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MMD > Archives > August 2004 > 2004.08.23 > 03Prev  Next


Unknown Fair Organs & Tunes on Old Recordings
By Robbie Rhodes

Andrew Barrett wrote in 040813 MMDigest about a favorite music cassette
which contains selections from old LP records, played by a variety of
European fair organs.  The cassette bears no information except the
title: "Carousel music mix - various band organs courtesy of Flushing
Meadows Carousel, NY,"

Andrew hopes that MMD readers can identify the organs and the songs they
play, and he supplied audio files which are now at the MMD Sounds site:

http://mmd.foxtail.com/Sounds/
  Unknown Fair Organs & Tunes on Old Recordings
  http://mmd.foxtail.com/Sounds/Barrett/index.html

The MPEG (*.mp3) audio files average about 60 kilobytes so they won't
take too long to download; the typical music duration is less than
30 seconds.

One of the tunes is especially interesting.  Andrew writes:

  Track 21: Title unknown (same organ as track 10, possibly a Ruth 38).
  This is the most important track on the tape to me.  It sounds like an
  overture or intermezzo to an operetta to me.  No one who has listened
  to this has been able to tell me what it's called, what show it's from
  (if indeed it's from an operetta), or even who wrote it.  I have had
  suggestions that it could be written by Sigmund Romberg, Victor
  Herbert or Albert Ketelbey, but the last two sound more likely.
  However, the first part (there are three parts) sounds very German
  and gothic to me.  The second part, with its syncopation, sounds
  very much as if it's from an American show.

  But it is the trio which beguiles me and sounds familiar to some of
  the people who have listened to it.  It is a simple, pretty melody
  which sounds as if it could be sung by a solo soprano, then gradually
  joined by the rest of the singers for the big finale.

  Even if you don't know any of the other tunes, even if you don't
  care, at least try to help me out with this.  I would like to know
  the title, composer, and genre, as well as the operetta it's from
  (if it's from an operetta).  Thank you very kindly, Andrew Barrett

Robbie Rhodes


(Message sent Tue 24 Aug 2004, 03:33:00 GMT, from time zone GMT-0700.)

Key Words in Subject:  Fair, Old, Organs, Recordings, Tunes, Unknown

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