Organ renting firm and museum join forces

The Perlee family, Netherlands’ most famous organ family, announced today that their collection of 12 street organs will find a new home in the “Nationaal Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement” (Utrecht). The family firm G. Perlee Draaiorgels is the oldest organ renting company of the Netherlands, founded by Leon Warnies in 1875.
The Perlee family will concentrate on the restoration and repair of the street organs and wishes to present the collection in a more museal way. The family’s main consideration to house the collection in the Utrecht museum after more than a century is the worldwide leading position of the museum in the field of mechanical music.

Organ renting firms, with the Perlee family as most important representative, played a major part in the flourishing street organ culture of the Netherlands in the first half of the 20th century. Tine Van Leeuwen-Perlee, who will celebrate her 70th birthday on April 22th, and her son Leon (46) are themselves, apart from their collection, figureheads of that Dutch street organ culture as well. They travelled throughout the world with their street organs to give concerts. Netherlands’ most famous street orgen, “de Arabier” (the Arab) from their collection, is listed as part of national inheritance.

The Dutch cultural council writes: “The Netherlands has become world famous in the field of street organs during the 20th century. This could happen thanks to the unprecedented flowering of the typical Dutch street organ, almost unknown in other countries. The success of street organs here is the result of the development, in the first decades of last century, of a unique Dutch phenomenon: the organ renting company. These renting companies, which bought and maintained the organs, have cared for the spreading of these instruments throughout the Netherlands. The “Arabier” in the most famous street organ. Due to its national and international success it has become the symbol of the Dutch street organ culture. The Arabier was mentioned in sketches and songs of well-known artists like Wim Kan and Wim Sonneveld; it appeared in TV-shows regularly and adorns the poster of the film “The odd life of Willem Parel”. Thanks to several embellishments by the Perlee firm it has a peculiar sound.”

Dutch street organ de Arabier (the Arab)

The acquisition of the Perlee collection by the Nationaal Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement means that the collection will stay together and visible to the public, and that they will continue to be maintained and in playing condition. By joining of the two collections the result will be the most important collection of Dutch street organs in the world.

A particular element of the agreement is to present the Perlee collection not just as museum pieces but as a living heritance as well. The firm of G. Perlee Draaiorgels will remain active and it will carry out several restorations of the Perlee collection in their own workshop at the Westerstraat in Amsterdam. The Perlee family will also use the Arabier for competitions and concerts outside the museum, and will get changing organs in loan for appearances and demonstrations inside and outside of Amsterdam.

Passing away of Mrs Decap-Daelemans

On Good Friday, 21th March, 2008, Mrs. Mathilde Daelemans passed away from the MM. community. Born on 1st June 1909, she was the wife, and later widow of Mr. Camille Decap, who was the founder of the famous organ building firm in Antwerp, Belgium. The firm is still existing.
From her lifetime of almost 99 years she was involved in the Decap company for more than 80 years. Untill very recently she was in rather good health, and in possession of all her mental abilities. Some people are so lucky to die of old age....
I write this in remembrance of a grand old lady, one of the very few who had the luck to be involved in mechaincal organs for so long, and who always enjoyed them till the end. May she rest in peace.

Many new re-issues in the KDV-shop!

The KDV always tries to offer you a wide range of organ CD's. We have recently extended our assortment with a number of new titles which have been issued before as CD's or LP's, but were sold out for a long time. These CD's are marked red on our Shop Page.

Important! From outside the Netherlands you may use for payment. No money conversion needed, just pay in Euro!

89 key Marenghi organ "Lady Hamilton" stolen!

On Friday 29th June between the hours of 10.00 - 18.00 Mike Priestner's famous 89 Key Marenghi fair organ ' Lady Hamilton' was stolen from Altrincham, Cheshire, UK.

The organ is well known to enthusiasts worldwide because of its many rally appearances over the past 40 years in the ownership of the late Chris Edmunds, Lord Montague of the National motor museum at Beaulieu, Hampshire, Nick Baker and for the past few years Mike and his family.

