Mechanical Organ Owners Society
in conjunction with Melody Tours
'The Mysterious Crank' 2018
Join our legendary annual 'MOOS Tour' to the continent
We visited collections & museums all over Holland & Belgium
We visited collections & museums all over Holland & Belgium
This year the MOOS tour took its name from a vital part of a new and magnificent organ that we were amongst the first to see, but the story of quite how that part came to be there is something of a mystery!
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Saturday 10th November: Evening We arranged a visit to Café des Orgues at Herzeele. Always a popular location for the MOOS. We enjoyed the organs from Mortier and Decap at length, accompanied by a two course meal and plenty of drinks from the bar.
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Sunday 11th November : Morning
Our day began with a visit to a new destination for us, the workshop of Cas Hendrickx Draaiorgels in Zaltbommel where Cas and the music arranger Thomas Sterk have established a business building, restoring, decorating and supplying parts for organs.
Our day began with a visit to a new destination for us, the workshop of Cas Hendrickx Draaiorgels in Zaltbommel where Cas and the music arranger Thomas Sterk have established a business building, restoring, decorating and supplying parts for organs.
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We saw Decap Street Organ “De Engelenbak”, that Cas has superbly restored and which was widely acclaimed when it appeared at the KDV annual gathering of organs at Arnhem, and the Haarleem Organ Museum (in video here) |
Sunday 11th November : Afternoon
We then travelled to the north to the open day of Ruud Vader in Basingerhorn. Following the great success of the event held in 2018, Ruud is holding a further Organ Day, at which we will see and hear his superb collection of organs from the Black Forest.
We then travelled to the north to the open day of Ruud Vader in Basingerhorn. Following the great success of the event held in 2018, Ruud is holding a further Organ Day, at which we will see and hear his superb collection of organs from the Black Forest.
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Notable organs in the collection included the two model 38 organs by Ruth, the “Swiss” model 39 Ruth and Peeters Gavioli with its ornate Gebr Bruder façade. A great social occasion to meet with others in the organ world in warm and comfortable surroundings.
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Monday 12th November: All day
Today we had a lock-in at the Museum Speelklok in Utrecht.
Today we had a lock-in at the Museum Speelklok in Utrecht.
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This enormous collection includes many fine examples of street, fairground and dance organs, together with orchestrions, pianos, flute playing clocks and music boxes. As it was a Monday the collection was closed to the general public and were very privileged to have exclusive access to all the instruments enabling you to hear whatever we wished.
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Monday 12th November: Evening
In the evening, it was party night at the Kunkelsstichting in Haarlem.
In the evening, it was party night at the Kunkelsstichting in Haarlem.
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Taking its name from the imposing Kukelsorgel Marenghi that stands at one end of the hall, this is an outstanding collection of street and dance organs, including the street organs “De Jupiter” and “De Grote Blauwe”.
A recent arrival is the newly restored 90 key Carl Frei organ, “De Gouwe”, and we enjoyed a full evening of music from all the organs at this at this renowned collection. |
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Tuesday 13th November
Today we were invited to see a most exciting project that is now nearing completion! Elbert Pluer in Bussum has been constructing a new concert organ of 121 keys (or 128 key on MIDI) which has some unique capabilities with melody and countermelody sections each of 25 notes and with an ability to transpose pieces to different key signatures to bring out the subtleties that the composer intended. Although not yet fully completed, the instrument was incredible to see. A real MOOS exclusive!
Today we were invited to see a most exciting project that is now nearing completion! Elbert Pluer in Bussum has been constructing a new concert organ of 121 keys (or 128 key on MIDI) which has some unique capabilities with melody and countermelody sections each of 25 notes and with an ability to transpose pieces to different key signatures to bring out the subtleties that the composer intended. Although not yet fully completed, the instrument was incredible to see. A real MOOS exclusive!