Organ Update 9
UPDATE Compiled by Boz Oram
boz@historyinharmony.com
www.historyinharmony.com
We have just returned from a tour in Germany for a group of Model Engineering people who also had the opportunity of going to see a whole series of collections throughout the Southern German area, plus an excellent Model Engineering Exhibition where both areas turned out to be rather exceptional.
Linda and I have also been on a Hotel recognisance trip to make sure that what is put into various brochures are what they seem and the results have been very promising and will be used in forthcoming tours this year.
We have been asked for a list of the tours that are on offer this year and this we’ll do as and when they are confirmed. It is a hazard of this type of profession, that we don’t necessarily get the quick responses that are needed to ensure that the tour can operate – so apologies for the sporadic information, but that is the nature of the beast.
I am working on a list of suppliers at this moment that was started a number of years ago. The idea is so that all of us can find out where to get that elusive part or maybe find a restorer to help you start or maybe finish a particular job. If you have any information however small, please pass it onto me and I’ll put them all together for all to see. This is and should be from all countries so that we can use an international flavour to the pastime that we all enjoy. A few hardy souls have already passed names and addresses to me but a whole lot more will be needed to make a decent list.
Contents for Update #9:
Introduction
News from Canada
Knowl Hill Steam Rally
Stoomwalsenclub Netherlands Events Diary
FOPS reminder
Churchill Museum
Renown Book
Waldkirch Five Day Special Scenic Tour
Composition for mechanical Organ
H&S requirements reply
Tax on Possession
Help Section
Some Societies in the world
Finally
End Bit
From Ron Schmuck in Canada
Hello Boz, Well things right now in Canada are mainly white. We have several feet of snow that arrived here in early December. Our workshops are fortunately on our property here so work continues every day no matter what the weather. We have a great deal of work in at present but we normally have at least 4 instruments on the floor being restored, and for the last 10 years or so, around 8 to 10 in storage waiting their turn to come in to the main shops. Some projects take as long as several years but most are completed in a matter of months.
As you know we do all types of automated musical instruments, at present we have a wonderful Dutch organ named "Monique" from the workshops of VanRoos, probably put together in the 1950's. It is now fully restored with a new paint job on the façade, which my wife Susan does. She has also applied a ton of gold and silver leaf so the facade has most likely never looked so good as it now does. We have also installed 5 figures on the facade, which originally had no figures at all. The owner, Mr Rick Cooley loves the big instruments with plenty of action. We are also installing one of our midi systems into the organ so that it will be able to play the books as original pieces as well as midi file automation. Antoon Heesbeen is preparing the midi music. He is a most talented arranger of music and seems to be able to give most songs that true Dutch sound. NBC is also building a new organ for Rick Cooley with many additions to allow us to build a Ruth 36 style facade for it, complete with brass trumpets.
I also have a number of small monkey organs in for restoration that may be of interest to your readers. Let me know what sort of article would be of interest.
Hope you had a good trip to Germany, Hello Linda!!
Ron
Thanks for that Ron. Many of you will know that Ron was part of the restoration of the Salzburg Stier Bull Organ in the Hohensalzburg Fortress Austria, along with Bob van Wely, Dr Jan Jaap Haspels, both from the famous Utrecht museum, Ferdinand F Salomon and a whole host of other notable figures. For those who don’t know, but this is the oldest original mechanically operated instrument in the world now in its 500th decade! Some of the music is from Leopold Mozart, W A Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Paul Hofhaimer, Johann Ernst Eberlin and others, with some of the music originating from the 1753 repertoire. A truly fascinating instrument from a period long ago lost in the annals of time and the first time that this instrument had played for many a long year was on the 16th October 2002. Ron also comes over on odd occasions to the Great Dorset Steam Fair and on the last occasion stayed in my old living van and helped me with the cutting machine that travels around the show site on the odd occasion.
http://members.aol.com/tgcnc/
www.salzstier.com
email. schmuck@wightman.ca
Ron is just updating the www.salzstier.com website for the world's oldest working mechanical organ
From the Thames Valley Traction Engine Club newsletter No 177
The end of an era has taken place. Unfortunately, due to mounting expenses, Governmental electrical upgrading regulations and impending legislation, it was felt that it was time to call it a day after 35 years of being in the forefront of the rally scene. Knowl Hill is a village just south of Maidenhead in the Royal County of Berkshire, and the steam rally has attracted many thousands of people to its show that was held up until five years ago by John Keeley. It managed to raise many thousands of Pounds Sterling for many different charities in the area and also benefited the many local shops and businesses. Recently, after John’s death, it was taken over by a hardy group of volunteers who managed it admirably but as they say “all good things come to an end” I have to quote Sandra Marder, editor of the TVTEC newsletter and secretary of the Road Locomotive Society – “it will leave a big hole in the rally calendar for many of us, but we must be grateful for 35 years of association with Knowl Hill” – my sentiments as well……..
