In December, 2003, I received a request for a list of rolls that
I produce for the John Smith format busker organ. Along with the
request was a 20-note arrangement using the Carl Frei scale.
I sent the catalog, and played the MIDI file. It was excellent.
In less than an hour, Hiddo van Os of Leiden, The Netherlands, and
I had made an agreement to purchase his arrangements for perforating
music rolls.
Hiddo has spent a good portion of his life arranging music for
larger scales. His holiday trip to England resulted in the purchase of
a John Smith organ, and when he got back to Holland, he was a bit short
of rolls. Hiddo's arrangements began arriving almost daily and, 52
arrangements later, they are still coming. I sent him copies of all of
his arrangements in roll form. He now has a sizeable library of music!
I have a new web page of some of Hiddo's work. There is also a CD for
sale of 21 of his arrangements. Sound snippets are included on the web
page. They were recorded, with one exception, on a Castlewood organ
that I assembled last year. There is one selection played on a MIDI
controlled organ that I built. You will have no problem noticing the
difference. The URL for the web page is
http://www.edgaida.com/26note.html
Coming soon: standard 20-note busker organs rolls, 110 mm wide, which
will play on a large number of organs. A number of "grinders" are
Alpha testing sample rolls I sent them. The jury, as they say, is
still out. I will keep you posted.
Ed Gaida
San Antonio, Texas - where it is already ninety degrees!
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