Flûte Couverte French

Skinner describes this stop only as “a large scaled Chimney Flute”. According to Maclean, it sometimes indicates a 4' Cor de Nuit. Wedgwood provides the following description:

A special stop invented by Messrs. Conacher, of Huddersfield. It resembles the French Flûte à Cheminée, but is of larger scale - about 4 in. at the CC pipe (4 ft. actual length). The tone is extremely liquid and brilliant, and of some power. In addition to being of value as a combinational stop, the Flûte Couverte forms a most effective solo stop. The pipes are of pure tin, with chimneys from tenor C upwards, and with sliding (“canister”) tops. The lips are arched. It is to be regretted that one rarely finds a specimen of this class of stop in England. The French builders of repute use the Flûte à Cheminée extensively. First introduced at Derby Road Chapel, Nottingham (Conacher, 1894).

Examples

Osiris contains twelve examples at 4' pitch, and half that number at 8'. None appear in French organs or organs by French builders.

Flute Couverte 4', Great; Alexandra Palace, London, England; Willis 1875. This is the earliest example listed in Osiris, but it may have been added in a 1929 rebuild by Willis.

Bibliography