19th Century Austrian band!

[mollinary]

It does seem a very germanic instrument. Perhaps the Austrians had a zither instead.

Only in the sewers!

Mollinary

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Dundedumdedum-dede-dumdedumdedum-deedee...

[FierceKitty]

Dundedumdedum-dede-dumdedumdedum-deedee...

The Swiss didn't actually invent the cuckoo clock, nor were they the peace-loving Arcadians that Harry claims. It's a super ad-lib (and a doubleplussuper movie), but I wish it were more accurate for those few seconds.

[d_Guy]

[Chad]

I imagine there will now be endless discussions on TMP about the effective range of trumpets and trombones and whether they were smooth bore or rifled! I can now see endless rule supplements about their formations, etc, etc.  🤔

[FierceKitty]

An ingenious, unarmed SYW musician apparently once frightened off a Cossack by aiming his oboe at the irregular threateningly.

[Techno]

If anyone quotes from 'The Secret Policeman's Ball'.....I will be very cross. 

Cheers - Phil

[BucketKnight]

These look nice. Might be fun to just make a diorama with this set.

[holdfast]

It must also be remembered that the Austrians were quoted as saying that all it would need to conquer Bosnia was a regiment of hussars and a couple of bands.  So the Bosnia campaign awaits. Except that it took rather more than that in reality.

[Westmarcher]

Don't recall ever seeing Austrian musicians of this period with the jingling jonnie.

Didn't realise you were that old.   

Could try Techno. Wasn't he around during that era also?   

[Techno]

You can bog off, too, Westie.   
Cheers - Phil

[mollinary]

Getting back to the point, how will these be marketed?  Will there be multiples of some figures, and just one of others (band master, bass drummer and dog, for example)?  Will a number of the existing Austrian side drummer be included?  A set of 15, or 30, or another number?

Mollinary

[FierceKitty]

Need a lot more for Mahler than for Mozart, of course.

[Leman]

You can bog off, too, Westie.   
Cheers - Phil

Oboes at dawn, chaps?

[d_Guy]

Since we're talking about bands how about a 19th c pipe band? Piper, base drum, side drum, drum major - each in full dress and field dress (so eight figures) - or also throw in a goat or a Shetland pony or even an Irish wolf hound.

[Leman]

I can think of one C19th Austrian who definitely should have been banned.

[FierceKitty]

You don't like Johann Strauss?

[fsn]

It's a well known fact that I just made up that Techno was the original Jinging Johnny.

It was on a sunny day in 1603, when Techno hard of the death of William Kempe, the esteemed actor of William Shakespeare's company who had basically been kicked out and later morris danced from London to Norwich in what he called his "9 days wonder". Hearing of the loss of a man he had known from a youth, (Techno was well known for handling women's around the Globe),Techno decided upon a morris dance in Kempe's honour. Not planning anything as dramatic as the 100 miles of Kempe's feat, Techno set off to the pub.

In his full morris dancing regalia (white breeches, white shirt slashed to show his amazing ... physique, black hat bedecked with flowers and tiny bells dangling from every limb)  our master modeller stepped lively from his hearth and turned right.

Six months later a bedraggled and very thirsty morris dancer approached the gates of a Janissary encampment somewhere near Baghdad. This detachment of grizzled Ottoman veterans had the tiresome task of running to ground a bunch of brigands who were both elusive and cunning. The nonplussed guard confronted the wretched figure in Arabic, Turkish and French (he was a well educated chap). In despair, he summoned his comrade who tried Farsi, Persian and finally English.

"What you want Johnny?" He asked, in his English which some would consider broken, but these people should reflect their ability to greet strange folk dancers in a language not their own. Techno, for it was he, burbled something inchoherent - well more incoherent than normal, and burped sand over his feet.

"What did he say?" Asked the first guard. By some quirk of Fate and a twisted author, the first guard and the second guard, although both polylingual, had no languages in common, so conversed exclusively by sign.

"Who cares?" replied the second, and laid hand upon the weary traveller.

The next day, Techno was led to a clearing in the desert. The Janissaries concealed themselves in the ... scenery and Techno was encouraged by prods from a well concealed bayonet to show off his Molly. Well, after about three or four hours, the strange sight of a man clad in white, prancing away like barefoot puppy on a glacier, handkerchiefs flying, bells tinkling to his capering drew attention. The brigands approached, and seeing no end to the dance, were drawn nearer and nearer until at the sound of a horn the Janissaries jumped out of hiding and slew the brigands to a man.

Thus Techno became the good luck charm of the Janissary unit. He marched at their head, bells tinkling, for several years, but then his thoughts turned to home. He thought that perhaps he'd left the kettle on. He became more and more miserable, and more and more homesick, until, unable to bear it he planned his escape.

One night, very carefully, he drew off his morris gear, and arrayed it upon a contraption of thin rods and poles. Then with this dummy as distraction, the real dummy slipped from the camp and headed home. At the first crossroads, he turned right ... but what happened to Techno in Muscovy is another story.

The next day, the Janissaries, seeing their good luck mascot had disappeared were largely unconcerned. The took his morris gear on it's framework, added a few more bells and a natty red top, and carried it from that day on.

And that, my friends, is how Techno became the original Jingling Johnny.  

[fsn]

- or also throw in a goat or a Shetland pony or even an Irish wolf hound.

I think we all remember nights at those establishments!

[d_Guy]

Golly, M'Lord, your origin story is all together plausible!