Just to let you know, the Thames Valley Traction Engine Society has been going for I guess 50 years give or take a few and is in the area well known for the first sprint between two traction engines in the early 50’s with one of the drivers being Arthur Napper who managed to get the whole of the preservation movement into the Public eye by having a race with Miles Chertwyn-Stapleton. A National Newspaper did a report on it and from that small start, our British and most likely Continental preservation movement started into being the excellent gathering of old and antiquated machinery being staged at various shows throughout the country. Funny how things just happen when the time is right isn’t it. The society forges on with a vibrant committee and Sandra edits the excellent newsletter, which also features many old photographs of working machinery in their working days. For more information about the society contact Sandra.marder@virgin.net or web www.roadloco.org
From the Stoomwalsen Club Holland www.stoomwalsenclub.nl
Events from the Dutch Steam Club 2005
Saturday 2nd April Jaarvegadering Stoomwalsenclub North Holland
Saturday 30th April – 1st May Bochum Duitsland Steam Festival Ruhrgebeit Zeche Hannover-Bochum
Sunday 1 May – 4th Melle Duitsland. Automuseum plus steam engines
Thursday 5th – 8th May The Almere Steam Festival.
Saturday 7th – 8th May Mildenberg Duitsland Festival
Saturday 18th June the excellent Steam Road Run In Drachtstercompagnie, Friesland
12th –14th August The Hellevoetsluis Vestingdagen Steam Festival.
Saturday 24th – 25th September Flaijelfeesten Oude-Nieuwe Horne Friesland
The Club produces, and has done since 1969 their magazine Op Stoom which although is written in Dutch, also has plenty of excellent quality photographs. Fortunately, for English speaking people, due to the fact that we speak from the same original derivatives, it is possible to understand what is being written (or maybe that is because I’m dyslexic and everything looks much the same. The contact to approach is J Kuitwaard. Koegendijk 105, 1862 PS Bergen, Holland – telephone 072 5813535 or as you are all on email then j.kuitwaard@planet.nl The annual fee for overseas members is, I believe it to be 50 Euros – cash as transfer from different currencies are too expensive.
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To FOPS members, if you wish to have accommodation in the Midland Hotel, please contact us as soon as you can as we are holding the accommodation on your behalf. Contact tours@historyinharmony.com please.
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From Andrew Borge at the Churchill Museum. Clive Steps, King Charles Street London SW1A 2AQ website www.iwm.org.uk
Andrew had been writing to us about the opening of the Churchill Museum for a while, but it coincided with our tour to Germany and so we were unable to commit to going. However on the day before the showing, we were contacted again and in the end I made the effort to go up and see it. Thankfully I did – it’s a fantastic exhibition of Britain’s most famous Briton – W S Churchill. The Cabinet War Rooms have been in existence for quite a while, however the Churchill Museum is now the first major museum in the world dedicated to the life and achievements of Sir Winston Churchill and gives you the opportunity to explore the man behind the legend. Within the museum, which is privately run so relies totally upon visitor attendance (see www.churchillmuseum.org.uk ), I certainly found out plenty of intriguing facts about the man himself, and why he commands even now, such an iconic status that few politicians will ever achieve. The museum combines cutting edge technology with key objects; documents, film and sound recordings that certainly enthralled me until the words “haven’t you got a home to go to” entered my ear. No that was from me – those poor souls who had already had a long day were still there way past their bedtime! I was very impressed with the atmosphere, the genuine interest from the staff and finally for a very pleasant evening. Should you wish to go to the exhibition, then if you are just a small group, then turn up at the door, however should you require group or special arrangements, then please do contact us at www.historyinharmony.com and we’ll do the rest. HRH The Queen will be opening the museum next month and if she starts fiddling around with the knobs and controls of this interactive display like I did, then she may be there for a few days!
