This video shows some perforated cardboard music passing through White's Mammoth Gavioli's 98-key key frame. The music being played is the last part of an arrangement by Louis Blache of an old music hall song known as "Why Is The Bacon So Tough?" (a big 'thank you' to petermackett37 for identifying this! - I have a few more if you're interested, Peter?).
You also get to briefly see through the window inside this Gavioli organ's trailer, and are able to see this very rare view of the back of the figure of the Statue Of Liberty on the right, and the mysterious big hole that is in the back of this figure. You can also see the two drum sticks hitting the back of the top snare drum as well through the window. If you watch the music carefully as it moves through the key frame, the small holes for making these drum sticks move, are quite near the bottom of the music and are spaced quite a few keys/holes apart from each other.
This Gavioli organ was built in 1909 for the welsh showman, Sidney White, as a way to attract people over to his travelling bioscope show at the fairs. The ownership of this mechanical organ passed to his sons William and George when he retired. In about 1919, the organ was taken from the travelling bioscope show and installed permanently in the White Bros. scenic dragon ride in their Cosy Corner amusement park in Barry Island, South Wales. Due to the Second World War, the amusement park closed and its rides became derelict and were in serious need of restoration. After the war, the new owner of the amusement park and rides, Jack Reohorn (who had married into the White family) had the unenviable task of deciding what to do with the rides, and as it was just not financially viable to repair them, most unfortunately had to be destroyed. The Mammoth Gavioli would've been one of these casualties as well, had it not been for a pioneer preservationist called George Parmley who lived in Chester-le-Street in the North East of England who became aware of this massive Gavioli organ being in urgent need of rescuing and restoring. As George couldn't afford Jack Reohorn's asking price to buy the organ from him then, George managed to persuade Jack to loan the organ to him for restoration and eventual exhibition again, but only on the understanding that the "White Bros." name was to remain displayed on the organ's trailer to advertise its original ownership, and that Jack could always have the organ back whenever he wanted it. This was in 1954 and 2 years later, George brought the organ back to life with the help of friends who formed themselves into the Show Organ Society, and the organ made its debut at the 1956 steam rally in Lambton Park in Chester-le-Street. Sadly George died in 1989, but other members or the Show Organ Society, continue to keep up the presentation and care of this big Gavioli organ to this day. In 2000 sadly Jack Reohorn had to go into a nursing home and he needed a lot of money to pay for his care in this home, so he sold this Gavioli organ to its present owner, Neil Corner who lives in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. Neil then paid for the organ to be restored for a 2nd time, and the organ was totally stripped down and overhauled by the current members of the Show Organ Society, and the organ was also housed in a new and bigger trailer that has air suspension. Its facade was completely re-painted by Vicky Postlethwaite and new music supplied and old music re-cut by Sounds Organised.
This video is owned by Totally Fair Organs Video Productions.
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White's Mammoth Gavioli 12by Totallyfairorgans378 views
fasinating. I must get some better footage this year!
lovingcheekypigs 11 months ago