According to the literature, a brilliant, high-pitched mixture of III or more ranks, though II rank examples are known. Audsley, Grove and Williams specify a small scale. Most sources give it one or more third-sounding ranks, though according to Audsley the old English examples lacked them. Grove, who dates it from around 1500, also implies that third-sounding ranks were a later development in this mixture: early Dutch and German examples were high-pitched like the Zimbel, and distinct from the Terzzimbel; mid-19th century examples frequently contained a high third-sounding rank. Wedgwood says it should contain a Septiéme.

Variants

Examples

Osiris contains over 450 examples of Scharf, making it by far the most common name. It also contains about 55 examples of Scherp with II-XII ranks, 50 examples of Acuta with from II to VI ranks, 28 examples of Sharp Mixture with II-V ranks, 16 examples of Sharp (all but one late are 20th century by Fisk), five examples of Scharp, and a single example of Akuta. No examples of Vox Acuta or Scarf are known. Contributions welcome. The earliest examples are given below.

Acuta IV, Great; Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Hook 1863.

Akuta IV, Manual I; Smetana Hall, Prague, Czechoslovakia; Voit/Tucek 1912.

Scherp, Manual; St. Denijs, Veurne, Belgium; de Buus 1521.

Scherp VI, Hoofdwerk; Vrouwkerk, Antwerpen, Belgium; Brebos 1565.

Scharff III-IV, Ruckpositiv; Jacobikirche, Hamburg, Germany; Stellwagen 1636.

Scharp III-VI, Rückpositiff; St. Stephanskirche, Tangermünde, Germany; Scherer 1624.

Scharp III-V, Oberwercke; St. Stephanskirche, Tangermünde, Germany; Scherer 1624.

Sharp IV, Choir; Crawford Hal, North Carolina School for the Arts, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Fisk 1977.

Sharp Mixture III, Great; Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland; Hill 1861.

Scharp Mixture III, Great; St. Michael's College, Tenbury, England; Harrison 1869.

Bibliography