Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > November 2009 > 2009.11.03 > 03Prev  Next


Christmas Music for Wurlitzer Nickelodeon
By Julie Porter

There are at least three Wurlitzer Christmas rolls:

ROLL NUMBER 160 (length of Five tune roll)
1. Medley of Familiar Christmas Music
2. Also Introducing Snowflakes

ROLL NUMBER 20405 (Wurlitzer Catalog Roll)
1. Silent Night, Holy Night
2. Christmas Tree, O
3. Thou Joyful Day, O
4. Almighty God We Praise You
5. Adeste Fideles
6. Joy to the World
7. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
8. It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
9. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night (not on a recent re-cut)

ROLL NUMBER 30329
1. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
2. Silent Night
3. White Christmas
4. Joy to The World
5. Jingle Bells
6. Little Town of Bethlehem, O (not on roll 0377)

Note that Wurlitzer often used the same masters to make 5-tune rolls
and also Caliola rolls.  So the titles on 20405 are also split on
5-tune rolls 2214 and 2215.

The titles on 30329 are on Caliola Roll C6120 and the first five tunes
on roll 0377.  These late arrangements may be more suitable to band
organ than on an APP machine.

These rolls have remained popular and most have been re-cut in the last
decade or so.  Not all the recuts contain all the songs as the original
rolls have been well played.  I have not heard a copy of Roll 160,
although this is listed as being in several prominent collections.
There should be an instance of Roll 160 coming up on eBay as part of
Ed Sprankle's collection, if it has not already been sold.

Play-Rite Music Rolls and the Herschel Carousel Museum have the masters
for 20405 and 30329 respectively, so both could be re-cut if there is
enough interest by the roll producers or their agents to do so.

Julie Porter


(Message sent Tue 3 Nov 2009, 19:51:49 GMT, from time zone GMT-0800.)

Key Words in Subject:  Christmas, Music, Nickelodeon, Wurlitzer

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page