The Mechanical Organ Owners Society

A coach full of organ enthusiasts have just witnessed another pipe-packed package of mechanical musical mellifluence!

On this years tour we visited some of the very best of mechanical organ collections, including those to be found at Haarlem, Helmond and Utrecht.

This year you've missed out, but next year you could be on the coach with us. MORE>>

The second Steam Trains and Fair Organ Oktoberfest took place at the Mizens railway in Woking in October. The event, in its second year, was organised by organ owner and enthusiast Paul Kirrage (pictured standing on the left). The event was celebrating the fairground organs built predominantly in Germany.

The Mechanical Organ Owners Society put up the sponsorship to help towards the cost of bringing the special guest organs from overseas. The event was hailed as a huge success and is now being recognised as perhaps the UK’s finest event for vintage mechanical organs.

Members of the MOOS can enjoy an exclusive article of the day by going to our new MEMBERS AREA>>

As you will of heard, earlier in 2009, a near disaster happened for our friends of the continent as the organ museum at Haarlem in the Netherlands avoided serious damage from a severe fire that started in a warehouse adjacent to the building containing the organ collection.

The fire alarms in the museum were triggered and it was thanks to these that the fire brigades were able to arrive just in time and put the blaze out. It took several hours for the smoke to clear the building.

Thankfully no serious damage was caused to the organs. However, the fire left a layer of oily residue over all of the mechanical organs and the Compton theatre organ.

Since March, Jan Kees De Ruijter, Sjoerd Caspers and the team at the museum have worked day and night on the instruments. It was no easy task to get the exhibition back

When our MOOS Tour visited the museum during November, we were so impressed by their efforts. Congratulations go to all the volunteers who work so hard. Visit their website for  MORE>>

Two organs have moved north this summer. 

The 1st one is a 20 keyless McCarthy organ which was based in Newport, South Wales. 

The second is 'Cinderella' a 30 keyless Dean organ (pictured) which was in Capel in Surrey. 

Both organs have been purchased by Gary Hall or Acomb Organs to add to his collection. Details of both organs can be found on his website. MORE>>

Mechanical Organ Owners will be contacted shortly by the Performing Rights Society, to notify them of a change to the classification of Mechanical Organs, a rate that MOOS originally negotiated with PRS.

PRS for Music has decided to consolidate a number of tariffs similar to 'Tariff MO' into a single tariff, with effect from 1st November 2009. This however does not affect the current charge, and organ owners do not need to worry about making any changes, as PRS will contact them direct.
 
A PDF of the latest information from PRS for Music can be downloaded below.

A new website dedicated to events where you can see Mechanical Music has been launched.

Young and enthusiastic Jake Preston has created the site in hope it will attract a wide audience to organs, and also serve the community of mechanical music enthusiasts with news on events that are local to them.

The Site is named MOOAA (Mechanical Organs Out and About). MORE>>

The organ world has lost a huge personality who has made a significant impact on the world of mechanical music, most notably with dance organs.

Albert Decap had been arranging for mechanical organs since the early 1950s and continued for many years before ill health stopped him from working only two years ago. He was an immensely respected and gifted arranger who really knew how to make organs come to life. He was able to make extremely good dance music whatever the rhythm and no good dance organ could go without his arrangements.

His music was inspirational to those of us who love the true sound of the dance organ. May he rest in peace and his legacy will never be forgotten.

Read more about how Albert Decap chaged the world of Mechanical Music in our MEMBERS AREA>>

October 2008 saw the welcome return of the 121 key Decap dance organ 'England's Pride', formerly known as 'De Nethe' to the St.Albans Organ Theatre after a major rebuild by Roger Mostmans of the Gebroeders Decap factory in Antwerp in Belgium.
The organ carries the serial number 1117 and was completed on 1st April 1939. It was one of twenty 121 key organs to be built by the Decap family and this organ was built for the Teugels family who ran a dance organ rental business.

'England's Pride' has been a prominent part of the St.Albans Organ Theatre ever since it came to St.Albans in 1966. In the last few years the organ has been in need of a major overhaul. In order for this to proceed, two fund raising appeals were launched and many donations were made by visitors whilst visiting the theatre. The chance to send the organ back to the very factory where it was first built in Antwerp was not to be missed. The centre case was sent to the factory in October 2007 with the four side cases being sent out in March 2008. The organ was then ready to come back to St.Albans following its extensive restoration.

Two special events were organised to celebrate the organís return to St.Albans, one being for benefactors towards the restoration project and the second open to anyone and was organised as a fundraising event. In February 2009, renowned cinema organist Donald Mackenzie gave a concert, accompanying silent films to a sell out audience. All the proceeds from this event were to be donated towards the 121 key Decap restoration appeal. Visitors to the organ theatre will be able to hear the organ on Sunday afternoons when the collection is open between 2pm and 4.30pm. MORE>>

Victor Chiappa's only son, Albert lost his battle to cancer on December 9th 2008. Although he did not follow his famous father into the world of mechanical organs Albert still retained an interest in the business.

Following the death of Victor, in 1993, Albert was reluctant to disperse the 125 year-old firm's assets and continued running Chiappa Ltd, of which he was co-director during the latter years of his father's tenure as head of the company. Thus organ owners worldwide were still able to buy superb arrangements for the popular French scales (46/48, 65, 89 & 98-keys) from their unequalled library of music stencils.

There can be few fair organ enthusiasts in Britain who have not heard about the shock disappearance of the 89 Key Marenghi Lady Hamilton. Mounted on the back on a 1966 Bedford TK Truck (reg no URX 753G).

This historic and much-loved organ vanished sometime between 10am and 6pm on Friday 29th June 2007, from its owner Mike Priestner's remote farmstead home at Dunham Massey, Cheshire.