Sweet Charity is a 62 key fairground organ. It got its name from one of its owners who named it after his favourite musical.
It dates from the 1890s and by 1914 it was entertaining British troops at the Western Front. Music books from that period, made by Northern European suppliers, have survived with the instrument.
In the 1920s the organ was in south Belgium and in the late 30s it turned up in Holland and had been adapted for use as a street organ - a glockenspiel was added to create a Nazi military sound and a new decorative front was added. The glockenspiel was later removed.
In the 1960s the organ was rebuilt by a Dutchman who owned a dance organ rental business and in 1970 it was installed in a café named ‘Rust Wat’ (Rest-a-While) at Berg-en-Dal, near Nijmegen, Netherland.
In 1974 it was sold to a British owner and first performed in public in 1975. It played at organ grinding competitions, steam rallies and agricultural shows throughout England, including the famous Dorset Steam Fair. In 1992 it was sold to the Kneale family of Ramsey in the Isle of Man and appeared at various events on the Island. It was acquired by the present owner in 2011 and after 10 years of restoration is now kept in tune by Peter Jones of St Johns.
Thanks to the organ's owner and to organ builder Peter Jones for making this video possible.
27 ноя 2022
