Key Takeaways:
- Organ-tuning books contain valuable data on temperature and humidity conditions in churches over time
- Researchers have found a rise in average temperatures inside churches since the 1960s, indicating increased artificial heating and potential global heating
- Organ-tuning records could be useful for climate studies, providing insights into historical climate and weather patterns
- Temperature and humidity changes can affect the tuning and pitch of pipe organs, making it challenging to maintain their sound quality
- Further analysis of organ-tuning book data could provide valuable information on climate change and its impact on historic buildings and musical instruments
Introduction to Organ-Tuning Books
Yangang Xing, a researcher at Nottingham Trent University, had never heard of organ-tuning books until his colleague Andrew Knight introduced him to the concept. Knight, who played the pipe organ at churches as a teenager, explained that many organs had notebooks full of data tucked away in their recesses. These books contain brief records of organ tuners’ visits, including observations on temperature and humidity inside the building. Xing realized that these books were a treasure trove of data that could span decades, providing valuable insights into environmental conditions in churches over time.
The Research Study
Xing, Knight, and their colleague Bruno Bingley published a paper in the journal Buildings & Cities, presenting preliminary data from 18 organ-tuning books associated with churches in London, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire. The records date back to 1966 and indicate a rise in average temperatures inside churches since then, during both winter and summer periods. This suggests that churches are being heated artificially to a greater extent today than in the past, and that these old buildings are getting warmer even in summer months when heating systems are more likely to be turned off. The researchers believe that this is a "hint" of global heating, reflecting the impact of climate change on historic buildings.
Implications of the Study
The average summer temperature for urban churches in the sample was 17.2C during the late 1960s, but by the 2020s it had reached 19.8C. This increase in temperature can affect the tuning and pitch of pipe organs, making it challenging to maintain their sound quality. Organ tuners care about temperature because it affects the expansion and contraction of materials such as wood and metal, commonly used in organs. Humidity also plays a role, and changes in temperature and humidity can alter the pitch of an organ by as much as 0.8 hertz per degree Celsius. This means that if an organ is tuned at 16C and the temperature later rises to 20C, the notes the instrument produces can be perceptibly different.
Expert Insights
Andrew Scott, the managing director of Harrison & Harrison, a Durham-based company that builds and services pipe organs, noted that the study’s findings reflect what he has observed in his work. "A rise of internal ambient temperature through the unheated summer months due to rising temperatures outside," he said. Neil Macdonald, a professor of geography at the University of Liverpool, also commented on the study, saying that organ-tuning records could be useful for climate studies. However, he noted that summer temperatures in churches could be influenced by factors besides climate breakdown, such as changes in ventilation practices. Scott’s company has tuned organs all over the world, including in hot countries where keeping an organ in tune is already challenging, and climate breakdown threatens to make it harder still.
Future Research Directions
Xing and his colleagues hope to analyze more organ-tuning book data and are urging anyone who owns such records to contact them. "If we can find older ones, it would be fascinating," Xing said. "I hope people realize the value of tuning books." By studying these records, researchers can gain a better understanding of climate change and its impact on historic buildings and musical instruments. The use of organ-tuning books as a source of climate data is a unique and innovative approach, and further analysis could provide valuable insights into historical climate and weather patterns. As the researchers continue to explore this topic, they may uncover new information that can help us better understand the effects of climate change on our environment and our cultural heritage.