The Soule Live Steam Festival and Railfest

[KB7DQH]

In addition to the live steam engines and railroad-related activities, a large number of "fairgrounds instruments" are also  gathered...  Steam and Pipe Organs 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

http://www.wtok.com/news/headlines/Musical_Addition_to_Weekend_Festival_133204888.html?ref=888

Musical Addition to Whistlestop Weekend
Meridian, Miss.
The Carousel Organ Association of America is bringing its music to the Soule Live Steam Festival and Railfest this weekend.


The Soule Live Steam Festival and Railfest are this weekend in downtown Meridian.

Part of the fun will be hearing what is called "the happiest music on Earth" from self-playing and very colorful pipe organs.

Some were on display today at Highland Park's Dentzel Carousel.

The Carousel Organ Association of America has been invited to be part of the Soule festival this year.

"The Carousel Organ Association of America is dedicated to preserving and promoting outdoor mechanical music, the days before amplified music came along," said Ted Guillaum, president of the Carousel Organ Association of America. "When you rode a carousel at an amusement park or a state fair or whatever, this is the music that you heard."

Forty-three members of the Carousel Organ Association, from 18 states, will participate in a rally in Mississippi for the first time Friday and Saturday at Railfest.

Admission is free. Just come to Front Street and Fourth Street by the 18th Avenue bridge.

Demonstrations 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mold making classes start at 10 a.m. ($20.00 per mold).

Alabama Casting Iron Pour, "Sparks in the Dark", is Saturday. Lights off at 6:30 p.m. Molten Iron Pours at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, call 888-868-7720, or check out visitmeridian.com or soulelivesteam.com.

and

http://meridianstar.com/local/x471032428/Happy-Tunes

Happy Tunes
'The Ambassador' to be highlighted at Soulé Steam Festival/Meridian Railfest

By Brian Livingston / blivingston@themeridianstar.com The Meridian Star

MERIDIAN —     Two weeks ago in Cleveland, Larry A. Kern almost saw his prized possession splintered across a highway as two tires on his trailer blew out.

    Thankfully, the sounds Kern turns out of his military band pipe organ will be heard again starting today at the Soule' Live Steam Festival/Meridian Railfest held at the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum in downtown Meridian.

    "This music is too precious to not share with everyone," said Kern, who is from El Paso, Texas. "Everyone who has ever ridden a merry-go-round can remember this music."

    Colorful music machines collected from around the world are gathering for a rally to show off their prized instruments. A century of self-playing mechanical pipe organs will serenade guests. Among the organ grinders and brightly painted, historic fairground organs there will be several fascinating organs built from scratch by enthusiasts.

    The setting Thursday to showcase the musical instruments was appropriately at the Dentzel Carousel exhibit in Highland Park. While many of the smaller, hand-cranked models were on display inside, Kern's "Ambassador" was parked outside via the trailer that almost met its end two weeks ago.

    No matter the size, the instruments piped out an impressive array of tunes that brought back childhood memories of carnivals and laughter. For men like Wally Venable of Morgantown, West Virginia, and Bill Klinger of Flippin, Arkansas, the sounds that bring smiles to young and old make the joys of owning and operating a pipe instrument worthwhile.

    "I worked for one of the largest pipe organ manufacturers for many years," Klinger said. "I fell in love with them then and when I retired I wanted one for my own."

    Klinger built his organ and has invested about 450 hours into the project.

    The music is a lot of Bavarian-German along with many of the songs from the turn of the century in America. Pipe style musical instruments have been around since the early Greeks but it was the Europeans who began perfecting the art of pipe organ music in the 12th century to the apex of design and advancement in the 1700s.

    But it is around carousels and churches where most Americans remember the unmistakable sounds of the pipe organ. Kern's large example is built to mimic the sounds from a military band.

    "It would take a 200-member band to have all the instruments I have in this organ," Kern said.

    A replica of a Wurlitzer model from 100 years ago, Kern's Stinson Organ Company model is ornately decorated with figurines that move and play music. 

    The organs are gathering at the Soule' Steam Festival as part of the Carousel Organ Association of America Fall Festival. Band organ and street organ grinders from across the United States will fill the air with arguably "The Happiest Music on Earth."

    Admission is free to the festival which starts at 9 a.m. and goes until 4 p.m.

Eric
KB7DQH