Grand Master Band Organ a highlight to this year’s Old Home Day celebration

The Cooley Family of Sutfin Funeral Chapel in Nichols and the MacPherson Funeral Home in Newark Valley are proud to be bringing The Grand Master Band Organ to this year’s 108th Old Home Day celebration, planned for Sept. 2 in Nichols, N.Y.

The Grand Master Band Organ is owned and operated by Dennis Robinson of Allentown, Pa. The organ, which is 10 feet tall, 20 feet wide and weighs 8,000 pounds will be featured in the parade and will be enjoyed by many following the parade at Kirby Park. 

The organ has over 500 pipes and plays over 3,000 musical selections. The organ is the only organ in the world that was built by American and European craftsmen and following a five-year construction project it was completed in September 2007. Band Organs are self-playing mechanical musical instruments said to have been developed in the 17th Century.

The first band organ factory in America was the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Company, which originated in upstate New York in 1893. During the early part of the 19th Century when paper roll music systems became a standard in America, other manufacturers, such as Wurlitzer, sprang to life and thousands of mechanical band organs were produced. 

Band organs have produced live music for carousels, fairground midways, dance halls and roller skating rinks. During the early 20th century, a carousel “Merry-Go-Round” without a band organ was rare. 

Today, there are but a handful of artisans in the world who build truly magnificent band organs. The Cooley Family invites you to join them in enjoying the Band Organ music at the Labor Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 2 at 10 a.m. The Grand Master Concert Organ will be on display and playing music for the community to enjoy following the parade at Kirby Park.