A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Voix Célestes

VOIX CÉLESTES, VOX CŒLESTIS, VOX ANGELICA, UNDA MARIS. An organ stop with two ranks of pipes, one tuned about three beats a second sharper than the other. The pipes are sometimes of the Dulciana type; sometimes (generally in the case of French organ-builders) two small Gambas. and occasionally the ranks are dissimilar, one a Keraulophon, and one a Dulciana. The custom is to tune one rank with the organ and one sharper, but this has the effect of making the organ sound disagreeably flat after using the stop, and the plan advocated by Mr. Sedley Taylor of tuning one rank slightly above and one below the general pitch of the organ is no doubt preferable, though it precludes the use of either alone, or in combination with the other stops. The Voix Célestes has its proper place in the swell organ, and in large buildings its wavy floating effect is not unpleasing. Like other 'fancy' stops it should be used with reserve. The name Vox Angelica is ambiguous, some builders make it a synonym for Voix Célestes, and others for the rank of pipes which is tuned to the rest of the organ.

[ W. Pa. ]