Mechanical Organ Owners Society
in conjunction with Travel Editions LTD
'The Return of the Tour' 2023
Friday 3rd November 2023
We were picked up at Stevenage, Ebbsfleet, Maidstone Services, and Dover Eastern Docks before boarding a ferry for the short sea crossing to Calais. After arriving in France, we continued our journey and spent the night at our hotel in Antwerp, where we enjoyed dinner upon arrival. The rest of the evening was free to relax or explore the historic city of Antwerp, once the center of the Belgian Mechanical Organ industry. Some of us took the opportunity to visit the Café Beveren, the last of the traditional dockside cafés featuring a dance organ.
We were picked up at Stevenage, Ebbsfleet, Maidstone Services, and Dover Eastern Docks before boarding a ferry for the short sea crossing to Calais. After arriving in France, we continued our journey and spent the night at our hotel in Antwerp, where we enjoyed dinner upon arrival. The rest of the evening was free to relax or explore the historic city of Antwerp, once the center of the Belgian Mechanical Organ industry. Some of us took the opportunity to visit the Café Beveren, the last of the traditional dockside cafés featuring a dance organ.
Saturday 4th November 2023.
We departed from our hotel and traveled across the heathland of the Kempenland, which marks the border between Belgium and the Netherlands. Just across the border, we stopped at the organ collection of Gino Mutsters at “Bij Orgelplezier.” There, we enjoyed a wonderful selection of Belgian dance organs, both old and new, including the impressive 121-key Decap organ “De Monty,” one of the largest and most magnificent dance organs of its era. The music filled the space, creating a lively and unforgettable atmosphere.
We departed from our hotel and traveled across the heathland of the Kempenland, which marks the border between Belgium and the Netherlands. Just across the border, we stopped at the organ collection of Gino Mutsters at “Bij Orgelplezier.” There, we enjoyed a wonderful selection of Belgian dance organs, both old and new, including the impressive 121-key Decap organ “De Monty,” one of the largest and most magnificent dance organs of its era. The music filled the space, creating a lively and unforgettable atmosphere.
We then traveled to the province of North Holland to visit the remarkable collection of Ruud Vader. Ruud welcomed us into his collection of outstanding German fairground organs, with the highlight being the newly restored model 39 “Swiss Ruth.” As one of only two ever built by the firm, this organ stood as a true masterpiece of German organ design. The restoration process was particularly impressive, including the painstaking reconstruction of a brand-new façade to replace the original, which had been lost many years ago.
After spending ample time listening to and admiring these magnificent instruments, we continued on to our hotel in Haarlem. There, we enjoyed a delightful dinner before settling in for the night. The evening was free for relaxation, with some choosing to unwind in their rooms while others gathered at the hotel bar for a nightcap.
After spending ample time listening to and admiring these magnificent instruments, we continued on to our hotel in Haarlem. There, we enjoyed a delightful dinner before settling in for the night. The evening was free for relaxation, with some choosing to unwind in their rooms while others gathered at the hotel bar for a nightcap.
Sunday 5th November 2023
The town of Rijswijk proved to be a fascinating destination for organ enthusiasts, with three remarkable collections situated in close proximity to one another. During our visit, we explored all three collections and had the opportunity to see the organs of Zwerus de Ruijter, Ronald de Ruijter, and the Meulkens family.
The collections featured an intriguing mix of street and dance organs, including some that had been hidden away for years and are now playing again or undergoing restoration. It was a pleasure to hear many of these instruments in action, filling the space with their rich, lively sound. We also learned how their musical repertoires are continuously updated, ensuring they remain relevant and entertaining for modern audiences. It was particularly exciting to see that many of these organs are still used regularly to provide music on the streets and at public events, keeping this cherished tradition alive.
The town of Rijswijk proved to be a fascinating destination for organ enthusiasts, with three remarkable collections situated in close proximity to one another. During our visit, we explored all three collections and had the opportunity to see the organs of Zwerus de Ruijter, Ronald de Ruijter, and the Meulkens family.
The collections featured an intriguing mix of street and dance organs, including some that had been hidden away for years and are now playing again or undergoing restoration. It was a pleasure to hear many of these instruments in action, filling the space with their rich, lively sound. We also learned how their musical repertoires are continuously updated, ensuring they remain relevant and entertaining for modern audiences. It was particularly exciting to see that many of these organs are still used regularly to provide music on the streets and at public events, keeping this cherished tradition alive.
After an early dinner, we made our way to the Haarlem Organ Museum, one of the longest-established and most renowned museums of its kind. We enjoyed a mesmerizing array of music played on various organs, with the highlight being the impressive "Kunkels Organ." This massive Marenghi dance organ, originally built for fairground use, was later rebuilt by Carl Frei after being acquired by the Hommerson family. Another standout attraction was "De Lekkerkerker," a beautifully restored street organ crafted by Carl Frei. It had recently been restored by Adri Vergeer and had been occasionally used in Gouda until very recently. After soaking in the music and history, we returned to our hotel in Haarlem for the night.
Monday 6 November 2023
On our final day of the trip, we made a stop in Belgium at the new organ collection of Johnny Claes, located at "Arburo’s Place" in Tisselt. There, we had the opportunity to listen to music played on the Bursens Organs “Canada” and “St Bernard,” as well as the “De Brabancon,” a dance organ that had once belonged to Ronald Leach in England, where it was known as “The Trumpeter.” This organ had been without a permanent home for many years and had been rarely seen in recent decades, making the experience even more special.
On our final day of the trip, we made a stop in Belgium at the new organ collection of Johnny Claes, located at "Arburo’s Place" in Tisselt. There, we had the opportunity to listen to music played on the Bursens Organs “Canada” and “St Bernard,” as well as the “De Brabancon,” a dance organ that had once belonged to Ronald Leach in England, where it was known as “The Trumpeter.” This organ had been without a permanent home for many years and had been rarely seen in recent decades, making the experience even more special.
