White Bros. 112-keyless Gavioli at KDV Festival
By Jeremy Brice
I read with interest in MMD 990409 about the visit of White's Gavioli
to Delft and Arnhem in June as part of the KDV's 45th anniversary
celebrations.
I would like to make one correction to Hans van Oost's article:
although the organ was originally built as a 112-key instrument, it
was cut down to 98 keys sometime around the Great War (1914-18) when
it was transferred from their bioscope show to their new Welsh Dragon
Scenic Railway. This was done purely for economic reasons -- 98-key
music was cheaper and more readily available than 110/112 key music,
and in most cases the rebuild reduced the physical size of the organ
so it could fit in the centre of the ride.
Although still owned by the descendants of Sidney White, since 1954
it has been looked after by the late George Parmley and friends who
formed the Show Organ Society specifically to restore and travel it.
I hope this sets the record straight.
Jeremy Brice
Watford
Hertfordshire. U.K.
[ The error may the result of my editing. Hans wrote originally, "The
[ MAMMOTH Gavioli organ, built in 1909 as a 112! keyless instrument in
[ Paris for the White brothers in England." -- Robbie
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(Message sent Sun 11 Apr 1999, 21:50:31 GMT, from time zone GMT+0100.) |
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