Street Singers in Venice of North - written by Rahul viz

Street organs and carillons are to the Dutch what bagpipes means to the Scots, and they bring out the same mixed feelings. The elaborate street organs meaning barrel organs developed from hand-held barrel organs that were once popular throughout Europe but have now all but disappeared. Though they are almost extinct now, one of the factors that ensured their survival in the Netherlands was a leasing system established in Amsterdam in 1875: grinders leased their organs from owners who looked after maintenance and tuning, which ensured reason able standards upheld by strict licensing laws. Even today, grinders are assigned limited hours in particular areas of the city so they are evenly distributed, and they can spend five minutes on the same spot before having to move on.

The collection includes anything from Tulips from Amsterdam and The Blue Danube to weird renditions of the latest hits. Fluctuations in temperature and humidity still play havoc with tuning; sometimes result in a cat's-wail outcome. A street organ at full tilt is a pretty impressive bit of machinery. They used to be operated by hand but now little generator motors do the hard work.

The Dutch fascination with mechanical instruments extends to the out-of-tune carillons that adorn many public buildings, especially church towers. They're usually operated by machines, though a select group of carillonneurs pound the keys during occasional concerts. These live interpretations of the works of classical and modern composers are often played with a surprising amount of feeling if one considers the natural limitations of the instrument.

Street-organs are linked to the Netherlands like the tulips, the wooden shoes, and the giant water-works. Almost every tourist in a Dutch city can meet one of these characteristic Dutch instruments playing in the streets.

Nevertheless, the chance of such a meeting has decreased dramatically over the years. In the twenties and thirties of the 20th century a multitude of the present amount of street organs was playing in the streets of our country. In the city of Amsterdam alone more than 30 of these instruments were crossing the town every day.

Music by self-playing organs was not just audible in the streets. At the village and town fairs all the music was made by fairground organs, with a distinctive different sound; nearly every attraction, big or small, possessed such an organ. Apart from that, many dance-halls, public houses, hotels etcetera had automatic musical instruments within their walls. Those who did not have a dance hall organ or orchestra hired one for the duration of the fair.

In Amsterdam one is more likely to hear street organs or a church carillon than thundering traffic. Each and every traveler to Holland has been enchanted by the wonderful street-organs that ply the avenues of Amsterdam - organs which are now considered national art treasures by the citizens of that country. People all over the world have been anxious to obtain information on the famous Dutch street organs, particularly in view of the fact that these wonderful and fascinating machines are almost unknown in other parts of world and are, indeed, pretty much known only to occupants of Holland itself.