Details

Organ books were obviously created and played based on what were popular tunes at the time. Even today, it is of course nice to be able to listen to the latest hits. Museum Speelklok therefore added an extra music carrier alongside the possibility of playing organ books. In 2004, a midi system was added. This allows an enormous variety of songs to be arranged and played digitally for the organ: from renaissance music, the Beatles, Michael Jackson and the latest number-one hits.

This particular organ has had a long and interesting life with several transformations. This was not unusual. After all, organs were a means of making a living, so if you wanted to carry out maintenance or modifications, you were obviously wise to keep them in line with the latest fashion. 'De Schuyt' has had no less than four different façades since 1913, and its musical possibilities have also been considerably expanded over the years. 

The organ began its history in 1913 as an 86-key dance organ built by the Mortier company in a Belgian dance hall. At the time, the organ had a beautiful front with eight columns and a large dome. In 1916, it was sold via Belgian organ builder Pierre Verbeeck, who had settled in the Netherlands during WWI, to a dance hall in Rotterdam. There it suffered considerable water damage after a fire in 1929, following which the organ was sold to Breda-based Carl Frei. He converted it into a larger fairground organ and gave it a new façade. After WWII, it was placed in the steam carousel of the fairground operator Hommerson (also based in Breda) and the façade was replaced again. From this time the organ eventually fell into disuse, until it was bought by Museum Speelklok years later, in 1957. But before the organ was given a place in the museum's display, it was again restored by Carl Frei Sr. and Jr. This involved using intact parts of all three façades from the past, as none of the original façades had been preserved in their entirety. In 1972, another new façade was built, incorporating leftover carvings and ornaments from other organs. In 2001-2002, the double bellows installed by Carl Frei were restored. Partly because of this, the Schuyt organ now has the largest possible volume of any of our collection pieces.