# Barrel Organ as Classical Instrument



## Guest (Mar 23, 2015)

"Les Patineurs" was a very early recording my parents gave me one Christmas when I was maybe 5. What a beautiful melody! It still fills me with delight. A couple of years later at a carnival, this clown had a popcorn maker/barrel organ that played it which intrigued the hell out of me and I made my parents take me back every year just to see it. The thing looked sort of like a house with curtains but through the windows, you could see the corn popping while the barrel part went round and round playing various classical pieces--I remember "Fur Elise." Great popcorn too. Clowns are scary to kids and this one was scary but cool too. He looked pretty wicked--especially when he smiled but you knew you were his buddy. He never spoke but we saw each other every year and his face would almost literally light up when we met again. Instead of talking, he would put this reed thing in his mouth and chirp like a bird. He gave me a reed but I could never figure out how he did it. I mean, he really sounded like a bird. I don't know if his muteness was just part of his act or if he really was mute. Harpo Marx always irrepressibly reminded me of him. After about 6 or 7 years, the carnival never returned and I never saw the clown again. I often wonder whatever happened to him. This clip really brings back memories. I can almost smell the popcorn.















I play College (or Sailor's) Hornpipe on fiddle and on double bass so it's cool to find this.


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