37-key Jimmy Verbeeck Fair Organ - Name these tunes please!

This is John Morley's wonderful 37-key Jimmy Verbeeck (London) Fairground Organ playing for customers of his vintage amusement arcade at the Great Dorset Steam Fair 2007.

John would dearly like to know the titles of these two tunes playing here, so if anyone has any thoughts please post as a comment below. I have an idea that the first one is called "Wake Up England", but am not totally sure. There is no book arranger/producer label either to go on, but from the type of card I would suspect this was a pre WW2 Chiappa selection book.

Interested in mechanical organs? Take a look at the iMOD Forum for photos, events, news and views: http://www.fairgroundorgan.com/forum

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Verbeeck
• Arcade
• Draaiorgel
• Drehorgel
• Fair
• Fairground
• Street
• Barrel
• Organ
• Mechanical
• Music
• GDSF
• Great
• Dorset
• Steam
• Show

[ceredigio]

@petermackett37 Sadly nowadays John Morley's arcade is not what it used to be, the selection of machines is much smaller, I especially regret that a great machine called 'the curse of the mummy's tomb' (or somesuch like) is no longer there. Most everything at Dorset has had to be cut back, the same two galloper sets attend every year and virtually the same organs are there every year now :-( All that said, it has lost none of its unique atmosphere, especially by night.

[ceredigio]

@Aveling1922 It was built in the late 30's and travelled with the East of England showman Vic Thompson, perhaps his was the ride you refer to? It was bought in 1988 by its current owner, Mr J Morley of Colchester who shows it with his vintage arcade.

[ceredigio]

@petermackett37 The first tune is apparently called 'Blaze of glory march', do you know who composed it Peter?

[ceredigio]

@musicmachinesuk Sadly nowadays John Morley's arcade is not what it used to be, the selection of machines is much smaller, I especially regret that a great machine called 'the curse of the mummy's tomb' (or somesuch like) is no longer there. Most everything at Dorset has had to be cut back, the same two galloper sets attend every year and virtually the same organs are there every year now :-( All that said, it has lost none of its unique atmosphere, especially by night.

[Aveling1922]

remember this organ when it used to anually visit the Essex village of Wickham st paul during the seventies. Was inside a juvenile roundabout. Tunes never started at the begining and always abrubtly ended. Was great to see it again at Strumpshaw,had no idea it was still around,though always hoped. Without a doubt started my life long fascination in these instruments.

[ceredigio]

@dalekbitch Well it was built in London and travelled with a fair in the East of England for many years, so it probably is not the organ you have in mind!!

[RWBHere]

Thanks, Peter.

[petermackett37]

@RWBHere

Yes John Cocchi was the same man who worked for the Berlin organ builders Cocchi,Bacigalupo and Graffigna.He came to England and worked as a music arranger for both Jimmy Verbeeck and Chiappa Ltd. He was originally a marker of barrels then went on to book music.

[RWBHere]

@petermackett37 Was John Cocci related in any way to the Bacigalupo firm? I've seen those surnames together on a barrel organ.

[Thijsie92]

There was also a branch in London owned by Jimmy Verbeeck. All part of the same family.