A Patriotic Cover of Sousa’s ‘Stars and Stripes Forever’ on a Restored Dutch Street Organ

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission.

James Dundon, the Mechanical Music Man, programmed his gorgeously restored organ, Blauwtje, to play a very patriotic version of John Philip Sousa‘s “Stars and Stripes Forever”, the 1896 American patriotic march that later gave its title to a 1952 musical biopic about Sousa. Dundon, a British composer, chose this song for a very specific reason.

Well, America has been to the polls, and the votes are in… there’s one thing we can all agree on: this march is EPIC!

Blauwtje began busking on the streets of Holland in the 1920s and was rebuilt in the 1980s by Belgian organ builder Johan Verbeeck before Dundon bought it in 2011 and brought it to the UK.

Dundon, who brings mechanical music to festivals and events across Cornwall and beyond, also founded Mechanical Music Radio, a station devoted to these remarkable machines.

Other Blauwtje Covers

An Upbeat Carnivalesque Cover of Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ Played on a Restored Dutch Street Organ
An Old Timey Cover of the Oasis Song ‘Wonderwall’ Played on an Ornate Mechanical Dutch Street Organ
A Buoyant Cover of Cher’s ‘Believe’ Played on a Restored Dutch Street Organ
Lori Dorn

Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

Recent Posts