COS Journal 283 - Winter 2020 v3.3 A5

Forthcoming COS & SCOT events In the South Alan Baxter Gallery, 77 Cowcross Street, Farringdon, London EC1M 6EL Friday 21st February and Friday 20th March at 6.45pm Recorded music-and-picture shows with two stars of the theatre organ podcast world: DAMON COX (February) and STEVE ASHLEY (March) In the Midlands Fentham Hall, Marsh Lane, Hampton-in-Arden, B92 0AG Sunday 2nd February at 2.30pm A musical mixture from DAVID LOWE at the Compton Sunday 1st March at 2.30pm The first visit of TOM HORTON to the Compton In the North Victoria Hall,Victoria Road, Saltaire, BD18 3JS Sunday 9th February at 2.30pm NICHOLAS MARTIN at the Wurlitzer Sunday 8th March at 2.30pm KEVIN MORGAN at the Wurlitzer SCOT Burgh Halls, 2025 Pollokshaws Road, Pollokshaws, Glasgow, G43 1NE Saturday 25th January at 7.00pm Ballroom Dancing with PHIL KELSALL at the Wurlitzer Sunday 26th January at 2.45pm PHIL KELSALL in concert at the Wurlitzer Sunday 16th February at 2.45pm CHRIS STANBURY at the Wurlitzer News Update Charlie Balogh We are sad to report the sudden death of theatre organist Charlie Balogh, who, along with his collague Lew Williams, was long-term resident organist at Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa, Arizona. He was highly regarded for his versatility, musician- ship and great skill in delighting the wide variety of ages and musical interests of the pizza diners. Organ Stop is one of the few remaining theatre-organ equipped pizza resuarants in the USA and for long has been the most successful – in no small measure the result of the enjoy- ment and excitement Charlie conveyed to the restaurant’s patrons and listeners. A statement from Organ Stop reads, “Organ Stop Pizza has truly lost a great talent and wonderful human being. Charlie leaves behind an incredible legacy, especially in the organ world. No words can express our sadness at Charlie’s death or our gratitude for his commit- ment and love for Organ Stop Pizza through the years.” You can read about some of Charlie’s influence in the Pipes in the Peaks article in this issue. 2 Erratum: In the recent article featuring Joyce Alldred, the pizza parlour where Joyce played was the Organ Grinder in Toronto, not Portland.

Journal of the Cinema Organ Society Editorial Vol. LXVII No. 283 Winter 2019/20 Happy New Year www.cinema-organs.org.uk HAPPY New Year to all our readers. Contents Let’s work together to make it a musically memorable and friendship Pipes in the Peaks - Part 2 filled 2020. Michael Carter continues his compilation of material from the team at Pipes in the Peaks Preparation of the Journal takes some with a detailed look at what makes the venue time, so I’m writing the first part of this so special...............................................................4 editorial, and compiling articles, at the start of December, knowing that I have several From the Archives busy weeks ahead and very little spare time. John Leeming selects some photos from the As I write, I am recalling an intimate and Foskett-Roberts collection, circa 1970 .............16 delightful start to the festive period just a couple of days ago with Richard Hills at the Where Did It All Go? console of Barry Earl’s residence Wurlitzer There is often talk about our art-form being in in Leighton Buzzard. decline. John Leeming looks at some of the changes in various aspects of the cinema organ It never ceases to amaze me how dedic- world and asks ‘Where did it all go?’ ...............18 ated people come up with ingenious ways of installing cinema organs into their own Wyton House Compton’s Digital homes. I was there with Dorian Collins who Doppelganger is completing a redesigned layout to his You may recall reading Stephen Ades account residence Wurlitzer pipe-chamber, with a of his Virtual Theatre Pipe Organ in previous view to having the instrument playing again issues. Stephen has taken up his pen once before the end of 2020. I plan to bring you again to share this new venture with us and the next part of his story later this year, so explain how they went about creating a vitual that will be a nice timely coincidence. version of this much loved organ......................25 I do hope that those of you who are on- Cover photo: The presenters from the line managed to view the Society’s Advent Troxy Insight day on 4th January 2020. Calendar on Facebook and Instagram. The Damon Cox, John Mann, Len Rawle and advent (pardon the pun) of social media has John Abson. certainly opened a good deal of opportunit- ies to bring the cinema organ to both new Editor emeritus: John Leeming and existing audiences. There is a thriving community of artists, organisations and Typeset and originated by the Editor using enthusiasts on Facebook in particular. Ovation Pro and Adobe InDesign running on Windows 10. Printed by Mixam UK Ltd, [Much later] It’s now January and I hope Watford (01923 693747). The contents are everyone had a brilliant Christmas. The copyright. Any opinions expressed are those of cover picture was taken during the first the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the weekend of the year at what has become, opinions of the Cinema Organ Society. for many, an annual pilgrimage to the Troxy. It is always a wonderful opportunity for first P The Cinema Organ Society 2020 -class discussion, reigniting friendships and the highest quality cinema organ music. This year, the concert artist was our own Simon Gledhill who coaxed the very best out of the Wurlitzer. It was encouraging to see some new faces in the audience including some younger attendees from the local community. Let’s hope they become life-long fans. Michael Carter 3

Pipes in the Peaks – Part 2 Dave Thorp with his Classic Car Collection at Dovedale Garage Following his visit in 2019 and with grateful thanks to owner Dave Thorp and resident organists, Stephen Foulkes and Christian Cartwright for their contributions, your editor contin- ues and concludes the story of Pipes in the Peaks. DURING part one we heard how The keyboards were very stained from the Dave Thorp started to turn his cinema days and someone told Dave that if dream of owning a cinema organ he left the keyboards out in the sun, it into reality with the Regal Derby Compton. would bleach the keys to help them become ‘ivory white’ again. The three keyboards We left the story as the organ was being were duly laid out on the forecourt of the installed and noted that this was (at the garage each day during the nice country time of writing) twenty years ago. weather and especially during the height of the summer! This continued for a few years. Trials and Tribulations There was change in the keyboards – but Stephen was not technically minded in the not what they wanted. The heat of the sun sense of organ restoration, but provided totally wrecked the keyboards and they Dave with an enormous amount of moral weren’t bleached at all. Some of the keys support. He would go to see Dave every cracked and curled up at the ends! week, in all weathers, just to see how he was doing and to give him encouragement – Mid-way through the restoration, Dave 10 years is a long time!`` was working on the light-changer which connects to the illuminated glass surround. They had fun along the way, Stephen Stephen remembers Dave phoning him one recalls some notable memories: 4

