
8 Viol Celeste tc
4 Gemshorn
8 Oboe
III CHOIR
8 Open Diapason
8 Tibia Dura (named Tibia Clausa in the finished organ)
8 Dulciana
8 Clarinet
8 Vox Humana
Tremulant
PEDAL
16 Open Diapason unit 2
16 Bourdon unit 1
8 Flute unit 1
Couplers: 6 unison (n.b. Choir to Swell, not Swell to Choir);
Swell 8ve & sub8ve; Swell 8ve & sub8ve to Great.
GREAT
8 Open Diapason
8 Clarabella
SWELL
8 Open Diapason
8 Lieblich Gedeckt
8 Echo Gamba
8 Cornopean
CHOIR
8 Viol d'Amour
PEDAL
16 Open Diapason
16 Bourdon
Couplers: 6 unison; Swell 8ve & sub8ve; Swell 8ve & sub8ve to Great;
Choir 8ve & sub8ve to Great.
THE DECLINE OF THE OCTOPOD
Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Sheepbridge Methodist.
Bower & Dunn (Sheffield), 1935.
GREAT
8 Open Diapason
8 Hohl Flute
8 Dulciana grooved
SWELL
8 Open Diapason
8 Gedact
8 Gamba
Tremulant
PEDAL
16 Bourdon
Couplers: 3 unison, Swell 8ve.
Coventry, Warwickshire. Cathedral Song School.
Torkildsen (Norway), 1967.
8 Gedackt
4 Principal
4 Rohr Flute
2 Octave
2 Block Flute
1 1/3 Quint (treble)
1 Super Octave (bass)
Manual to Pedal coupler; no pedal stops.
POSTSCRIPTUM
Crowhurst, Sussex. St. George.
Dalladay (Hastings) 1932.
GREAT
8 Open Diapason
8 Claribel Flute
8 Dulciana
SWELL
8 Lieblich Gedact
8 Viol di Gamba
8 Voix Celeste
8 Oboe
PEDAL
16 Bourdon
16 Pedal Effect (sic)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The term 'Octopod' was coined by Rev. B.B. Edmonds, who gave the stoplists for the organs at
Rockcliffe and Weston Colville in an article in 'The Organ' quarterly, April 1956. A
more detailed account (but without stoplists) appeared in the letter "The Octopod Raises it's
Head" by K.J.B. Topley in the July 1958 issue. It is believed that the present essay is the
first extended study of the Octopod.
Julian Rhodes
September 1999