Cafesjian's Carousel WurliTzer 153 Band Organ: Baruska Polka

-Read the Description-
Cafesjian's Carousel boasts an exceptional Wurlitzer 153 band organ, meticulously rebuilt by Mike Merrick, an Our Fair Carousel volunteer and board member. The Wurlitzer was purchased in 1992 to replace the carousel's original band organ, which was destroyed by fire in 1939. After hundreds of hours of work by Merrick, the band organ was used for a time at the carousel's Town Square Park location. Since April 2000, the band organ has been popular feature of the carousel in its new home in Como Park.

About the Wurlitzer 153... This band organ was built by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company of North Tonawanda, New York, which described it as an "orchestral organ suitable for three-abreast carousels." Judging from the serial number stamped on some of the internal parts, it was built in the 1920s.

This band organ has 164 pipes consisting of trumpet, trombone, flute, violin and cello voices. The melody division has a 13-note glockenspiel, called "bells" in organ parlance. Expression--that is, variation of volume--is provided by swell shutters in the front of the organ and by extra violin and flute ranks; all of these are controlled by register perforations in the paper music roll.

Wind to blow the pipes and to operate the player mechanism and percussions is provided by a 1.5 horsepower blower.

The band organ uses Wurlitzer style 150 paper rolls which are similar to player piano rolls except that these usually have 10 tunes instead of just one. In order to provide continuous music, the band organ uses dual-roll frames. While one roll rewinds, the other plays. Most of the rolls in our collection are recuts from about 10 years ago. They have been punched using original Wurlitzer masters and perforating machinery. Bill Nunn, another board member, has loaned several rolls so riders and volunteers can enjoy a variety of music.

http://www.ourfaircarousel.org/bandor...
http://www.ourfaircarousel.org/index....

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 15
• WurliTzer
• 153
• Baruska
• Polka

[luticia]

What kind of music is this???? I'm wondering. I like it. It's great. Having fun atm :-D

[tregnier279]

@luticia The actual music or the instrument? The song is a polka, and the instrument is a band organ. Basically, a small organ equipped with a few small ranks of pipes, as well as a bass drum, snare drum, cymbal, and glockenspiel, all of which is then controlled by a perforated paper roll. In days past you'd likely find them at a carnival (they filled the air quite well) or on a carousel.

[Mappy48]

@luticia

It's called band organ music usually found in a carousel. I know it's very beautiful and has a classic sound. Unfortunatly it's becoming faded out. I wish I had one of these. I used to work in an amusement park and i was told by one of the repair men that there only two (2) men left in this country that actually cut the roll music. This is a shame

[Thunkful2]

There is this fantastic band organ march at

vandornsclockshop. com

Does anyone know the name of it?

Formerly the recording on line did not have the cyphers you now hear.

[weathermon]

This is awesome :D I was trying to find the name of this instrument after watching open season 3

[Thunkful2]

marvellous, thanks so much

[djnforce9]

This is really great. I have a strong fondness for Band Organ music such as this.

[whoisthisguy724]

Polka and ragtime are my two favorite types of music to hear on a band organ. This Wurlitzer 153 and their model 165 are my two favorite organs

[sonicboomclan]

@RIVALJOE69 this does not suck you suck