Tibia Dura Latin

An open wooden flute of 8' or 4' pitch, invented by Hope-Jones. The name means “hard pipe”. Wedgwood provides the illustrations reproduced here, with the following description:

The original pattern of Tibia Dura was composed of open wood pipes of extraordinary shape. The pipe at the base was broad though shallow, but increased in depth as it ascended. The back of the pipe remained perpendicular, but the front fell outwards at such an angle as to render the pipe square at the top. The sides were set parallel. For some occult reason the pipe-foot was set in the cap. The stop was provided with leathered lips. The sole example of the Tibia Dura, made after this manner, is in the Swell at St. Paul, Burton-on-Trent [England]. It was a mere probationary and tentative experiment of no intrinsic worth.
More recently, however, Mr. Hope-Jones has succeeded in the production of the same tone from a pipe of a more reasonable construction. It is made of hard wood, with the mouth on the west side. The new pattern of pipe is narrow at the base from back to front, but as it ascends both back and front move outwards, though not sufficiently to render the pipe square. The stop is largely used by Messrs. Ingram & Co., of Hereford (successors to Ingram, Hope-Jones & Co.). Warwick Castle; Wesleyan Chapel, Warwick (Ingram, Hope-Jones & Co.); Parish Church, Loughborough; Melbourne Town Hall, Australia (Ingram & Co.).

The tone of the Tibia Dura is bright, hard and penetrating. Irwin describes it as very loud (probably from the Wanamaker example), Maclean calls it a type of Melodia, and Audsley dismisses it as having no special tonal characteristics.

Examples

Tibia Dura 8', Swell; John Wanamaker Store, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Bibliography