evening after work, telling him to go over The organ was mostly ready for the open- quickly as he had virtually got the light- ing concert – the main thing still in need of changer working for the very first time. work was the pistons – the pistons could When Stephen got to the garage, Dave had not be set, and it took until the following it working and they both sat in front of it year for them to be operational. for hours just watching the colours change round and round and round, all night long! A The organ was opened by Stephen Foulkes very proud moment. and his brother Paul, who plays the trumpet. At this time, the organ consisted of seven As you can imagine, Dave must have felt ranks, the original six plus a Krummet. somewhat lonely and isolated on his own, night after night working on the organ, and The showroom was full, and they were instead of listening to the radio, he got a delighted to have the Mayor of Derby in spare TV in the garage so he could at least attendance. It was hoped that Ken McKinley hear some TV programmes, rather than would be there; he was the last organist at watch them, to keep him entertained. the Regal, later ABC, Derby before the Stephen remembers Dave telling him a few organ was taken out. However, Ken sadly times that he had seen a TV detector van died just prior to the concert. driving around the village, which was very unusual. Needless to say, the TV detector Stephen distinctly remembers two things van caught up with him and the result was about that opening night: that Dave either stopped using the TV or paid for a TV licence. The TV had to go! Firstly, the rapturous applause as the organ There was no such thing as catch-up TV in rose from the pit and then loud gasps of those days, so Dave had to go without wonder and amazement followed by more Eastenders, ‘Corrie’ and other programmes applause when the organ turned on its that would have kept him entertained. turntable. This was something that a UK audience hadn’t seen in quite some years. The First Notes The organ made its first noises in the latter The second recollection is when Stephen part of April 1999 and Michael Maine was played ‘Memory’ from Cats and just before the first organist to play the Compton. the final bold refrain, the organ stopped David Houlgate managed to get the dead. It hadn’t happened before, but Dave diapason working and tuned, and Michael found the problem quickly – and it was played a hymn on it,‘How Great Thou Art’. purely a flash of (divine?) inspiration that he went straight to the problem. With David and Michael at the showroom, Stephen was hoping for the organ to break Dave explained that the chamber heater its silence. It certainly did, and with another was powered from the same circuit as the of Dave’s phone calls, Stephen dashed to the organ rectifier. The two had never been garage quickly to hear it – the organ was used together before and this proved too indeed working with just a few ranks. much for the fuse. The fuse was promptly Everyone could tell that this organ was repaired, and the heater disconnected going to sound incredible and it was going pending further improvements. to be something very special indeed. Phil Kelsall was the first guest organist to Dave, being the perfectionist that he is, perform at Pipes in the Peaks and John then wanted to take his time letting the Mann was the first to record a CD on it. organ settle. Stephen suggested that Dave really ought to set a date for the opening The Resident Organists concert; because if he didn’t, the organ Dave told me how he is very lucky to have would never be ready, and he would never not one, but two very capable and very be satisfied. Dave eventually agreed and they differently talented Resident Organists. set a date for Saturday 2nd October 1999. Most venues do not even have one. They both play what is needed for the general public, which is the sort of music that people know and remember, i.e. an 80-year old person remembers music from 60 years 5

ago, which takes us back to the 1960s. stage! I then remember hearing the most Younger people remember music from a wonderful and incredible sound and watch- later period and so on. ing a white object literally rise-up from the ground, on to the stage (with a very young This gives us a general rule that music Phil Kelsall at the organ). I was totally fascin- from a period of the 1960s onward is what ated by everything I saw and heard, and I is played, anything earlier is generally now can remember saying to my parents that avoided for public concerts. this is what I want to do. I was ‘bitten by the bug’ so-to-speak, there-and-then and I still Stephen Foulkes was involved with the get that fabulous feeling even 40 years on, organ from the very beginning. He was 16 seeing and hearing the Wurlitzer rise up when he first met Dave in 1988, shortly each time on to the stage.” after he bought the organ from Harry Jackson. They met at the Silver Jubilee Club, Another influence for Stephen was Charlie West Hallam in Derbyshire, where they had Balogh (who sadly died last month – see the Savoy, Enfield Wurlitzer. The Wurlitzer page 2) from Organ Stop Pizza in Arizona. pipes were operated from a Compton Stephen admires how he used technology console. This was where Stephen learnt to supplement and complement the huge how to play the theatre organ. The owner Wurlitzer to appeal to the masses of public of the club and organ used to allow open- that visit the venue, day-by-day, week-by- console nights on a Tuesday and Dave would week. visit the club every week, not to play the organ, but just to see how it all worked. “Charlie’s arrangements of some show- Dave and Stephen quickly became life-long stopping popular songs are totally ground- friends. breaking and out of this world! Incredible! As with so many artists, Stephen’s musical “I also like to listen to the film scores of influences primarily originated from John Williams, the big bands of Ted Heath, Blackpool. He recalls wanting to learn to Syd Lawrence and Glenn Miller, and of play the piano at the course classical and light classical music.” age of six, but before spending money on a Stephen Foulkes piano, his parents took him on holiday to Blackpool in 1978 – just to see if the organ was something he would like to learn as an alternative. “I can still vividly remember the experi- ence of seeing and hearing the Tower Ballroom Wurlitzer for the first time, not even knowing what an organ was as a 6-year-old. I remember looking at the ballroom with people dancing there – not knowing what else was about to appear from underneath the 6

