I have read with interest the comments about playing new music on
fairground and band organs.  I listened with horror to the 'Phantom
of the Opera' arrangement on the large 80-keyless Bruder on YouTube;
anyone who says this does the organ justice must be mad.  If you know
the music and then listen to the organ playing it you can hear clearly
that the music/arrangement does not suit the scale.  Then listen to
the other YouTube recording of the organ, playing a march, and it is
150% better in my view.

I think when obtaining music for an organ owners should have a clear
understanding of the capabilities of the instrument and scale.  They
should consider what it was designed to play and in my view the sort
of music it would have played during its working life, i.e., from the
day it left the factory.

There are some excellent arrangements still available by masters of the
art such as Gustav Bruder from Waldkirch and also Carl Frei.  There are
some good arrangers working today, but others that will cut anything
the customer wants without a care of its suitability.  Sometimes these
are people who use the new computer technology to arrange but don't
really know the organ and its scale as much as they should.

I believe when ordering new music owners should discuss it with the
arranger and clearly state that if it does not fit the scale 100%
please do not supply it.  Not all tunes and music have ever suited
all organs and in their heyday some organs could play, say, the 1812
overture and classical music while the small organs, well it would be
quite stupid to expect it to play such music, although a very talented
arranger such as Gustav Bruder can do minor miracles.  I have a number
of classical books for my 41-keyless Wilhelm Bruder 'Starkton' organ
and you just would not believe how much can be obtained from a such
a small scale and from such a relatively small organ.

Someone who prefers modern music on organs said to me, "When I play
original German marches their eyes glaze over after a few minutes." It
is good to remember that there are good and bad historic arrangements,
and I also feel that playing modern music badly will not do our hobby
any favours!  The public will not be impressed to hear arrangements
that neither suit the scale nor the organ and sound terrible.  This is
only second to a poorly maintained and tuned instrument.

Listen to the ex-Jonas 110 Gavioli playing classical music and the organ
comes to life as it is totally chromatic and has a deep bass.  To play
just modern music such as the Glen Miller Medley on such a machine does
not do it justice.  These instruments gave concerts to the public when
they traveled to the fairs long before radio and they were the hi-fi of
their day.  Regular Sunday evening concerts were a common place on the
fairground.

So to finalise --

- Know your organs scale and pipework and its capabilities.
- What was it designed to play or represent, e.g., a military band, or?
- What type of music was originally played?
- Finally, hear music on other organs by many different arrangers.

Once you have done this consider very carefully before you choose tunes
and order -- we all know the expense of new book music.

Jonathan Holmes
Penzance, UK