The organ is mounted in a vintage Maroon Bedford T.K. lorry with purpose built bodywork and has 'THE MIGHTY MARENGHI' painted on the front above the cab and 'THE MIGHTY MARENGHI FAIR ORGAN' painted on the rear below a large glass window. (see pictures).

Could you please alert as many people as possible that this organ has been stolen and asking people to send this info to everybody they know in the organ world. Mike and his family are very concerned and are desperate for any news, so should anybody see the vehicle or be offered the organ, figures, pipework, 89 key music books etc please get as much information as possible without making the seller suspicious and then contact Mike immediately on (07973) 688060 or email Trevor Johnson

Many thanks for your help

Waldkirch organ festival 2008

The town of Waldkirch and the Elztal Museum are pleased to invite you to the 9^th International Organ Festival on 13 - 15 June 2008. It will be run under the motto: Paris in Waldkirch. The large and acclaimed organ construction company Gavioli & Cie in Paris opened a branch in Waldkirch in 1896. Richard Bruder became the branch’s Director. As a result, Gavioli profited from the name of Bruder, highly respected in organ construction circles, and could employ the well-trained craftsmen of Waldkirch for their production. Waldkirch’s traditional companies also gained from the opening of the French competitor’s branch.

A large number of excellent instruments, which combined the precision of traditional Waldkirch craftsmanship with modern French expertise, were created in Gavioli’s Waldkirch branch up to 1908. The Elztal Museum has a large 89er Gavioli from the time of 1907, produced in Waldkirch, which is currently being restored. The restoration work will be completed by the 2008 Organ Festival, so that the large instrument and Gavioli will be the centre of attention.

As always, the Elztal Museum, which organises the organ festival, is determined to offer the friends of organ construction and the collectors of beautiful old instruments a varied, interesting and entertaining programme. A multitude of international guests are again invited. More than 100 historical instruments, built in Waldkirch as well as in other important centres, are expected to attend the Organ Festival in Waldkirch from all over the world.

The organiser wishes to display as many historically interesting instruments as possible, in the interests of the friends of mechanical music and old instruments and, above all, to invite old Waldkirch organs to the Organ Festival.

Do you have an interesting, melodious instrument, an attractive street programme or a large collection of songs? We invite our English, French and Dutch organ friends to apply for participation with their instruments by the end of July 2007. As, in our experience, the large number of applications received is increasing, the specialist jury of the organisation office will make a selection according to the defined selection criteria.

Selection criteria for the organs

Historically interesting, well looked after mechanical instruments that are driven using rollers, note rolls, etc., and preferably instruments from Waldkirch. Old French instruments from Limonaire Frères and Gavioli are of particular interest this time.
No electrical equipment, such as electronic sound storage media of any type, amplifiers or microphones are permitted.

Application documents can be downloaded from www.elztalmuseum.de.

Payments to KDV made easier

Paypal arriving

We are currently taking measurements to make payment easier for CD's, books and other articles from our KDV shop, and also for any dues for the KDV. We will use Paypal for this purpose. This means that in the near future you will be able to pay by credit card, no matter which country you are living in!
Please watch these pages. We will keep you informed!

Stolen property returned to owner

Gebr. Bruder cylinder organ is back!

I Bruder_gebr_47_T_Dunger_2006.jpg (30607 bytes)

Shortly before Christmas 2006, Mr. Dunger, the owner of this Gebr. Bruder organ which was stolen in May, received a call from the Dutch police with the message that his organ was found and could be collected in a city near to Haarlem where it was lost. He found it undamaged and still standing on the same trolley as on the picture.

About the circumstances under which the organ was found back the authorities are silent, because of the investigation which is still going on. Mr. Dunger does not mind; he told us that this was the most magnificent Christmas present he ever got!

We would like to congratulate the owner!

Expected organs

Some people like to know on beforehand which organs are expected to appear on certain events. We have added a link to our events calendar to a special page. You can always try to click the flag of the country in order to see if any additional data are present.

News 22-04-2008

Payments to KDV made easier

Stolen property returned to owner

Gebr. Bruder cylinder organ is back!

Expected organs