Christian Cartwright became heavily and the rest, as they say, is history. Is it involved at Pipes in the Peaks in 2001 as an always great to see so many people dancing organist as well as with the restoration and to the organ at Blackpool, and to see the maintenance of the Compton. This followed Wurlitzer rise, just as it has always done! a few private visits to play the organ during 1999 and 2000. He recalls his first visit in In my early days of playing, the Blackpool April 1999 and thinking that the installation style is what most interested me, but as was ‘absolutely amazing’. time has gone on, listening to organists, both from the UK and the USA, has During 2001, he played for a couple of changed my style of playing. Someone many private events arranged by his grandmother, years ago called my style,‘Mid-Atlantic’. before his first public performance in 2001. Before Christian’s visit to Pipes in the Peaks, “Many visits to Organ Stop Pizza showed he had played several other theatre organs, me what is needed, both musically and visu- the first being the Wurlitzer at Burton-upon ally, to attract the general public. Lew -Trent,Town Hall. Williams and Charlie Balogh became masters of using modern technology to play It too, was a visit to Blackpool Tower that fantastic arrangements of modern music initially influenced Christian. “I first visited which is required nowadays for the modern Blackpool at the age of three months! I did audience. Outside of organ music, I like to not set out at all to play the organ. My older listen to big band music, piano music of all brother had taken organ lessons and so we types, especially Fredrick Hodges and Adam had an electronic organ which I used to Swanson, who plays some fantastic stride amuse myself with. When I was three years piano and classical music.” old, I could sit at it and pick up a tune by ear and play it. Listening to Phil Kelsall and But wait...There’s a lot more Robert Wolfe played a huge part in me progressing with learning to play the organ. The venue has developed over the years “As time went on, I learnt to read music with Dave restoring more classic cars for the collection. The venue houses a large collection of vintage Christian Cartwright petrol pumps, petrol pump globes, garage enamel signs and garage automobilia, which adorn the walls of the showroom. They also have an interest in player musical instru- ments which are housed in the venue. Before the start of every concert and during the interval, these player instru- ments are demon- strated to the audiences. They have a 105-key Extra Special Decap Dance Organ, Steinway Duo-Art Reproducing Piano, Weber Duo-Art Reproducing Piano, 7

Decap Dance Organ and Player Instruments Marshall and Wendell Ampico Reproducing and other pizza establishments in the USA Piano, Mills Violano Virtuso, Polyphone have been a great inspiration for what they Micado, Cabinetto Reed Organ, and several feel needs to be done to keep the organ in Edison Phonographs. Occasionally they also the ‘spotlight’ for the general public. These feature a Hammond RT3 with Leslie and are go-ahead venues in terms of the choice PR40 speakers. of music played and the spectacular instru- ments that are used every night, with top The organ was always going to be class organists. enlarged over the years. Obviously, the original Compton relays would become Bells and Whistles (Literally) redundant, and so a new relay for the organ would have to be obtained. Christian told Tuned Bird Whistles me how the project is still ongoing, with lots more to be added to the organ: addi- Birds - Listening to recordings of the Regal tional sound-effects, traps and pipe- Marble Arch and Regal Edmonton Christies work. There is the specification to gave the team the idea to reproduce the make the organ up to 32-ranks, sounds of Tuned Bird Whistles. Interestingly, for which they have all the Duncan and Delia Booth, in their younger necessary components and days, had spent a lot of time on holiday pipework. here. One day, they asked Duncan how they could make an organ pipe “chirp” like a bird. Dave has purchased a lot of ranks and traps and ‘gadgets’ yet to be installed. There is capacity on the organ to do it – it is just simply having the time to restore everything to the high standard they are used to, considering that the team have careers, businesses and day- jobs to keep. At the time of developing the venue, the team were initially unaware of Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa, Arizona, or any other American installations. Organ Stop Pizza 8

He immediately took a spare treble pipe they had in stock and dipped it into his cup of tea whilst blowing it to simulate bird noises! After a few moments of cutting and carving at the pipe with his penknife, there was born a Dovedale bird! The next chal- lenge was to produce a chromatic scale of birds on which a tune could be played. Over the next few months, this developed into what they have now. They added a flock of different birds to the unit for each of the 18 notes, which jump up and down when used! Audiences always are amused and laugh greatly when the tuned bird whistles are used. This is the least musical item on the organ but produces the best reaction from an audience! Compton Solo Cello - Many years ago, they were lucky in finding out that a Compton Solo Cello, owned by MelotoCnoemHpotornn Frank Hare, of very rare piece of Compton history. Again, a full restoration was undertaken, and they Compton Ossett Town Hall decided to house the Solo Cello outside the Solo fame, was lurking chamber. Since they wanted it to look like Cello in his cellar at an actual cello, they acquired an old double bass case which now houses it – as a rest. Dave offered normal cello case is too small for it. Interestingly, the double bass case was Frank a substan- purchased from Chesterfield market for £20. tial sum of Compton Melotone - Unfortunately, the money for the original Series-3 Melotone was sent for restoration to the Plough at Great Munden cello which he in 1965 when the organ was removed from the Regal Derby but was never returned to turned down the organ when it was installed at the Harry Jackson residence in Castle Donington from many times. 1965 to 1988.As Melotones are scarce now, they were very lucky in being able to Several years purchase the ex-Civic Hall Wolverhampton Series-3 Melotone from Paul Kirner, who later, Frank had acquired it from the Civic Hall many years ago. A full restoration took place and contacted they added the horn speaker outside the chamber with flame effects on the horn so Dave and said people can see it in operation. At this time, that if they promised to restore the cello to work- ing order, he would donate it to Pipes in the Peaks. As the organ is very visual and has lots of added extras, they wanted to utilise this 9

Marimba the console did not have provision for the have the bars professionally tuned, as they Melotone stops, so a completely new back- were not in perfect tune, some were sharp rail was designed and added to the console and some flat. Dave spent ages voicing and to accommodate them. Only the Melotone regulating this unit. division for the Solo keyboard has been incorporated on the console, reproducing Accordion - Having heard dance organs exactly what the original Regal Derby and the M-Ranch Organ with Compton featured. accordions, they thought this would be another Marimba - They always great item to attach wanted to add a Marimba to to the organ. the organ and were lucky Interestingly, the when the large compass only magnets Marimba (61 notes as which would fit opposed to usual 49) from under the keys, the Picture House, Paisley, out of sight, were Hilsdon organ was available cut-off valves for for sale. This is a quality gas central heating Marimba as it features bars and boilers to which they resonators made by the Deagan added felt for silent Percussions company in Chicago, USA. operation. They added the Much restoration work was carried out, and they were very fortunate that they were usual springs and lights to bring the able to exchange the magnets for Compton unit to life. versions which enable it to be mounted on its side in the Vibraphone roof. The original Hilsdon ones would not work in this orient- ation. Installing this in the showroom roof proved to be one of the hardest jobs as it is so heavy! Vibraphone - This is an original Compton Vibraphone which is the more deluxe version as it features an extra 12 treble notes. A lot of work has been carried out on the hammers, so it produces a lifelike Vibraphone sound. One of the major things which transformed this was to 10

