These names denote a mutation stop of 3-1/5' pitch in the manuals, supporting the 16' harmonic series, or 6-2/5' in the pedal, supporting the 32' harmonic series. It is a third-sounding rank, supporting the fifth harmonic, and sounds an octave below the Seventeenth. Its pipes are usually open, but may be stopped.

According to Grove, it was first known in France around 1660; Williams cites a 1660 organ by Enocq at Les Jacobins, Paris, France as possibly the first to contains such a stop. Hopkins & Rimbault state that this stop was first introduced in England at the Mechanics' Institution in Liverpool. Bedos, writing in the mid-1700's, describes the Grosse Tierce as a wide-scale (flute) mutation of full manual compass which never appears in the Positif, but sometimes appears in the Pedale.

While the names Decem and Decima mean "tenth", they have also been used as synonyms for Seventeenth (Tierce), as has Decupla. The name Grosse Tierce has been used for a wide-scaled Tierce to distinguish it from a narrow-scaled Petite Tierce. Terz is also a synonym for Tierce and Third.

Variants

Examples

Osiris contains 58 examples of Gross[e] Tierce, 13 examples of Tenth, 11 examples of Grossterz, 3 examples of Double Tierce, and 1 example of Decima. Of the 311 examples of Terz, 35 are at 3-1/5' pitch and 11 are at 6-2/5'. No examples are known of Decem, Decupla, Diez, or Great Tierce. Contributions welcome.

Double Tierce 3-1/5', Great; Recital Hall, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA; Fisk 1974.

Double Tierce 3-1/5', Great; Ely Cathedral, Ely, England; Harrison & Harrison 1908.

Double Tierce 3-1/5', Grand-Orgue; Basilica, St. Maximin, France; Isnard 1772-73.

Decima 3-1/5', Gran Organo; Auditorio Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico; Tamburini 1958. This is the only known example of this name.

Bibliography