The picture that you saw last time
was a Street Organ being played in that canopy.
This is the 26th year the organ is
playing at Keukenhof. As soon as you enter the main entrance, the music from
the organ greets you. I was intrigued about the whole setup and how it is
played. Spent some time observing the mechanical aspect of it. Built in 1978 from old organ parts, this was
named after an old windmill from Harlem.
The Adriaen plays on the perforated book system invented in
1897. Something similar to the perforated cards used in the early computers.
There was a
time when these holes were punched by hand, a tedious and laborious task.
The first
step was to make a paper template with all the markings on it by placing the
paper on a table with a ruler system on it.
After
marking, this paper was glued on a carton (card board). Then the holes were cut
out as per the markings with chisels of different sizes.
Percussion
notes of 6 mm holes, the bass drum of 8 mm holes and so on. The longest holes
sometimes require several punches to get the desired note length. It was really
laborious as this video will tell you.
Later Mr
Francois created a machine. The idea was to create a machine to cut the boards.
In their own
words “we are not carpenters building instruments, but we are musicians making
wooden constructions to make music”
Coming back
to the Adriaen, looking at these clappers, one can imagine how perfect the
timing has to be to get the perfect beat on the bars or the drums.
They have a
collection of old as well as new songs in those perforated books.
I purchased
one of the CDs that they sell, but I feel that the visual (and the audio)
effect is much greater when you stand close to that organ.
You can watch
and listen to the organ here:
Imagine
these four ladies standing here and ringing the bell year after when new
flowers bloomed in the garden.
Tulipa Mascara
Tulipa Madonna Geel
Tulipa Cartouche