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From Brian Steptoe whom I asked for more information on the recently written book about the tragically burnt, but incredibly quickly rebuilt Fowler Showman’s engine Renown
"The book on Renown will be published at Easter 2005, with a launch event at the Coors (formerly Bass) Museum at Burton-on-Trent. The Howard Brothers will be there with Renown. The book is priced at £5. It is 40 pages, in full colour. It can be ordered at any bookshop or by mail order from Jumper Books, 99 McCarthy Way, Wokingham, RG40 4UB.
Orders by mail will have p&p added to the book price, currently £1.30, although postal rates are due to rise in April.” (I’m guessing that the postage is internal to the UK. For overseas rates, please ask Brian directly)
From History in Harmony, a tour that might warm the cockles of your heart and give you a chance to unwind. The Waldkirch Five Day Special Scenic Tour is designed to coincide with the Waldkirch Organ Festival - I know that there are a few people who would like to visit the show, but also see a bit more of the country at the same time. Flying in from the UK (overseas visitors can fly directly), the venues are: Triberg which hosts Germany’s highest waterfall and is also the town credited with the invention of the Black Forest Gateaux and the Schwartzwald Music Museum; using the Schwartzwaldpanoramestrasse Mountain Railway to go to the Waldkirch Music Festival, the beautiful Flower Island of Minau within Lake Bodensee and into Switzerland to visit two collections. The tour is based at the 4* Maritim Titisee-Neustadt, a relaxing hotel from one of the best hotels in Germany. More details? Visit www.historyinharmony.com or email tours@historyinharmony.com for a booking form. There is of course the long tour that takes in the collections on the way down through Germany, collections in Switzerland as well as those in France and finally the Short tour that goes to just the festival itself in Waldkirch.
From Mr Franco Severi, President of the AMMI Associazone Italiana Musica Meccanica
The Second Contest – International Composition for Organo di Barberia – Composition for small hand-turned 29 note (monkey) organ.
The composition to be created is for a 29 note hand turned organ with bass note C,D,F,G,A, and treble clef C,D,E,F,F#,G,G#,A,A#,B,C,C#,D,D#,E,F,F#,G,G#.A,A#,B,C.D. No percussion included and the prize for the winning entry IS 500 Euros
For further details: web site www.ammi.mm.it or email info@ammi-italia.com
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From Brian Gooding – Editor of Vintage Spirit www.vintagespirit.co.uk as well as a similar response from Derek Rayner, Technical News Editor of Old Glory Magazine www.oldglory.co.uk I have received information to pass on to you all. For those people outside of the UK, both these magazines cover industrial heritage and transport on a monthly basis. For further details please contact their websites which will give you subscription and overseas rates and a bit more about the content.
Using Brian’s response
“Referring to the item under 'Finally', I raised the issue with John Reeves who, as well as being my Deputy Editor at Vintage Spirit, is also his local Parish Council Chairman. We also had a phone call from a reader who was worried about new H& S requirements.”
These were Jon's comments:
”These proposals were published on the Department¹s website in early November, with a closing date for response of December 23. As far as is known that was the only way in which rally organisers could learn of it.
Despite the fact that a local West of England paper¹s London editor reported on Jan 15 that the government was considering a U-turn in light of massive protest from event organisers, agricultural show organisers, the National Trust etc, a look at the relevant website at the time of writing gave the additional information that “³The following fees regulations were laid in Parliament on 20th January.......... Licensing authorities will be able to begin processing applications on 7th February 2005 suggesting that all is done and dusted. However, there is a new scale of fees, starting at £1,000 for events having 5,000 to 9,999 “³in attendance at any one time² to £64,000 for events of over 90,000.
Andrew Semple, Chairman if NTET has told Vintage Spirit that the NTET responded to the Consultation Document before the deadline of December 23, expressing its extreme concern at the fees, and their effect on our events. He estimated that, from NTET approved rallies alone some 250 events will be affected by these charges.
The sad thing is that at the end of the day, the people who will suffer most are the charities that receive donations from hundreds of events up and down the country.”
