Does such a compendium exist?
Although a forum member has offered to explain them to me, I fear it would waste a fair amount of their time.

http://www.organstops.org/

Is that the sort of thing you're after, HC?

Not really, more a website or something about the most common stops etc, how to use them in combination with each other, what to use them for et al.

*goes back to drawing board to find something more suitable*

EDIT: http://www.archive.org/details/organregistratio00trueuoft

It's a bit old, but might give you an idea of the basics. Hope it helps.

You put stuff together that sounds nice - that's it really...

Yes to sone extent I think you have to take into account the actual organ you are playing, as a Claribella on one may sound a little different to a Claribella on another, even though they are flute sounds. But the basic sound of a given stop wouldnt vary too much, sometimes the loudness does.

Who would have thought...

After that I just had to look up the full list from the dictionary mentioned in HG's first post to find really amusing or unusual ones:-


Beerpipe, Canary, Cart, Cuckguck (or Kuckuck), Dudelsack, Doof, Grob, None, Rain, Syringa, Tibia Vulgaris, Tom Tom.
Anyone seen an organ with any of these ??

You could try the Ann Marsden Thomas Book (http://www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/0394545/details.html)

Quite expensive, though.

http://www.organstops.org/f/Fuchsschwanz.html

I'm not taking the p. when I say this. When I started out playing, I did it this way - trial and error and all that. Being able to 'hear' what works is absolutely key - especially since every organ/building is different and a stop with the same name never sounds the same on two different organs...

After that I just had to look up the full list from the dictionary mentioned in HG's first post to find really amusing or unusual ones:-


Beerpipe, Canary, Cart, Cuckguck (or Kuckuck), Dudelsack, Doof, Grob, None, Rain, Syringa, Tibia Vulgaris, Tom Tom.
Anyone seen an organ with any of these ??
[/quote]

Played organs with Tuned Bird Whistles, Anthropoglossa, Krumet, Kinura, Train Whistle, Fire Bell

but then I'm only a theatre organ player - well, not ONLY theatre organ

I've come across a None stop (pronounced so as to rhyme with 'Dome', I think) a few times in the past, but none of the others. A Beerpipe (from Baerpfeife, perhaps?) sounds terrific, and I wonder whether to have one added to my instrument. Perhaps the organ builders and the local brewery could come up with something to keep me happy during the sermon on Sunday mornings. It wouldn't half make the rest of the service go with a swing.... Hic hic!

I like it.

We have a Contra Faggotto 16 that sounds rather vulgar too.

SB

somebodySTOPme!

I thought syringa was lilac - what's it doing - growing out of the wall?

Not a Radius, or Ulna to go with it?