Wurlitzer Tuned Sleigh Bells Tuned Sleigh-Bells - These proved to be a of volume per instrument. There is an over- hard restoration, as they were missing a few all volume control for the drum kit which bells, but luckily, they were able to find can be adjusted according to what is being some spares. This is a very early Wurlitzer played. There are two ways of controlling set (circa 1915) and was purchased along the drum kit: a Boss DR880 is used for with rare pipework from the ex-Hinsdale repeated drum patterns as per a Organ in Chicago which was being broken keyboard/electronic organ, but also a PDA up for spares. [Personal Digital Assistant – the forerunner of today’s smartphone or tablet device – External Tibia Bass - Having heard many Ed.] is used in order to play sequenced installations in the USA which feature drum lines for pieces of music which we external 8’ Tibia Basses, they were able to create onsite ourselves. The PDA can also find an 8’ Compton Wooden Tibia which play backing tracks at the same time as the would be able to be used. This produces a drum kit is being used, and therefore large fantastic result when playing upbeat music arrangements can be played which feature as it really defines the bass line, like a double anything from guitars to string instruments. bass. Drum Kit - Again, having listened to mechanical dance organs, especially Decap ones, they wanted to add a drum kit to the organ. Having previously tried to automate the original Compton traps, it was decided that this was not going to work as they wanted. The original concept was to have a drum kit, but not quite as large as the one they have now. The drum kit is controlled by MIDI, and each instrument is timed to 60 milli- seconds, with 127 levels 11

Broadwood Upright Pianola Piano - This originally was a standard 88-note pianola. Dave chose this one as it is a large-scale, high-quality Broadwood upright pianola, which features an extremely good bass section. Compton Toy Counter - This is a standard unaltered Compton Toy Counter. Cathedral Chimes These are a standard set of terrible Compton chimes.They are presently restor- ing a set of wonderful Christie chimes which sound and look better! WTinedmcphliemBelsoacnkds Compton Toy Counter Extended Toy Counter - This is a unit that was made at Pipes in the Peaks and features high quality modern cymbals which were purchased from a music shop outside the Paramount Oakland after an inspira- tional Jim Riggs concert they attended during the ATOS convention in 2003. Extended Toy Counter These modern cymbals are more suit- able for popular music accompaniment than the original salvation army band Compton cymbals! They have also added windchimes which were obtained from a private residence in Phoenix Arizona, a set of five temple blocks and a cowbell on another unit produced by Pipes in the Peaks. 12

A Real Drum Kit? audience levels, especially since the financial The team told me “We believe that the crash a decade ago. However, more market- drum kit at Pipes in the Peaks is the only ing, social media, investing in the visual self-contained drum kit in the world aspects of the organ and of course word-of- attached to a theatre pipe organ. There are, mouth have been factors that have helped of course, the pizza parlours which have the keep the numbers up and folks coming back snares, tom-toms, bass drum, cymbals etc. of again and again. a drum kit, but they are all dotted around the room. Ours is a full drum kit set up as Another factor is that Dave, Stephen and though a drummer would play it. Christian are constantly looking for ways of doing something new; something different in “This has been a vision of Dave’s for many order to keep things fresh for the modern- years during the early years of organ day audience. concerts, but he didn’t know how it would work or whether the technology existed to A further motivation is trying to achieve do it. His vision was clear – a theatre organ the “wow” factor especially with the first- accompanied by a drummer. timers. By trying to stun, impress and “wow” them from the outset, it tends to “The drum kit has added a whole new give those newcomers the enthusiasm to dimension to the music played on the buy more tickets for future events – and Compton. We have two devices connected they tell their friends! to the drum machine – one that provides a set drum rhythm such as a waltz, quickstep, “For the new visitors coming to Pipes in cha-cha, tango etc, and another device that the Peaks for the first time, they are mostly operates on MIDI technology which expecting to see an organ in a garage. provides more specific drum tracks applic- Although this may be true, they do not able to individual songs.” expect what they are about to see and hear. Even for the regular supporters of our Stephen said “I have been able to broaden concerts, they are still amazed as to how the repertoire of the theatre organ, via the everything works and to see the organ drum kit, in performing more up-to-date progress with new things added to it.” pieces, from Queen, Robbie Williams, Tina Turner, Adele, Take That, Michael Jackson to The organ is a very visual instrument and showstoppers like the James Bond theme, represents everything the team observed, War of the Worlds, Hawaii Five-0 etc. Up- learnt and dreamt about during its creation. tempo songs from the 1950s, 60s, 70s and The console is on the turntable lift, the 80s all work great too on the Compton chambers can be seen through thick glass, with the aid of the drum kit. all of the instruments can be seen outside the chamber (with the exception of the “Using a set drum track is a challenge as xylophone and glockenspiel), the organ has the music being played must match exactly a variety of birds operational from tuned with the drum pattern – but it is worth it, bird whistles to an owl, a duck quack and and it has to be seen to be believed.” the original Compton non-tonal bird whistle, as well as the solo cello, marimba, The Audience Reaction accordion and of course, a fully specified The audiences’ reaction to the organ is one drum kit. of total amazement and wonder! The organ- ists are often told by audience members Buried beneath the organ is an original air they just cannot wait for the next show. raid siren which is used for their 1940s trib- ute night and the latest addition is an Stephen commented that “The audiences’ original Chicago police siren. All these visu- applause is different to most other venues, als add to the overall entertainment of the in that the applause is so enthusiastic with concert which appeals more to the general shouts and cheers of sheer enjoyment. Not public (who would not normally come to a just an ordinary applause by any means.” theatre organ concert) rather than the theatre organ purists. It has been a challenge to achieve good

