>
> From: erorgelt@erlangen.franken.de.geentroep.geentroep (Ingmar Krause)
>  [ Mark Kinsler wrote: ]
>
> > Hokay, wait a second.  _Electronically-controlled_ crank organs?
> > Are these like what those old-time organ grinders used -- the guys
> > with the monkey, etc.?  Somebody's still making and using these?
> > And electronically-controlled ones, at that?
>
> Nope, not the "und drinnen rinnt's Bandl" (= "and inside a cassette
> is running") ones. We were talking about electronically controlled
> PIPE-organs.

Uh oh.  I thought that portable organs used reeds.  In any case, I _was_
referring to organs that are pre-programmed and don't have a keyboard.

> > I guess they must still be popular at county fairs in Belgium or
> > France or somewhere.  They still have circuses there, after all.
>
> What does organs have to do with circus?  Sure, I do know few
> circuses who do own also an organ, but this is the exception.

In the USA, circuses are somewhat obsolete, though there are a few still
around and there are periodic revivals of the business.  Almost all of
the circus performers in US shows are European, and we are assured that,
while circuses are a dying art form in the USA, there are still lots of
circuses in Europe.  What this has to do with crank organs is a bit of
a stretch--it just seemed that crank organs and circuses are art forms
that died out in the USA but are still popular in Europe.

Every circus band in the US (and every sports stadium as well) uses a
keyboard-operated organ, usually an electronic organ that works through
the public address system.

> > But I've never seen a crank organ outside of a carousel organ,
> > and these are usually just recordings.  Or do they still have
> > guys cranking the organ in the streets of European cities,
> > hoping to make a few Groschen?
>
> There are few doing exactly this.  These are the really poor ones,
> who haven't given up and these mostly have the "cassette"-ones.
> No. Those people who really play in the street of European cities,
> they are playing there when there is a meeting.  They surely do _not_
> hope for Groschen.  They just want to bring happiness and memories
> to the people.
>
> To have a monkey on it is just out of history, and so is a box
> to put money into.  The biggest joke of it is, that -- especially
> when you don't expect it -- you get the big money (on the street).
>
> If you are keen on money, then you may try to surprise weddings.
> Everyone thinks that someone else hired you.  And to show how happy
> you made them, you go home with some hundred Marks/Dollars.
>
> Well, here we are at your point: where do we play the organ?
>
> Normally there, where we were asked to do so:  weddings, birthdays,
> festivals, exhibitions, consecrations and inaugurations and a lot
> more events; I can't think of all the possibilities.
>
> Really a nice 'game' within the organ group is, "What was your most
> absurd commission to play your organ?"
>
> In television we've seen a friend of ours play for the consecration
> of a office of divorce!  Now, isn't that absurd?  The instrument,
> normally used for weddings, has to play for the office of divorce?

In the USA, we have divorce parties, divorce greeting cards which offer
congratulations, divorce cakes (the opposite of wedding cakes) and what
appears to be a developing ritual of celebration that surrounds divorces.
Since half of marriages in the US (and western Europe too, I believe) end
in divorce, the trend is not surprising.

> > I knew that they used to have barrel organs in Amsterdam
> > (my father bought a phonograph record of them in the 1950's)
> > but I sort of thought most of them would be in museums.
>
> Well, a lot of organs are in museums.  Especially those which are
> rare.  But I wonder about you mentioning Amsterdam.  I don't think
> there been many small hand-cranked, nor _barrel_ organs.  Let's ask
> our Dutch friends in here....  Hans?
>
> I think you have a record of a normal Dutch organ.  (Which have been
> played by hand.  At least at that time.)

I dunno.  The record said Amsterdam.  Whichever city they have that has
the canals.

> > I sure didn't know they were still being manufactured,
> > much less with microprocessors.
>
> Well, now you know.  So: when are you going to buy one? ;-)
>
> > I suppose that it's eminently clear that I haven't been to Europe.
> > But I'm still, in my profound ignorance, surprised that you can buy
> > a new crank organ.  Where the heck do they use these things?
>
> Well, I gave you a list.

The popular perception of these instruments in the USA is not a
particularly positive one.  The organ grinder in our literature and
history was typically an extremely poor (typically Italian) immigrant who
contributed to the general gaiety of large cities in the US between 1890
and 1930 but was himself unable to cope with life in his new country.
He's typically somewhat of a tragic figure.

> > Mark Kinsler -  who at least now knows what zephyr skin is.
>
> :-)  And now you know where to play your organ.  ;-)

I might be able to qualify as the monkey.  I'll wear a little pillbox
hat.

M Kinsler