Another response to my Times letter:
>Sir, I was intrigued to read Mr Keenan's claim that 96% of the world's
>population used metric measures - has, by chance, the USA been omitted from
>the counting? A breakdown country/population to verify the figure claimed
>would help.
>
>There are certain things metrication cannot change e.g. much conversion
>machinery (in paper,plastics etc) runs on 3 inch bearings: it would not
>improve production to change this from 76.2 to 75mm. Which brings me to
>organs.
>
>All organs, to my knowledge, are made with the stops marked in feet, with 8'
>at middle C, 4' and 16' an octave above and below. In the specification of
>the Martinskirche in Kassel, amongst the stops (some of which have more than
>one rank of pipes) are:-
>
>Pedal
>Basszink 10 2/3rds', 6 2/5ths '
>Hintersatz 4f 5 1/3'
>
>Ruckpositive (I Manual)
>Siebenquart 1 1/7th', 16/19ths'
>Terznone 1 3/5th' 8/9ths'
>
>Oberwerk (III Manual)
>Obertone 3f 1 1/7th'
>Sifflote 1 1/3rd'
>
>How is it proposed to metricate this? Either one transposes the measurements
>precisely to metric, in which case one loses the measure and relationship of
>the harmonics, or the whole pipe system is re-jigged with an 8ft pipe changed
>to 2 or 3 metres and so on. Would the resultant cacophony from that be music
>to a metric enthusiast's ears?
>
>The discussion should be on whether the scale used should be enharmonic or
>well-tempered, and metric measurements have no contribution to make there
>either.
>
>The real issue is whether a forced system of measurement is relevant and
>practical.
>
>Yours sincerely,
>
>
>Paul Gregory
>Note to Editor - I will be faxing through the stop list of the Martinskirche
>organ, as an e-mail can't show the fractions properly.
>
>Also, some enharmonic instruments have been built
>
>I don't have any idea why the authorities are not stopping the sale to the
>public of organs marked in imperial if metric is the rule.
Naturally I have set him straight on the population issue ;-)
Chris
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