A Different Approach Both organists are committed to continue I asked the team if they attracted a different to be open and adapt music and styles to audience to other venues, given their more whatever is needed in order to keep the visual approach. A great deal of the visitors theatre organ fresh and relevant to new and are general public, but they do have lots of existing loyal audiences alike. It has got to organ enthusiasts visitors as well. the point where, for both artists, the concerts are more of an entertainment The team told me “We have had some show aimed at the wider public with the really notable events over the years; our organ as its star attraction – their job is to ‘Last Night of the Proms’ shows with let the ‘star attraction’ shine as much as Stephen and Michael Maine, WWII 1940s they possibly can for as long as they can. Tribute night in period costume and decora- tion, Summer BBQ nights (where we have Coming of Age all our classic car collection on show), This year, Pipes in the Peaks are celebrating- 1950s/60s tribute shows, organ and 21- their 21st year and will be holding special piece big band – and of course, our events to mark the occasion. Many Christmas Shows. The Pipes in the Peaks congratulations. Christmas Shows feature Stephen and Christian separately over each weekend in The organ has been featured on television (BBC December and get more-and-more popular East Midlands Today – twice) and on radio with as the years go by.Thursford is in a different Nigel Ogden’s The Organist Entertains. league, but we believe that we are now the next biggest Christmas Show in the UK that Web: www.pipesinthepeaks.co.uk has the organ as its star attraction. Facebook: www.facebook.com/pipesinthepeaks email: compton@pipesinthepeaks.co.uk “The Pipes in the Peaks concerts with YouTube: resident organists have developed into www.youtube.com/user/christiancartwright more than just an organ concert. They are an entertainment show and they draw the public in from far and wide.”

Pipes in the Peaks Compton (A432) from The Regal, Derby Originally 3/6 plus Melotone Currently 3/18 plus Melotone,Accordion, Solo Cello and Piano English Horn 16' – 8' Xylophone* Tuba Horn* 16' – 4' Toy Counter* Diapason* 16' – 4' Extended Toy Counter (extended with 16' Diaphone) Cathedral Chimes Wooden Tibia 8' – 2' Vibraphone Metal Tibia* 16' – 2' Marimba Muted Trumpet* 8' Upright Piano Brass Saxophone 8' Tuned Sleigh Bells Krummet 8' Accordion Viol* 8'-2' Tuned Bird Whistles Viol Celeste 8'tc Compton Solo Cello Cello 8' – 4' Compton Series 3 Melotone Cello Celeste 8'tc -4' (original removed in 1965) Concert Flute* 16' – 1' * denotes ‘original’ (extended with 16' Bourdon) Pipes in the Peaks also has had many different helpers over the years to enable us to put on Vox Humana 8' concerts and events on. Kinura 8' Tony Stacey MBE Dave’s Mum and Dad – Joan and Phil Thorp Brass Trumpet 8' Stephen’s Mum and Dad – Glenda and Adrian Christian’s Mum and Dad – Elizabeth and John Clarinet 8' Cartwright Quintadena 8' Marjorie and Malcom Rayner Phil and Sue Ufton Glockenspiel* Chris Booth who has regulated and continues to tune the organ. 15

From the This time the archive photos are all from the camera of John Foskett and are from the The Ritz, Chatham, Wurlitzer with grand piano. Could that be Vic Hammett at the console? The instrument now forms the basis of the Wurlitzer in the Shrewsbury Buttermarket . The Christie in the Savoy, Burnt Oak, London, with its rather attractive surround. This instrument started life at the Rosevale Cinema in Partick, Glasgow, moving in 1937 to Burnt Oak, where it remained until 1971 . The late Don Thompson at the Capn’s Galley Pizza and Pipes in Campbell, California, at the former 3/27 Buddy Cole Studio Organ. What remains is now languishing unused in the Motor Cycle Museum near Solihull (with a different console and some different pipes).

Archives Foskett-Roberts collection of slides. They date from around 1970. The proudly-glowing surround of the Regal, Canterbury Compton. Notice the wisp of smoke on the left of the console – from the pipe-smoking gentle- man below. Rather less attractive surround- ings for this Christie at the Majestic, Cradley Heath, after the venue had changed to Bingo. The instrument is thought to be still in the build- ing, but disconnected and unplayable. The dignified 4-manual console from the Gaumont, Camden Town, looking very much at home after installation at the Abbey Hall (Guildhall) in Abingdon. The pipework was from the Gaumont, Birmingham. This photo from about 1974 shows David Shepherd at the console.

Where Did It All Go? John Leeming Where did all what go? The organs? The people? The music? The venues? The players? The passion? All of the above? Has it all gone? John Leeming thinks it’s yes and no ... or maybe no and yes. WHEN I joined the Cinema Organ The venues? The original theatre venues Society in 1970, someone said to of yesteryear have largely gone, but plenty me, “Make the best of it – it’ll all of new venues have appeared – certainly be gone in five years.” Well, it didn’t go. It enough to maintain a decent spread over changed, but it didn’t go. I’ve heard people most of Britain. Anyone who wants to listen speculating that it may all be gone in five to a live theatre organ show can, in much of years from now, 2020. I wonder... the country, find one singing away within a The organs certainly won’t be gone. There reasonable travelling distance on most is no shortage of activity on that front. weekends. More and more theatre pipe organs gain The players? The concert schedules new leases of life every year, thanks to the show that there are plenty of people happily entrepreneurial enthusiasm of a great many playing away to entertain us every week. skilled and dedicated individuals across the The best today are as good as the best from land. The development of realistic virtual the past. Many more play just for their own theatre pipe organs (VTPOs) has opened up enjoyment. A big change, though, is that further opportunities for most of today’s players instrument ownership “...most of today’s players are are not full-time profes- significantly. sional theatre organists – Most of the ‘new’ instru- not full-time professional they don’t earn their main ments are in private theatre organists... living from the work and ownership. They may go they don’t put ‘theatre organ- don’t put ‘theatre organ- into the owner’s house or ist’ on their passports.” ist’ on their passports. outhouse, a new struc- They are none the worse ture, a private museum or for that, of course, but, a place of public entertainment or interest. except for the lucky few, theatre organ play- That summary begins to answer some of ing is an ‘extra’, hopefully a worthwhile one, the questions raised at the top of the page. to their main job in life. If concert perform- Let’s look at them in a bit more detail. ing becomes even less lucrative in the The organs? There’s no shortage, and the future, it could lead to fewer newcomers technical and musical condition of currently- being inspired to take up the noble art. playing theatre organs is probably as high as The people? I’ve already mentioned the it ever was – maybe more so in most cases. stalwarts of theatre organ installation and The interest? It seems there’s no short- the players who keep them going, but there age of interest in acquiring and re-installing are other people involved who are just as pipe organs or creating new virtual important for our favourite instrument to instruments. get the exposure we all want it to have. 18

