Music Boxes and Barrel Organs – Christmas In Switzerland

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• MP3 file

Swiss publisher Peter Schifferli owns one of the finest collections of mechanical instruments.

His Zurich publishing house and his home abound with unusual and often bizarre machines and gadgets which at the turn of a crank or the touch of a button will produce an endless variety of charming sounds. Among his treasures we have found instruments especially made to play Christmas music, which we have recorded for your listening pleasure. And Peter Schifferli himself comments how he came to collect those music boxes, barrel organs and other mechanical instruments.


Musical content:

1. Lyons
(Barrel Organ)

2. O Tannenbaum
(Barrel Organ)

3. Peter Schifferli comments

4. Süsser die Glocken nie klingen
(Barrel Organ)

5. Peter Schifferli comments

6. The Old Hundreth Psalm
(Music Box)

7. Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen
(Barrel Organ)

8. All Saints
(Music Box)

9. Vom Himmel hoch
(Barrel Organ)

10. Peter Schifferli comments

11. Mount Ephraim
(Music Box)

12. O du fröhliche, o du selige Weihnachtszeit
(Barrel Organ)

13. Peter Schifferli comments

14. Stille Nacht
(Barrel Organ)


Production information:

Musica Helvetica. Christmas In Switzerland MH-C 73. Music Boxes and barrel organs. Produced 1973 for SBC / SRI by Lance Tschannen.

Music Boxes and Barrel Organs – Christmas In Switzerland