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As you know I like to include a front sheet of some music with my posts -
and this was the best I could think of today.
Yesterday I was playing, not Nellie Dean but,
at a delightful little village up in Chilterns called North Dean.
(Do I hear groans all round?)
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I took a few pictures at the start before the crowds arrived.
That's my pitch on the right.
I tried to find out something about North Dean, but all my books cover Speen, but nothing about the two Dean's - North & South. The whole area is beautiful farming countryside and years ago would have been home to lace makers, farmers and chair makers working in the Hampden woods.
This Saturday was, however, the day of the Village Fete
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My friend Dennis (another Deane - but with an ' e') was asked to play there, as he had on previous years, but this time he was booked to play elsewhere. I was asked if I would take his place.
How could I miss out on such a charming location and only a few miles from home.
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Some familiar stopping places.
Dennis, unfortunately didn't make it to either of the locations this year!
Last week, whilst cutting back his apple tree,
he fell off the ladder and damaged his knee.
So, Dennis, if you are reading this, here's to speedy recovery.
Look what you missed out on!
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And just look at the size of those sausages!
They looked like real Farmer's sausages to me.
I was tempted - but being on a low fat diet, I resisted.
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A real Coconuts Shy
And I just had to take a closer look at that those fantastic houses behind where I was playing.
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Idyllic.
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Ooooh more beautiful English villages! Keep them coming Uncle Bernard!
ReplyDeleteCheers
Helen
It does look lovely and those houses look like they are from another world :-)
ReplyDeleteIt looks and sounds absolutely idyllic. I love those timber framed buildings and to think of all the country crafts going on in the woods long ago. The barbecue and the sausages looks super too. I hope you had a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great place! Do you stay overnight or just the one day? Could you stay a few days with your tent? Do you change your music program everywhere you go? I've never seen an organ grinder. I don't have a clue about what your work entails. It looks fascinating. You told me the music is already in place for the season. But do you play it yourself when you tape it in the organ? Maybe you could send me to a website instead of answering all those questions. All the best! I hope you get busy all summer.
ReplyDeleteGood morning to all.
ReplyDeleteIt is true we have some really beautiful unspoilt villages here in the Chilterns. I have visited most but there are still loads to see.
My next booking is on the village green at Winchmoor Hill.
Hi Claude,
All the ones I do at the moment are afternoons only - 2pm to 5pm. I can therefore go there and back in a day. Some events are on all weekend and many people do indeed stay the night in their caravans or tents. My tent is big enough to sleep in....but I think I may be getting a bit too old for camping.
I have nearly 50 rolls of music - which is about 350 tunes. I don't take them all each time but choose the most suitable for the event. I even have a roll of Christmas tunes which of course only comes out once a year!
The music is live. It plays from paper rolls with holes in them. Everytime there is a hole you get a note. Different hole positions give different notes. I have 26 notes to choose from. I arrange this music and punch the holes in the paper mainly during the Winter. When I go out in the Summer, all I have to do is turn the handle to pump the air to the pipes. Hey, presto! - Music.
Here are a couple of sites, to look at explaining how they work. I have done a lot of my own posts over on tracker-bar.blogspot.com as well.
http://www.hobbydraaiorgel.nl/subdir/en_hfdpag.htm
http://orgue-de-barbarie.pagesperso-orange.f
Cheers all.....Bernard.
Many, many thanks. I can even hear the music on the first blog you sent me. When I was young, in a small Quebec village where I spent a summer, there was a piano which would play when you pressed a button, and I saw sheets of music with little holes for the notes. I guess it was done on the same principle as the organ grinder. I often wish my piano could play by itself when people ask me for music! All the best, and thanks again. I put that website in my favourites (next to yours), and I'll visit to learn more. It's fascinating!
ReplyDeleteHi Claudia,
ReplyDeleteYes we had those pianos too. They are sometimes called 'Player Pianos' or 'Pianolas'. We had to put a penny in the slot to get it to play.
If you go to my other blog called tracker-bar
you will find lots of organs playing and also this bit on the making of 'Piano roll music'.
http://tracker-bar.blogspot.com/2009/12/piano-roll-production-at-qrs-music.html
All the best.....Bernard.