For myself, it seems to me that it could be possible to interpret it as well, so maybe it might be an idea to make sure that our hobby is actually exempted from it altogether. Remember that this reply is for the UK. I did note that in some places in Europe, town councils are more than happy to help sponsor various events which bring the General Public into their town. Grateful thanks to Jon, Derek and Brian for their comments.
Talking of exemption, I note that a petition has also been taken to No 10 Downing Street, the UK Prime Minister’s residence with over 50,000 signatures calling for our leader to block a DVLA proposal for an annual registration charge. It appears that it would affect all vehicle keepers and unusually, rather than Parliament setting the tax it would be done by an agency. I remember when I was on the committee of MOOS; the Tax on Possession that the then Government wanted to impose, reared its very ugly head. At that time it was found to be totally unreasonable and impractical – let’s hope that common sense prevails again.
Also from Brian Steptoe
I met an owner of a Molinari hand-turned barrel organ at the Southern Counties Organ event at Fontwell last autumn. Unfortunately I did not note his name (a senior moment maybe from which we all suffer!). I offered to pass on any information about these makers. Maybe he will see this via your newsletter. My information comes from Fred Freid's Carousel book.
He wrote:
"Molinari came from Italy to New York in the second half of the nineteenth century. He was in business for some 60 years. He supplied organs for rental to itinerant street musicians, mainly Italians. He also sometimes supplied barrel organs for small carousels. The business was based at 153 Elizabeth Street, which is in the Little Italy district of Lower Manhattan. They also had premises in central Manhattan and in Brooklyn, NY at some time."
Yours, Brian
If any of you know who this person might be, could you please pass on this information onto them?
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Some Societies throughout the world
I mentioned earlier the Stoomwalsenclub in the Netherlands www.stoomwalsenclub.nl and their excellent magazine – there is also the excellent publication Het Pierement of the Kring van Draaiorgelvrienden is also written in Dutch and their website is www.draaiorgel.org with their membership fees being 50 Euros. Also the Musique Mechaniques Vivantes from France www.aaimm.org and from Italy Associazone Musica Meccanica Italiana www.ammi-italia.com Check out their websites and further information for new members will be available. For the USA there is the MBSI which hosts many Conventions to excellent museums and collections on a regular basis and their website is www.mbsi.org and email is mbsi@estreet.com, Steam Traction is www.steamtraction.com with email rbackus@ogdenpubs.com - I know that to keep costs down, Richard sends the magazines directly to be distributed by John Cook of the National Traction Engine Trust UK www.ntetuk@aol.com as there are many people in Europe who enjoy the publication. Finally the COAA who can be contacted at Wawaters2@aol.com Now there’s a few groups to be going on with – if you’ve been left out then please let me know and I’ll alter the situation. As I said, in due course all information will be transferred to our own website www.historyinharmony.com so that this email won’t become too top heavy, plus you’ll be able to go to the places that you want to go to rather than where I send you!
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Margaret Mahoney
Many of you will have met Margaret over a period of years when we were either on tour or she gave us a moment to catch up on keeping a business going. Margaret also had the uncanny knack of being there when you needed her as a soulmate. Unfortunately, after an operation during the Christmas week, she died due to complications. A lovely, witty and charming person who will be sadly missed by so many. Our thoughts go to her family and her many close friends.
That’s it so far – please could you supply me with any information as this email is as much yours as mine to enjoy and is now going to many different countries of the world – if you want to be anonymous, that’s fine - all subjects are welcome to be discussed. If you want to use any of this material, please do, but please mention History in Harmony as the source and give the web address www.historyinharmony.com
As ever, should you wish to not be included on this update, then please let me know at boz.oram@andover52.fsnet.co.uk and I’ll remove you forthwith. Conversely, if you know of any other people who would benefit or enjoy this email, then please get them to contact me at the same address.
COURTESY NOTICE
Views expressed are not necessarily those of the update editor. It may be on occasions necessary to edit material. In such cases utmost care will be taken to ensure that alterations or omissions do not alter the context of the subject or create a misleading or false representation. As a matter of courtesy, the author(s) will be consulted about major alterations. Finally, I am a bit dyslexic, which doesn’t help me with the spelling or grammar, so if you are struggling with the content, remember I’m also having the same problem!
With kind wishes
Boz Oram boz.oram@andover52.fsnet.co.uk www.historyinharmony.com tel +UK (0)8700 113994
Published on iMOD with kind permission of Boz Oram.
