| Street organs and carillons are to the
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| | though a select group of carillonneurs
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| Dutch what bagpipes means to the Scots,
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| | pound the keys during occasional
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| and they bring out the same mixed
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| | concerts. These live interpretations of
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| feelings. The elaborate street organs
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| | the works of classical and modern
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| meaning barrel organs developed from
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| | composers are often played with a
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| hand-held barrel organs that were once
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| | surprising amount of feeling if one
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| popular throughout Europe but have now
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| | considers the natural limitations of the
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| all but disappeared. Though they are
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| | instrument.
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| almost extinct now, one of the factors
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| | Street-organs are linked to the
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| that ensured their survival in the
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| | Netherlands like the tulips, the wooden
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| Netherlands was a leasing system
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| | shoes, and the giant water-works. Almost
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| established in Amsterdam in 1875:
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| | every tourist in a Dutch city can meet
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| grinders leased their organs from owners
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| | one of these characteristic Dutch
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| who looked after maintenance and tuning,
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| | instruments playing in the streets.
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| which ensured reason able standards
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| | Nevertheless, the chance of such a
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| upheld by strict licensing laws. Even
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| | meeting has decreased dramatically over
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| today, grinders are assigned limited
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| | the years. In the twenties and thirties
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| hours in particular areas of the city so
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| | of the 20th century a multitude of the
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| they are evenly distributed, and they can
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| | present amount of street organs was
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| spend five minutes on the same spot
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| | playing in the streets of our country. In
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| before having to move on.
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| | the city of Amsterdam alone more than 30
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| The collection includes anything from
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| | of these instruments were crossing the
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| Tulips from Amsterdam and The Blue Danube
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| | town every day.
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| to weird renditions of the latest hits.
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| | Music by self-playing organs was not just
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| Fluctuations in temperature and humidity
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| | audible in the streets. At the village
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| still play havoc with tuning; sometimes
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| | and town fairs all the music was made by
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| result in a cat's-wail outcome. A street
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| | fairground organs, with a distinctive
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| organ at full tilt is a pretty impressive
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| | different sound; nearly every attraction,
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| bit of machinery. They used to be
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| | big or small, possessed such an organ.
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| operated by hand but now little generator
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| | Apart from that, many dance-halls, public
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| motors do the hard work.
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| | houses, hotels etcetera had automatic
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| The Dutch fascination with mechanical
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| | musical instruments within their walls.
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| instruments extends to the out-of-tune
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| | Those who did not have a dance hall organ
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| carillons that adorn many public
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| | or orchestra hired one for the duration
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| buildings, especially church towers.
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| | of the fair.
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| They're usually operated by machines,
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