There are the concert organisers, usually will go to any lengths to seek perfection, but in local clubs associated with a particular hasn’t got any recordings in his possession! instrument. There are also the audiences He may ‘take it out for a drive’ or ‘keep it in who come to listen and whose admission steam’ occasionally, and others may come to money pays for the hire of the venues and share the experience, like the enthusiasts to the organists’ fees. Both these groups of a heritage railway. people are in shorter supply these days, and Such visitors come to marvel at the re- that’s an issue that has to be addressed if creation of a bygone age and enjoy the concerts in public venues are to be atmosphere, and may take a train up and sustainable. down the line, but they’re not going on a The music? Maybe that’s the biggest real journey. They are not doing what those problem of the lot, because it’s interwoven steam engines and ancient carriages were with the people who listen and the people designed to do, which was to take them to who organise. It’s this aspect – the relation- work, on holiday, on a trip to the coun- ship of the organisers and tryside or on a shopping audiences with the music – “The theatre organ hobby expedition. Again, I have that I want to concentrate no problem with that. on most for the remainder may become more like some Will my imaginary of this article. Without other specialist hobbies, theatre organ buffs of the them the theatre organ future be in a similar world will change dramat- where the interest is mainly in category? They may ically, maybe to a specialist the hardware.” come to marvel and may field of owner-enthusiasts, sit at a console and hear perhaps with a technical or other specialist the result. But they would not be doing bias, who pursue their interests with other what the instruments were designed for, owners and aspiring owners. These folk are which was to provide the entertainment generally younger than the average audience and musical stimulation of the cinema organ member or concert organiser, and their role interlude, the silent film accompaniment, the is crucial to the continued existence of our Sunday concert or the Wednesday dance. At rich heritage of Comptons, Christies, the moment a public theatre organ event is Conachers and Curlitzers – er, I mean not the same as a museum exhibit. It’s like a Wurlitzers. real journey. The facility provided is the The theatre organ hobby may become same as ever for the same purposes, which more like some other specialist hobbies, is providing entertainment and enjoyment, where the interest is mainly in the hard- directly or indirectly, in the worlds of music, ware. Classic car enthusiasts and heritage dance and film. railway buffs tend to be interested in the During the past 50 years of my interest design beauty and innovative technical qual- and involvement, the theatre organ has been ity of these pieces of heritage machinery doing more or less all these same things – rather than using the vehicles simply as a providing music for some form of enjoy- means of getting from A to B. There’s noth- ment. I think we may now really have ing wrong with that approach. It’s a hobby, reached the stage where we have to ask and hobbies are a Good Thing. ourselves if that will continue. Indeed, we That side of the theatre organ ‘hobby’ is need to ask if we want it to continue. growing. The listening side is declining – not Well, I do, for one. I discovered the theatre only at events, but at home, as the great organ because I found that I enjoyed its decline in sales of CDs and other recorded music. Although I have been involved on the material testifies. I can almost imagine the technical side of my theatre organ hobby, future theatre organ enthusiast as someone that wouldn’t have happened if the music who loves the instruments for their design, hadn’t got there first. My wish to maintain their heritage and their physical beauty and theatre organs purely as machines is no 19

greater than my wish to maintain old power 1950s – a thirty-year window in the distant transformers or to assemble a collection of past – and light classics. It’s a style and genre bread-cuttings. If the theatre organ disap- of music that just doesn’t come into pears as a concert instrument, I suspect my people’s lives any more. In 1969 when The interest would revert to where it began: Organist Entertains first hit the airwaves a radio (now internet) and records. kindly BBC was still dispensing light popular In that case, can anything be done to music of all types, from swing to serenades, revive participating listener-interest? What on a daily basis. Large numbers of original are the problems and performances were difficulties, and can we “...there has been a declining created almost on a solve them? interest amongst younger productions line. Light orchestras, swing bands, One of the problems is that for years there has people, not just in the theatre dance ensembles, rhythm been a declining interest groups, string trios, pian- amongst younger people, organ but in social hobbies in ists, solo and group vocal- not just in the theatre general.” ists – many of them BBC organ but in social house musicians – were hobbies in general. Local clubs and societies exposed to the ears of radio listeners all of all sorts are suffering from this lack of the time. It was the stuff on which the interest. Pay a visit to your local photo- BBC’s reputation for original entertainment graphic club or film society (if there is one). music was built. Try the art group or the historical society. It was in 1967 that it all began to change. What about the recorded music group or Commercial recordings began to replace the angling club? You’ll find the same with all live musicians. It was cheaper, and new of them: groups of mainly elderly people commercial music stations had persuaded who are probably struggling to retain viabil- the Musicians’ Union to allow the broad- ity. Younger people tend to avoid participat- casters to increase the amount of ‘needle ory hobbies like never before. time’ (hours of playing records) on the air. It But that’s not the only aspect, or even the was slow to begin with. Believe it or not, main aspect, when it comes to theatre The Organist Entertains (and a lot of other organ. People know what a photograph is, light popular music) went out on Radio 1 as so if you mention the photographic society, well as Radio 2 for the first couple of years they know immediately what you’re talking or so. Younger people were exposed to it. I about. For the most part, they don’t know was a teacher at the time, and my teenage what a theatre organ is. Anyone under 70 is students knew what a theatre organ soun- unlikely to have experienced one in a ded like even if they’d never seen one. cinema. Some may have visited Blackpool or But ... people in their teens and twenties in Thursford, but as a proportion of the popu- 1970 are now approaching their sixties and lation they’re still not many.To most of them seventies. The slow changes at the BBC it will have been just a became rapid changes, passing novelty. There’s “The music of the popular with the different channels nothing on the radio songs of the first half of the these days, and followers becoming narrower, geared to specific audi- on the internet are 20th century had to be able ences who mostly didn’t largely the already-aware. to stand up on its own venture away from ‘their’ But I don’t think even without the words.” station. This continued to the extent that, in spite of that is the main problem. I think it’s the music itself. the great increase in the The theatre organ was designed to inter- number of radio services, there is virtually pret the music of its era. It works best with no popular music on the air of the types the popular light music of the 1920s to which were the mainstay of radio. 20

