A Peep Inside.

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I just noticed that it is some weeks since anything appeared here, and it has been a long time since I put up news on the organ-grinding scene.

I have never been very keen on standing around in the cold winter months cranking my organ.

I know a lot of grinders are out there right up to Christmas, but I much prefer the warm days of summer, the smell of freshly mowed grass, beer tents and chip vans!

During the winter months organs can be stripped down, cleaned out and have alterations made or even new parts incorporated. I have one friend who, during the winter made a complete new set of bellows to go with the new sets of pipes he made the previous year.

I had planned to make a set of thirteen piccolo pipes to add to the three ranks I already have.

The organ design allows for four ranks, which can be selected by pulling the corresponding draw-bar. The organ will play perfectly well with only one set, the others are the to provide variety.

It occurred to me that many of you have seen the front of the organ, but not seen the inside.

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As I have all the melody pipes out at the moment, I have taken a few pictures of the 'innards'.

Here you can see the four rows of thirteen. Thirteen notes is all I have to play the tune, or melody, on. The other pipes are for Accompaniment and Bass (not shown here).

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Each of the ranks (rows) can be selected to play by pulling out the draw-bar (brass knob!) on the right-hand side, viewed from the front. In the above picture, rank two is selected to play.

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The Accompaniment pipes sit on either side of the case.

There are three (empty pipe mounts) in the above picture and the other five are on the opposite side (see previous picture).

This one above also shows two of the three crankshafts which pump the bellows right down at the bottom of the organ, which can be seen in the first picture.

At the moment I have filled only three of those rows with pipes and this Winter I was hoping to get the final forth row built. I have sent off for the thirteen pieces of brass tube, but what with Christmas and snow, they are still to be delivered.

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Singing Chicken found at last.

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Filmed up in those foothills of Foodyland!

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Foody's Holiday Reminder.

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A Medley of Summer Days Out

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A Few old Keyboards

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I have just posted up on 'Monkey-Organ',

some of the outdoor goings-on over the weekend

at the Milton Keynes Museum.

Inside the museum itself,

can be found some of the most interesting rooms,

packed with 'goodies' from by-gone days.

Here are just a few.

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Fairground toys and rocking horses in the nursery.

And on a musical theme.

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A Street Barrel Organ.

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A small portable Harmonium.

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A large organ rescued from a small church.

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And a Reed Organ - or is it another Harmonium?

I've never been quite sure which is which. (Deb?)

I used to have one but had to get rid of it to make space.

A sad day.

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Sounds of the Symphonion

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The disc musical box was invented almost

simultaneously in London by Ellis Parr,

and in Leipzig by Paul Lochmann.

Initially, they worked separately on their inventions,

but eventually got together and developed the Symphonion.

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The Symphonion company, of Leipzig, began the manufacture of the first practical disc playing musical boxes in 1886. In 1889 Paul Wendland an engineer for Symphonion patented the starwheel which acts as the intermediary between the tabs on the discs and the combs.

The starwheel had already been in use but this allowed for the horizontal mounting of the combs thereby increasing the acoustic quality of the music. They continued to make music boxes until 1914. In 1897 a production plant was established in New Jersey America but it was closed by 1902.

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In the 1930s the mechanical instrument industry began a near terminal decline, hit by the increasing availability of radio and gramophone and by the Depression, then by World War II. Most of the old firms closed.

There is a bit on the one I am about to restore,

over on my other blog here.

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Still "Messing about on the River"

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German Flute Clock plays Mozart

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Restoration of a German Flute Clock (Flotenuhr) from the early nineteenth century.

It is playing Mozart from cylinder No. 3.

You can also hear it playing from cylinder No. 2 here.

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"De Carillon"

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The 64 Key Bursens Street Organ "De Carillon" at the Burley Village Show,

New Forest, Hampshire, England on August 7th 2010.

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Peter Mackett playing Blue Bayou.

Arr. Jan Kees de Ruijter.

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A Little Music from the Garden

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This popped up this morning on my YT favourites.

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An excellent arrangement.

I may have a go at a version myself if I can find the music.

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"Horns of Plenty"

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If there is one thing that I really fancy a go at, it is a try to get a note out of an Alpine Horn.

Just look at this!

What a set up! - not the sort of tune for a "knees-up" ♥,

but -

Great playing.

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Another of my Favourites.

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I have popped this up because it is the latest video from my old friend "robinorgelman" from Holland.

It is all in Dutch I'm afraid, but it looks like a 125 year old Veerbeech.

The tunes are :-

Mars der Medici.

Lichtjes aan de Schelder.

Samba Medley.

Honolulu Rhumba.

Underneath the Arches.

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Fourth of July Celebrations

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Bob, playing his home built John Smith 26-note organ at the Old Poway Park July 4th Celebration.
The tune is the Hoch Heidecksburg March a Melvyn Wright arrangement.

It is not me, but I have to admit, Bob and I have many things in common.

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A Duet and a Hug

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Just browsing around on my days off and found a couple of interesting videos on YouTube.

