Early medieval organs did not have keys or stops, but were controlled by a slider mechanism.
Pipe organs were an important instrument in medieval cathedrals for use at mass, as well as at coronations and other state events. Early medieval organs had no keys or stops and all the pipes sounded simultaneously. Foot pedals pressed the air through the pipes and was controlled by a slider mechanism (see image at left). Medieval Englishmen were especially fond of organs and relatively large instruments could be found in England’s sixteen cathedrals, as well as in some of the grander churches and for the benefit of the royals. By the high Middle Ages, organ-makers began fitting their Gothic organs with some keys and stops.
Small chamber organs also became popular, as did portable organs that could be easily transported to seasonal aristocratic residences. The Renaissance brought change and complexity to the instruments as their popularity and numbers increased across Europe.
- Ann Scott -