Of course, tastes change constantly. In the Riddle or Glenn Osser, who painted magical 1940s ‘Flotsam and Jetsam’ had given way to orchestral backdrops for so many great Donald Peers, and in the 1950s Donald singers. Peers had given way to Elvis Presley and Bill Haley. Ambrose gave way to Ted Heath who The words of a song have always been gave way to Billy Cotton. And so on. In the important, and they were more often than 1960s came The Beatles and their contem- not the reason the composition was poraries. Although these changes were quite created, but they complemented the music dramatic in their way, there was a common (and were complemented by it) rather than thread that persisted throughout. That directing it. The music of the popular songs thread was a common musical structure. of the first half of the 20th century had to Most popular music followed the time- be able to stand up on its own without the honoured path of groups of eight bars words, since it was often performed that strung together in a fairly standard pattern way by orchestras, bands and small combos. to make a 32-bar entity (sometimes with Indeed, some popular light music didn’t variations and additions to the basic struc- come with words in the first place. [I think ture).The melody and the harmonies gener- the last chart-topping piece of instrumental ally followed established ‘rules’ of music in the UK was ‘A Walk in the Black composition which were based on centuries Forest’ by Horst Jankowsi, in 1965 – half a of development of western music, both seri- lifetime ago – though ‘Popcorn’ hit the jack- ous and ‘light’, and probably developed from pot in some countries a few years later.] the patterns in simple folk songs. To be continued In the following decades structures and styles changed, Small ‘pop’ groups could On the next two pages are scans from more easily experiment and adapt than Radio Times of the daytime radio sched- large orchestra and bands. The range of ules for 9th August 1949, illustrating the accepted popular music broadened, but at wealth of original performances of the same time moved away, at least to some ‘entertainment light music’ on the extent, from the traditions of music that had airwaves. There was more in the even- existed in numerous but linked variations ings, though there was a greater for decades or even centuries. Harmony emphasis on general programming at became less important as melody became those times. I’ve highlighted the more dominant. The ‘vocal refrain’ of the programmes that come into that 1930s and ’40s began to take over the category. The Home Service became whole, with, perhaps an ‘instrumental Radio 4 in 1967 and the Light refrain’ in the middle, but even that faded Programme Radio 2. Look at today’s away for the most part. daytime schedules. Radio 4 is almost totally speech-based and programmes Increased dominance of the vocal did two on Radio 2 might just as well be labelled things. It put the band or orchestra in the Record, Records, Records and more background, so the harmonic structure and Records. With chat, of course (inane or sequence made less of an impact than previ- otherwise). ously. It also brought out the singer(s) as the lead performer(s) more so than previously. The Home Service has more music The singer (in small bands often also a lead than normal in these examples, because guitarist) became more of a sole star, and it was during the school holidays (note who was playing and what they were doing the programme on the ‘Light’ at 12:00). with the other instruments became less In term-time there would be a couple of important to the average listener. What hours or so of programmes for schools. these instrumentalists were doing was, in reality, very significant. Listen to the amazing Notice some familiar programmes of orchestrations of, for example, Nelson today were already there 70 years ago – Woman’s Hour, Round Britain Quiz and Choral Evensong. 21

Tuesday daytime radio pages from the Radio Times edition of August 5th 1949. There is no lack of ‘entertainment 22

light music’ for the busy housewife and children at home from school for the summer (see panel on previous page) 23

On a Lighter Note... Paul Gregson “I knew we should have had the lift serviced!”

Wyton House Compton’s Digital Doppelganger Stephen Ades The Compton Organ that was the star musical attraction at Wyton House, the home of Liz Palmer and her late husband Peter, is there no longer, having been sold to Jonathan Ling for reinstallation in his facility at Palgrave, near Diss. In the mean- time, the sounds of the instrument can still be enjoyed ... THE Wyton House Compton is now dual screens above a supermarket and the avaiable as a Hauptwerk sample set organ was removed by Gerald Carrington. so that anyone with a Hauptwerk He installed it for Peter Palmer, who built a equipped console can enjoy playing it. small auditorium for it at Wyton House. Gerald Carrington, a former employee of Compton’s Opus A293 was installed in the the John Compton Organ Company Ltd, 2,750-seater Astoria Cinema, Southend in and now ‘mine host’ at the Plough, Great 1935. The console with its art deco-style il- Munden, was in touch with other ex- luminated surround is pictured in COS Compton organ builders, and used them to Journal issue 264. Its layout followed the help with the installation at Peter’s. In 1972 Compton ‘Paramount Special’ style, with Gerald and Peter had removed the remains four manuals including a coupler manual. of the flood-damaged organ from the Ritz, The organ had 11 ranks including three Belfast. The Belfast Krummet was added to strings and a fine trumpet and tuba. It was a the 11 ranks from Southend, and the addi- versatile instrument that could do justice to tional relays wired by James Pollard (an ex- a wide range of musical styles, from cinema director of the Compton Company, who organ classics through to large symphonic had wired many original relays in the 1920s pieces such as Berlioz’s ‘Hungarian March’ and ‘30s). Parts of the Belfast Melotone and Widor’s Toccata. It also featured an were also incorporated, because some of upright piano, Compton patent Melophone, the Southend parts were beyond repair. as this early Melotone was styled, and Solo Cello. After Gerald’s death in 1982, Peter used a number of builders who had theatre organ In 1969 the cinema was converted into 25

