Voix Humaine Installation

During the summer of 2015, in celebration of the Tenth Anniversary of the Perkins and Wells Memorial Organ, C.B. Fisk, Opus 126, a voix humaine (or vox humana) stop was added to the organ’s swell division.  Located high in the organ case, quite near the ceiling, the swell division is one of the principal expressive divisions and contains a variety of solo and accompanimental stops, enclosed in a large box lined with expression shades.  

The Vox humana is a rather small, soft reed stop, which produces a mysterious and other-worldly sound, especially when combined with the tremulant. It is very typical of the 19th Century French Symphonic style organ made famous by the builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, after whose instruments the tonal concept of the Fisk organ was developed.