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This is a duet video of Ted cranking his Raffin 20/40 organ, and Jonathan cranking a Raffin 20/78 owned by Dave Mahr. This was taken at the COAA organ rally held in Rossville, Georgia at Lake Winnepesaukah in May of 2010. (Lake Winnie)

Playing a fast tune like this and keeping together is quite difficult.

I think they made a good job of it.

And this next one is for Jan in California, who tells me, she is always willing to have a hug.

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The Old Sow

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A traditional Sussex folk-song written by Albert Richardson.

My music shows a copyright in 1934 for the original and authentic version.

Albert was the original singer and made recordings on Regal-Zona Record T. 5178 and also on Polydor Record 287 0191.

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I know what I think.

I know I've been quite. But every five years I am asked.....

"What do I think?"

When it all over...... I may say,....I told you so.

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Think of Our Future - Vote Small.

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I have tried to keep politics at arms length from these blogs.

But as I only get a vote once every five years,

I feel I cannot let this 'final' election go unsupported.

It is 'final' because if we are not careful, we are going to loose everything our forefathers fought and died for;

Sovereignty, Democracy and Freedom of Speech.

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Those three things are disappearing fast.

We must stand up and be counted.....

Or be swallowed up and lost.

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"...our membership of the European Union has removed our democracy; it has taken away the right of the British people to elect and dismiss those who make their laws. Our system of representative parliamentary democracy, for which millions have died over hundreds of years, has been frittered away. It no longer serves the people. That is why the time has come to give power back to the people. They deserve it anyway; it is their power and it belongs to them. Before long their anger will overflow if they do not get it back."

- UKIP leader Lord Pearson, speaking in the House of Lords, 5th February 2009

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A Small Barrel Organ

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Only a small organ but it shows the principle of barrels and pinning.

If you look closely, you can see the extra rows of pins for the other tunes, passing between the wooden 'keys'. The barrel would slide to the left or right to select and play a different tune.

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The Britannia Coconutters.

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If you wondering why I have popped this up, it is for Saturdays post over on monkey-organ.

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Bavarian Polka ?

The Polka, is one my favourite types of dance. Not that I dance it, but because it fits in so well with the organ. The organ is always at its best with fast moving tunes. A Polka always fits the bill.

I have arranged dozens so far and they always play well. Slow waltzes and Old Fashioned waltzes on the other hand, although nice in themselves, can seem to 'drag' a bit on long sustained notes.

After Polkas, I would go for a good rousing march any day.

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Clarinet Polka on a 26 note Street Organ

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Now I do have this roll for my organ. It is however a Melvyn Wright arrangement and not one of mine.
This piece is a good test for the small operating valves which can be adjusted by tweeking the 'bleed screws'.
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Clarinet Marmalade

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I couldn't find an organ to play this so how about this version from the 1920's.
After all it's not really organ music.
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The TWO GILBERTS - 1924 78rpm

"Does Your Spearmint lose it's Flavour on the Bedpost Overnight?"
Of course the most popular version of this song was by Lonnie Donegan in the early sixties...but how about this version from 1924
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Bekonscot Garden Railway

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Driver's eye view.
A 10 (scale) mile ride on the front of a model engine running on the Bekonscot railway.

"Bushel and a Peck"

The Lennon Sisters version of "A BUSHEL AND A PECK" From the Musical "Guys And Dolls" (Frank Loesser)

There were other versions by :-

Perry Como & Betty Hutton - 1950

Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely - 1950

Doris Day - 1950 version here:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNjv1WDGxt8&feature=related

The Andrews Sisters - 1953

Johnny Desmond - 1953

Vivian Blaine - 1953

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If I Knew You Were Coming I'd Have Baked A Cake

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Here's a version from 1950 by Gracie Fields.
The original one was made popular by Eileen Barton.
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Opens days at Amersham.

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Amersham Organ Museum is the place to see some smashing Fair Organs. They are open one day every month during the winter, the latest is today 7th Feb. The January meet was cancelled due to the snow. The March one is also on the 7th.

It is a good chance for like minded people to get together for a chat. I meet up with several "small" organ owners to get news, udates and in my case, let friends have copies of my latest arrangements.

The Museum is the lifetimes work of Teddy Reed who has been collecting Fairground Organs for over fifty years.

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I know I popped up this link before, but it may be new to some of you.

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Draaiorgel De Willem Parel

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Slideshow Im schönen Andaluziën.
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Bournville Carillon

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This is a nice close-up of the bells and doesn't take too long to play. There are lots to be found on YT and some are better that others.
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"The Cabbage Polka"

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I told you there were lots of tunes about fruit and vegetables.
Well, here the Cabbage Polka. I believe it needs quite a bit of wind........or should that read causes quite a bit of wind?
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Flotenuhr for Musical Clocks

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Just three of the many delightful tunes that Joseph Haydn wrote for Organ Clocks.
I do not know which these three are. I have a list showing thirty two in all.