First built in Paris by Charles Marenghi in 1905, the organ above quickly found a home in a Belgian restaurant. And there it remained for many years … until 1967, when it traveled abroad, to a Texas fairground. Imagine the culture shock it must have felt. But that’s not where it ends.
Nowadays, you can watch the 81-key organ play Queen’s 1975 hit “Bohemian Rhapsody,” quite different than whatever it was playing in Antwerp a century ago. Alexey Rom wrote the arrangement for the song, and programmed it using the strip of cards being fed through the instrument. Hopefully this isn’t the last stop on this organ’s grand journey.
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WOW! Not only is the instrument a work of art, programming the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was quite a feat. Thanks for sharing this stunning piece.
What a beautiful instrument! I listened to the music all the way to the end…lovely!