Abat-voix

A sounding board, also known as Pulpit or Pulpit sky dome, in Christian churches is used specifically to reflect the words of the priest or pastor in the preaching in the direction of the faithful. It is located above the pulpit and ensures that the sermon can be understood in a loud speaking in the whole Church.

With the development of electro-acoustics and the installation of microphones and loudspeakers in the churches of the sounding board lost their meaning. Modern pulpits have no sounding board since the early reflections ( discards) disrupt the electro-acoustic microphone transmission of the language from the lid.

A special kind of sounding board can be found at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. There, for the audience invisible orchestra is covered with a wooden semi-circular aperture, which first raises the sound generated in the orchestra pit to the stage, where it mixes with the sound of the coming of there voices.

Sounding board in the Cathedral of Kalmar

Sounding board in the church of Voigdehagen

Square sounding board in the St. Nicholas Church in Altefaehr

Outdoor pulpit at the Cathedral of Prato in Italy