A Show Tune That Links Somewhat To Mechanical Music

If anyone has seen or has heard of the Broadway musical "Barnum",
with music composed by Cy Coleman, there's a particular number sung
at the start of Act II called "Come Follow The Band" which describes
the importance of marching bands in building P. T. Barnum's circus.

During my preteen elementary school years of my life, my family had a
tape of Broadway show tunes that I would listen to on various car trips
and that particular song was the first song on side A of the tape.

From hearing "Come Follow The Band" more often while growing up, I
starting noticing from the lyrics that they make a small connection to
mechanical music because when you think of it, many devices especially
band organs and orchestrions were used (and still are used to this day
in many private collections and some public museums) to recreate the
sound of an authentic marching band or orchestra back in the day at
bars, restaurants, skating rinks, and of course carousels, hence the
names "band organ" and "orchestrion".

"Come Follow The Band" is planned as being the 10th and final tune on
the 5th Wurlitzer 165 roll I commission, because not only did I love the
song as a child, but the way each instrument plays a solo throughout the
recording found on the tape, would bring out each individual register
included in the 165 scale.

A recording of the version found on the tape can be heard here:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppdK5mjPxZA 

Happy Turkey Day, Everbody!

Andrew Lardieri
Voorhees, New Jersey