Urbain van Wichelen was born on the 21th August 1892 in Wetteren, Belgium. He was a professional musician and played the violin, clarinet, saxophone and bombardon (one of the many forms of bass tuba). Before WW II he was a member of a dance band on the ‘Congo-boat’ and in the fourties he and his son Achiel were performing at the ‘Oud- België’ theatre in Antwerp.
Urbain must have married young, but the name of his first wife is unknown to us. From this marriage their son Achiel was born in 1913. After his first wife passed away he remarried Dorothea Joanna Bruylants. Urbain van Wichelen had several addresses, which can be found on the labels of his organ books: 1. De Beuckerstraat 1, Antwerp-South (this address is on the oldest book label known to me) 2. Rue de la Balance 134, Antwerp, 3. Rue Basse 134, Antwerp, 4. Edward Pecherstraat 41, Antwerp, 5. Zonstraat 7, Borgerhout, Antwerp, 6. Vincent Bavaisstraat 61, Hove (municipality of Antwerp), 7. Provincie Steenweg 177, Boechout (municipality of Antwerp). This is his last address. He moved into this newly built house abt. 1956. Urbain van Wichelen probably started marking music books at an early age, but little is known about the first years of his activities. It is clear, however, that he worked as a steady music marker for the Mortier firm between 1925 and 1932. In the thirties he also made music for the Dutch street organs of Theo Denies. Urbain was, for that matter, not only active as a music marker; he also did some organ building. Together with Alfons Bursens (a brother of Arthur) he built book playing orchestrions and organs for public houses between 1954 and 1954. These instruments were marketed as 'Swing-orchestra' and contained no piano, only pipes. Urbain also provided the music. The personnel after WW II included: - Dorothea Bruylants, Urbain's second wife (making books and punching music), - Maria Bruylants from Hove, one of Dorothea's sisters, married to a man named Simons, - Her daughter Denice Simons (paper rolls), - Her son Paul Simons (making books), - Achiel van Wichelen, Urbain's son. He arranged music in busy times; - Allies Servaes, employee (punching music) Besides the book music also rolls were made for Arburo orchestrions built by Arthur Bursens. Furthermore rolls were provided for the orchestrions by Weber (Unika, Grandezza, Brabo, Otero en Styria), Pierre Eich (Harmonika Jazz and Solophone) and probably for Decap Brs. and Popper orchestrions. Book music was made for the 72-, 92- and 121-key dance hall organs of the Decap Brs. and the fairground instruments by that firm like the Valco.A
round 1947 Urbain van Wichelen gave lessons in music-marking to the then young Albert Decap in Antwerp. Early arrangements by Albert therefore are a bit similar to Urbain's. Later on Albert developed his own style more and more, with great success. Albert Prinsen too took lessons in music marking from Urbain in 1959. Urbain van Wichelen died of a heart-attack on the 29th January 1964 in Boechout. He was buried there on a WWI war cemetry. MusicA
mong Urbain van Wichelen's best known arrangements is ‘á Honolulu’ composed by Francis Lopez. This title was made popular by the French singer and actor Georges Guétary. The book music arrived in the Netherlands around 1964 with the 121 key organ 'Lustral' of the Besselsen brothers in Tilburg. It was copied later to the other 121 key instruments and on this scale is has always been the most popular and most asked for. People still love to dance to this song. Urbain van Wichelen also made wonderful arrangements of other Georges Guétary songs, like 'Le p’tit bal du Samedi-soir' (J. Delettre / Ch. Borel-Clerc / J. Dréjac, a wonderful java from 1946) and 'Bolero' (P. Durand / H. Contet, 1951). Although he specialised in rhytmic dance music he was acquainted with the light-classical repertoire as well. A classical theme is incorporated in two waltzes on the 121 key Decap scale. Presumably these are Urbain's own compositions: '1re Valse Classique' played by the 'Metro' organ and '2me Valse Classique' played by the 'Monty'. Both titles are works of art, with register combinations of piston, unda maris and general tremolo, supported by voix celeste chords on counter melody.T
ypical for Urbain's style are the glissandos on almost any note of the jazz-flute. For introductions to waltzes he often marked a short bass line, like in ‘Valse Favourite’ on the 'Concordia' and 'Fiesta' organs. Arrangements of Urbain for 92- and 121-key Decap organs are recognizable by the rather busy percussioneffects; woodblock or triangle taps on every measure and the extensive use of tympani, espacially in fox-trots. The titles following next are made very ingeniously and rhytmic and I think that they are a good example of how melodies should be played on a dance hall organ! Waltzes Ik hoor zo graag muziek (I like to hear music), La Variante, Oh Oh Maria, Misschien (Maybe, 1950), Petite Susane (Little Suzanne), Draai maar paardenmolen (Go on turning, horse caroussel, 1955), L’amour est un bouquet de violettes (Love is a bouquet of violets), Sympathie, Ave Maria and Noordzeestrand (North Sea Beach, with bass-introduction), and many musette waltzes. Rumba’s With all my heart, Manuela, Een heerlijk rendez-vous (A lovely rendez-vous, 1954), Ha cha cha cha (1948), Presentimento (1951), Sway, Het sprookje is uit (The fairy-tale is over), Night over Bali (1955), Caballeros, Voyage à Cuba (voyage to Cuba), Flamenco, Loin des sambas, Joanita (1948), Juanita, Er is geen vrouw die niet liegt (no woman that does not lie), Ballerina. Fox-trots Take it away, La danse du baiser, Melodie perdue (Lost melody), The gipsy, Five minutes more, Misty, You belong to my heart, Little baby, Chattanooga-choo-choo (1947), Sentimental journey (1945), Wilhelmina (1950), Veeg je tranen maar weg (Wipe away your tears).An extentive repertoire of
