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Estey Folding Chaplain's Harmonium
Hear an MP3 of the
Estey Organ playing "Rock of Ages" (QuickTime
or iTunes recommended)
In World War II, chaplains would carry these Estey harmoniums (foot-operated
reed organs) wherever they needed to provide music for services. This example
is in the practical, war-time cloth covering. It is at 8' pitch (the same as
a piano), but the right foot controls a knee pedal that brings in a second rank
of reeds an octave higher. The left foot operates a swell, allowing control
of loudness and increasing the emotional scope of the music.
The white keys are of real ivory (which it is now illegal to use in building new instruments), and the black keys are not painted or dyed but are made of true ebony-black wood. This is a pre-plastic instrument.
It folds into its own sturdy carrying chest that easily fits into the trunk or back seat of even a small car. Setup consists of lifting the keyboard unit and tightening two thumbscrews. It takes only a few seconds. Undoing the thumbscrews and lowering the keyboard suffice to close the instrument.
This Estey plays nicely, the valves operate perfectly, and the bellows do not leak. Because the top is open when the organ is in use, occasionally dust will get into a reed and stop it from sounding. A quick vacuuming typically restores the note to operation. The outside shows some of the wear and tear of its history, but the instrument has survived in good operational shape.
Note: Technically, a "reed organ" blows air through reeds to produce a sound, a "harmonium" (which this is) uses its bellows to suck air through the reeds. There is no difference in the sound. The reeds are of brass and are the same as those used in accordions and harmonicas, so the timbre of these instruments are somewhat similar. To tune a reed you file (very slightly!) the tip to raise the pitch and file or scrape (with a burin) the root to lower the pitch. Raskin practiced on discarded harmonicas before he began tuning harmonium reeds.
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