Hi, everybody, I'm back after a computer crash.  Lost all my addresses,
and would appreciate hearing from anyone who was in contact with me.
In surfing the messages from 2002, I saw one about the Möller Artiste
Player.

Regarding the Artiste Rolls, I was organist and maintenance man for six
years at North Japan University in Sendai, Japan.  We had a wonderful
1932 Möller with an Artiste Player and about 100 rolls.  Of course it
was made to control that particular organ and I had it working for my
last three years there.  It was awesome.

After I left they hired a tracker-backer who demanded that they scrap
half the organ and put in a German screamer, to the great disgust of
the alumni who had been brought up on the mellow-toned, admittedly
Romantic, Möller.  One month after the new installation, the organist
quit and went to another school in Tokyo, leaving the screamer to a new
organist who hates it!

The player and rolls are, as far as I know, stored in a basement of one
of the professors of the University.  I know they tried to sell the
stuff once, but the price offered was too low, so it is possible that
they still have the equipment.  If anyone is really interested, try and
contact Rev. Demura, the Chaplain of the University.  The address is
Tohoku Gakuin (North Japan University) Tsuchitoi, Sendai Japan.

Mentioning my name may help you because Rev. Demura was a student there
and active in the YMCA during my tenure.

Good luck, and I hope someone will resurrect at least the player, if
not the entire organ.  The Swell and part of the Pedal remain in their
original chamber, on the right side of the chancel, while the new organ
climbs up the wall into the balcony on the left.  Hideous installation!

Vic Searle
Tokyo
vcsorgan@yellow.plala.or.jp.geentroep [delete ",geentroep" to reply]