Urbain van Wichelen has been preserved with the 112 key dance organ of Jos Leclair from Westerlo, Belgium. His music can also be found on Bursens orchestrions, and some arrangements for 92 and 121 kay Decap organs. Things become more difficult with Mortier organs. Many of the ols arrangements are discarded because these organs are rebuilt to another scale. A most regrettable way of acting to my opinion, because historical arrangements by Belgian music markers are lost this way and it becomes nearly impossible to hear the melodies of those past times. In my opinion classical Mortier organs are playing at their best with old music of Belgian music markers, but tastes may differ, of course. Achiel van Wichelen (‘Willy Rockin’)A
lthough this man was named Achiel, everybody knows him as Willy van Wichelen, under which name he advertized. Achiel van Wichelen, son of Urbain's first marriage, was born on 18th May 1913 in Wetteren. He was a professional musician and played several instruments, under which the alto saxophone. As a sixteen year old boy he graduated with a first prize, but he did not choose the classical music. He felt more attached to the modern way of saxophone playing and would become fanous with it. His artist's name was Willy Rockin. "Achiel van Wichelen was an impossible name for an artist" he used to say. Met zijn later opgerichte dansorkest bezocht hij onder meer Italië, Zwitserland, Spanje, Nederland en Scandinavië. In 1938 speelde hij bij Robert de Kers en maakte in 1942, 1945, 1957 en 1958 verschillende goede jazzopnamen. De beste dateren uit 1958, met Jack Sels, Alex Scorier, Jean Fanis, Jean Warland, Charlie Knegtel en Rudy Frankel (bron: ‘De swingperiode 1935 - 1947, Jazz in België’, door Jack de Graaf, uitgeverij De Dageraad pvba, 1980). Achiel was ook uitbater van een café-dancing te Vilvoorde (later Dancing ‘Virske de Fluitster) te België. Het noteren heeft hij van zijn vader Urbain geleerd en hij was als zelfstandig noteur actief tussen circa 1968 en 1975. Zijn handelsmerk was ‘Musica’. Rond 1975 heeft hij ook genoteerd voor de firma Decap Herentals. Hij overleed op 14 october 1981 te Berchem, Antwerpen. Als bijzondere arrangementen noem ik: Les Patineurs (in 1971 als swing genoteerd voor een 101-toets Mortier van de firma Grymonprez), Bourgondia Cross (Tea Time Boogie), State Fair Boogie (ook bekend als Biaf Boogie en Triller Boogie) en Wienerwalzer potpourri (een feestpotpourri). N.B. Het nummer ‘Valse Martine’, dat op een grammofoonplaat werd aangeduid als een arrangement van W. Rockin, is fout. De juiste titel is ‘Die Rosen der Liebe’, een walsje van Leni und Ludwig, en werd genoteerd door Dick Gillet - ere wie ere toekomt.C
omposities by Willy Rockin: - Onder de Lindeboom (under the - Ik heb je lief (the la-la-la song, 1971) - In de hemel is geen bier (there's no beer in Heaven, 1961) - Volupta waltz (± 1969, 101 key Mortier organ de Krab and Toon Boogaards 97 key Mortier) - Boogie nr. 1 - Paola cha cha (1972, for the Fiesta) - Rumba Blanca (1972) - La raspa de papa (1971) - De fanfare (mars, 1971) - Conga Chuita (1971) De laatste drie nummers stonden op het Steenput kermisorgel van Louis Faes uit Schilde. Credits Biografische gegevens en verschillende foto’s werden mij in augustus 1997 verstrekt door Maria Bruylants te Hove, een zuster van de tweede echtgenote van Urbain van Wichelen. Verder dank ik Jos Leclair uit Westerlo (B) voor zijn bemiddeling. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- illustrations: 3. Boek label from ± 1925 with the first known address 4. Left to right: Urbain van Wichelen, his son Achiel van Wichelen, Achiel's wife (unknown name) and Dorothea Joanna Bruylants, Urbain's wife. This picture was taken in the Lido-cabaret in Paris ± 1950 (photo: J. Sarrou) 5. Urbain van Wichelen behind the markers drum. 6. Urbain van Wichelen as an organ builder; these instruments were sold as ‘Swing-Orchestra’ 7. Allies Servaes, punching book music. 8. Urbain van Wichelen in front of a ± 84-key orchestrion-café organ ‘Swing-Orchestra’, abt. 1949 9. Orchestrion ‘Constantia’, made abt. 1952 10. Bursens-Van Wichelen book organ with ca 87 keys, built 1947-'48, from the pub ‘t Volkshuis te Essen (B), owned by Van Laerhoven. This photograph was taken around 1969. 11. Urbain van Wichelens grave in Boechout, Belgium, op het veld van oud-strijders uit de Eerste Wereldoorlog 12. Jazz-band and dance orchestra of Willy Rockin (Achiel van Wichelen) abt. 1950