The Organs in the Chodel Deanery in the 18th Century (Based on the Inspection Records)

Abstract

The following article is the fifth, and the last one, of the series of texts concerning organs in the 18^th century in the Lublin Archdeaconry, to which the Chodel Deanery used to belong. It was created on the basis of four Bishop’s inspections carried out in 1721, 1739, 1748 and 1781. The inspection acts are a valuable source in order to get to know the history of the organs.

Basing on the records in the researched inspections, the information on 32 instruments functioning in the Chodel Deanery was obtained. To define them 31 versions of naming were used in the sources, originating from the two basic terms: organum and positivum. It is very characteristic to use complex names, consisting even of six elements. Majority of the organs were placed on the choir loft, above the great church doors. There is no information concerning the localisation of a few small movable positives. All instruments were of small sizes—from four to ten voices, most of them consisted of seven voices.

The knowledge about the organs in the Chodel Deanery obtained from the inspections, confirms the characteristics of the instruments functioning in the 18^th century in the rural parish churches. This article is a contribution to the comprehensive monograph of the Polish organ construction, which still awaits to be analysed.