[ Ref. Unknown Tunes on 3-bell Musical Box, 191014 MMD & subsequent ]

Further to my recent request for help identifying the unknown music 
on a cylinder box -- we soon got there with the gracious help of one 
or two of MMD regulars -- which turned out to be a dedicated hymn box.

We were then sent the following to supplement Messers Kopf's and
Dutton's information by a member of the MBSGB, Mr. David Worrall, who
has been researching sacred music on boxes in particular.  Posted here
as an addendum it helps highlight the importance of the register.

Mark Singleton
Lancashire, UK

 - - -

Hello Mark,  Ref. your recent request for tune identification of the
hymns on an 8-air musical box; the response you have received on MMD
from R. Dutton of the Roller Organ Society has been passed on to me,
out of interest following my research into sacred music on cylinder
musical boxes.

The results of my researches were published in "The Music Box" in
five parts, Summer Issue 2017 to Summer Issue 2018.  The particular
part that relates to your request, Part 4 - Evangelical and Gospel
Songs, was published in The Music Box ("TMB"), Volume 28 No. 5, the
Spring 2018 Issue, and based thereon I have the following comments
to make or add to what you have received from Mr. Dutton.

Researches for the series of articles identified all musical boxes
on the "Arthur D Cunliffe Register of Cylinder Musical Boxes", ["The
Register"] that have been registered with musical programmes of sacred
music to one extent or another; amongst those identified were musical
boxes playing some or all of the hymns and evangelical and gospel songs
mentioned in the response you received from Mr. Dutton.  The particular
programme of these he identifies and describes as being on the musical
box that is the subject of your enquiry led me to the following entry
in my research tables, as extracted from details in "The Register":

Register No
Maker
Serial Number
Description
Tunes7164
Junod & Aubert.
36954

8 air. 3 bell box. Hymn box. Lever wind.

1. Jesus of Nazareth.
2. Jesus Lover of my Soul.
3. Hold the Fort.
4. Nearer my God to Thee.
5. Sun of my Soul.
6. Tell me the Old Story.
7. The Gate Ajar for me.
8. Sweet bye and bye.

Notes on the Register entry add "Grained case with rosewood lid.
Floral inlay to lid.  Case 45 x 24.5 x 29 cm.  T/S as T/S book number
57.  WL2881 and 36941 marked on base board.  3 plain bells"

You will see that the programme above is identical to that described
by Mr. Dutton, with the exception of Sacred Air No. 4 which he could not
identify.  I have little doubt that your original enquirer has a musical
box with this programme and that it was made by the same maker, Junod &
Aubert, with or without the bells, and that the unidentified Sacred Air
No. 4 is "Nearer My God to Thee" which was very popular at the time this
musical box was made.

It is extremely unlikely that two different makers made an 8-air musical
box with exactly the same programme of sacred airs, and/or that Sacred
Air No. 4 was pinned with another Sacred Air to exactly the same meter
as that quoted by Mr. Dutton.

The words of "Nearer My God to Thee" were written by Sarah F. Adams
in the metered verse form Mr. Dutton quotes, (10.10.12.10 or
6.4.6.4.6.6.6.4).  However, which tune of the several to which these
words have been set over the years is pinned on the musical box in
question is more problematic for me without hearing the arrangement;
the books at my disposal identify 5 such tunes; of these, one was
written by a composer born after the box was made so can be discounted.

However, as I indicated in my article, musical boxes with musical
programmes of this nature were made in response to the evangelical
movement that swept across North America and Britain during the last
quarter of the 19th century; this was led in many respects by the
American Evangelists Moody & Sankey, Moody being the preacher and
Sankey the supporting vocalist.

Bearing this in mind, then my considered view is that the music for
these words pinned on your enquirer's box would almost certainly be
that composed by Dr. Lowell Mason and appearing in the collection of
"Sacred Songs & Solos" as compiled, edited and used by Sankey himself.

The tune, composed in 1856, is identified in Hymnary.org as "Bethany
[Mason]" and is listed as the most popular tune to which the words
of this sacred air are set.  Dr. Lowell (1792-1872) earned very high
standing in American church music circles and is credited with composing
over 1600 hymn tunes.  I have seen at least two arrangements of this
tune, each with different pointing, as in changes to note values, so
which was used by the arranger of the sacred airs pinned on this box
is unclear.

Your enquirer's musical box clearly cannot be the one on The Register
because that one had a tune sheet when it was registered 10 or so
years ago -- unless some careless soul has lost or destroyed it in
the meantime.  Thus we have yet another musical box with a complete
programme of Sacred Airs.

"Nearer My God to Thee" has been identified by my researches to-date
as having been pinned on 61 musical boxes by various makers.  It is
also certain that this musical box was made for the British rather than
the American market; if so then the contemporary source for the words
and music most likely to be available in the UK today is as I have
quoted, "Sacred Songs & Solos", published by Morgan & Scott of London
in several editions around the turn of the 19th-20th centuries.

I am not a registered user of, or contributor to MMD but nevertheless
it would be good if the above could be posted on MMD as a follow-on.
It not only completes the answer to the original request but also
illustrates and advertises the extent to which the "Arthur D Cunliffe
Register of Cylinder Musical Boxes" can be put in researches of this
nature, in this case identifying with a high degree of certainty both
the tune and the maker of a particular musical box.

If your enquirer can find a serial number on the musical box in
question then he or she should be encouraged to register the box with
The Registrar.  It is the registration of surviving musical boxes that
are continually coming to light that both underpins and extends the
credibility and usefulness of the researches such as those on which the
answers given above are based.

Junod, Aubert & Cie were established in 1888 as musical boxes makers in
Ste. Croix, Switzerland, so the box in question reasonably dates from
the 1890's.  The Footnote to the table above gives a clue to the type of
tune sheet that probably came with your enquirer's box and the design
that should be used if a replacement tune sheet is to be fitted.

I trust the above is helpful, and that a suitable extract of the above,
emphasising the usefulness of The Register and the importance of
research to extend it, can be posted by someone on MMD.

David Worrall

 [ Read about the The A D Cunliffe Cylinder Musical Box Register at
 [ https://www.mbsgb.org.uk/look-learn/musical-box-register/ 
 [ -- Robbie