Residence organ

This picture by Israhel van Meckenem the Younger illustrates a very early type, of the many types, of residence organ, in this instance a single manual pipe organ powered by air pumped via two hand bellows by the organist's wife. The four levers at the side are probably decorations, but could have been slider controls.[1]

A residence organ (also known variously as a house, box, cabinet, choir, continuo, home, practice, trunk, or chamber organ) is a musical organ installed in a personal home. Strictly speaking, the names residence and house organ are the most correct, the others being types of organs that can physically be used as residence organs, but that are not restricted to use solely in that context, and can also be used in, say, small churches, theatres, and so forth. A portative organ or a positive organ (which are also, but imprecisely, known as box, trunk, and cabinet organs) can be used in a residential setting, but the notion of a residence organ strictly embodies a permanence of place that is belied by the notion of portability embodied by the portatives and positives. Similarly, a chamber organ (also known imprecisely as a cabinet, desk, or bureau organ) is in general a small organ for a room, but not necessarily for a room of someone's home.[1][2]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Kassel2006a was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Fesperman2006a was invoked but never defined (see the help page).