Teneroon English Tenoroon English

This name was used in the 19th century for certain manual stops of 16' pitch and short compass, usually commencing at tenor C. Wedgwood and Audsley report that it was some sort of Bourdon, used in the middle of the century; Hopkins & Rimbault describe it as a Double Open Diapason. Grove says that it was used in the early part of the century, and indicated either a flue or a reed. Sumner and Maclean say that its name was derived from the orchestral instrument of the same name, but later used for flue stops as well, and occasionally for a Diapason. Audsley, on the other hand, maintains that the name had nothing to do with the orchestral instrument. The orchestral tenoroon, invented in the first half of the 19th century, was a small bassoon pitched a fifth above the normal bassoon. The name Teneroon is used only by Sumner.

Examples

All known examples given below. Contributions welcome.

Teneroon (treble) 16', Great; Worcester Cathedral, Worcester, England; Hill 1872. (This division also contained a stop labelled “Bourdon (bass) 16'”. The organ was replaced in 1896.)

Tenoroon 16' (tenor C), Great; Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe, Dallas, Texas, USA; Midmer 1871. Originally built for the Second Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth, New Jersey. This example stop has a bourdon-like tone.

Tenoroon Trombone (treble) 16', Great; Queen's College, Oxford, England; Walker 1866. (This division also contained a stop labelled “Double Trumpet Bass 16'”. The instrument has since been replaced.)

Bibliography