On Saturday 17th March, 21 hardy souls braved the wintry conditions to visit the Fairground Organ Museum in Amersham, Bucks, to discover a hidden gem of British heritage.
Thanks to the foresight and passion of 92 year old Ted, some rare and stunningly beautiful fairground organs have been saved for the nation.
The day started with a brief history of Ted's heroic efforts to save this little treasure trove and how the museum came about and then with the enthusiastic Paul and Kevin, both organ builders, it was onto the highlight, hearing the organs !
Many of the original organ builders hailed from Italy, migrating to Paris where their skills were much in demand and then onto England where they were very successful until like many industries and crafts, the modern age simply made them obsolete.
We started with the diminutive barrel organ, which still a beautiful piece of craftsmanship was produced in the 1880s for around £16, worth around £1500 today!
Easily portable it could be wheeled from place to place to earn a living. Charles Dickens is said to have written that he found the organ excruciating to listen to and Charles Babbage was constantly asking the police to arrest the grinders but they had great support in the violinist Yehudi Menuhin, who apparently described them as fellow musicians.
Then it was onto the much grander and elegant Gavoli and Hooghuys organs, grand dames that can sound like entire orchestras, piccolos, trumpets, drums and cymbals.
Resplendent in glittering gold with beautifully carved figurines and as one eagle eyed spectator noted, almost but not quite all, very attractive female figures. Each figure essentially an automaton, be it drummer, conductor or cymbal player.
Not only were we able to see and hear these magnificent creations but also allowed to get up close and watch the workings in detail which are works of art in themselves.
Amazingly, in a pre computer age the music was created by being encoded onto barrels through metal pins and staples. Short notes from the pins and longer notes from the staples, regarded as an art form in itself .
Others operated via concertina like card books with the music punched into the card, ingenious. For the non mechanical minded, like me, it is nothing short of a marvel.
Each organ's history was detailed before hearing it in action and one could only imagine how fascinated Victorians would have been by the appearance of even one of these beauties in their town and the delight they must have experienced in this then, very modern and popular entertainment.
We learnt that each of these would have formed part of a 'galloper' a phrase rarely heard today, the Americanism of Carousel taking over. But........ these organs would have been the centre piece of the huge Galloper, enticing the spectators in to ride a galloping horse amid the music and splendour of the fairground, young and old alike .
The day didn't end there. After steaming mugs of tea and slices of homemade cake we had the opportunity to ask as many questions as we liked and we did, from the original cost, to present day values, transportation of the organs and the restoration after a huge fire.
Then it was onto more music and a little singing and even dancing by the group before reluctantly, having heard all the organs played, we had to depart, out into the snow to wind our way home.
All agreed that it had been a really great afternoon and that it should be repeated and soon. Also very grateful that there are such great people as Ted, Paul and Kevin who like many volunteers up and down the country, take the time and care to save our wonderful heritage. Thanks Gents.
Pauline Osborne Social Secretary, Thames Valley Branch, 7 Region