Pipework in the solo chamber at Wyton House Since he didn’t use the Melotone, Peter decided to substitute it with a new Solo interests to help him mould the instrument String rank with a range of synthetic stops into the organ he wanted it to be. derived from it, replacing the compound voices available from the Melotone and A Compton French Horn was added to adding considerably to the pallete of the Solo chamber and later, a second Vox sounds. More recently a pair of ‘Blackpool’ Humana and a second Tibia (Conacher) in mutation couplers have been added to the the Accompaniment chamber, only playable coupler manual, also adding substantially to from the accompaniment manual; The the tone colours available on the organ. upright piano and mechanical Solo Cello were lost; but the Bechstein grand piano The illuminated surround was initially lost from the Ritz Ipswich was attached instead to another organ but many years later the at Wyton House and made a separate feature in the music room. As a player I find the left and right horseshoe screens most useful when playing the sample set – they are shown here on my home console. 26

frame was reunited with A293, minus its top Noises and reverberation section, and it was fitted with colour chan- The Hauptwerk software adds small fluctu- ging LEDs. ations to the recorded samples when it gen- erates the sound of the organ, intended to Hauptwerk sample set mimic pressure fluctuations in the wind- The Hauptwerk digital organ system has chest as pipes start and stop speaking – this been described previously in this Journal. In gives more realism to the sound. Among brief, pipe-by-pipe recordings are made of a sample set producers and Hauptwerk en- real organ, to produce a ‘sample set’. The thusiasts, there is much debate about the Hauptwerk software then allows the organ level of realism that a sample set should of- to be played from manuals and pedals linked fer beyond this, particularly for non-musical to a computer via the standard MIDI inter- sounds produced by mechanisms in the or- face. gan. Hautpwerk can mimic the sounds of stops operating, which on a classical instru- A wide range of consoles can be used to ment with pneumatic slider motors are of- provide the manuals and pedalboard. In ten quite loud. However at least for hand some cases an existing console from a re- registrations, cinema organ stops operate si- dundant organ is repurposed and ‘midified’. lently – only use of the pistons produces a Such consoles usually have motorised stops clunk. So this sample set allows stop noise that are driven by the Hauptwerk piston to be turned on or off. system; typically the stops are engraved to match a specific sample set. A computer One time-consuming process required to screen is usually provided to configure the produce a Hautpwerk sample set involves system and to provide access to stops on removing noise from samples, most of the organ for which the console does not which is usually wind noise. If this was not have tabs. done then sounding one pipe would also play the sound of the background noise, two In other cases a console is made up of a pipes double the noise, and so on.There are purpose-built ‘key stack’ of manuals, plus a well-established computational techniques pedal board and two or more touchscreens for removing the background noise, most of to display the available stops (see photo on which depend on having a separate record- previous page). This style of console is ing of the background noise on its own.This generally built by players who want to use sample set then offers an option for the the same console with a variety of different player to add one ‘set’ of noise back in. sample sets and organ styles. Just as on the real console, there are stop tabs in the sample set to set any one of the available col- ours. You can also link a MIDI sequencer to Hauptwerk and use this to run your own choice of col- our changing sequences. The other screen below shows the Bechstein grand piano, whose keys also move just as they do when playing on the real Wyton House console. Compton’s patent for the colour changing system mentions general theatre lighting as well as the console surround, so we have provided a pair of art deco-style lights in this view, which change colour in step with the console.

On a real cinema organ the position of set I have found that it adds life and the shutters will affect the amount of back- realism. ground noise. So this sample set allows the volume of noise to be altered using an This brings us to the subject of wet and expression pedal and it also allows it to be dry sample sets. A pipe can be recorded coupled to the chamber expression. with the microphones very close to the pipe (dry sample) or with the microphones For organs recorded in very resonant placed in the general ambience of the buildings I prefer not to add background building (wet sample). If you want to use noise, but with the Wyton House sample the sample set in a large building you will For consoles with a single screen, the Wyton House sample set provides the ‘all stops’ display shown here. Stops brighten to show they when are on. The only items in this display that are not on the real organ are a set of general pistons – useful to capture and recall complete registrations – and an op- tion to turn stop noise and blower noise on or off.

want dry samples – the building will do the A resonant building evens out the fluctu- rest. If your aim is to enjoy the sound of a ating sounds from the organ, and so it great cathedral from the Hauptwerk con- tends to suppress the effect of the tremu- sole in your living room, then you will lant and disguise its character. So for best prefer wet samples. But for a cinema organ results, cinema organ samples are recorded there is another consideration. Since trem- dry. The same considerations also apply to ulants are such an important part of the vibraphones and the various reiterating character of a cinema organ, cinema organ percussions found on a cinema organ. Of pipes are usually recorded twice, with and course cinemas are designed for clear without tremulant. In contrast for a church speech and so do not tend to have long organ it is normal to record only without acoustics. However a dry sample set will tremulant and then let Hauptwerk synthes- still sound artificial in your living room. ise the tremulant. Fortunately you can use Hauptwerk with

software that synthesises the effect of a record, for, as mentioned in the blurb, this resonant building. much-loved organ has now been sold to Jonathan Ling, who plans to install it in his In the case of Wyton House, the samples collection at the Grange Musical Collection were recorded in the chambers and so have in Palgrave. a small amount of reverberation from the chamber walls, but none from the auditori- In future we hope to also produce two um. Some sample set producers have gone additional sample sets. The first is planned further with other instruments, hanging ab- to be a representation of the organ as sorbent drapes in the chambers. I have originally installed in Southend, featuring a found the natural chamber resonance at Melotone and Solo Cello from another Wyton House to produce the more faithful Compton. The second will then feature a sound. I then add a small amount of larger 4-manual console with a greater synthesised resonance when I am playing to range of stops, to exploit further the capab- produce the effect as heard in the auditor- ility of the Wyton House ranks. This follows ium. the pattern of a number of reworked organs in the UK where a fine set of pipes Colour-changing console have been coupled to a larger console. For a Since illuminated surrounds were such a real organ this would mean using a larger feature of UK cinema organs, we decided it relay bank. For a Hauptwerk virtual organ would be fun to include a colour-changing there are no extra resources required. console view in this sample set. It is pic- tured back on the third page of this article, The most important question about the set to red, on the left screen of my home sample set has been left to last in this art- console. As with many other Hauptwerk icle. How does it sound? To my ears this is sample sets, in the console view the keys on the most faithful cinema organ sample set the manuals and pedalboard move as the so far available for Hauptwerk and comes instrument is played. very close to the ‘living sound’ of real pipes on a real windchest. But readers can judge At Wyton House the console has no for themselves on the Internet by visiting volume control for the piano, since in the http://www.contrebombarde.com/concert original installation the piano was housed in hall/user/3783/uploads. one of the chambers. To change the volume when recording at Wyton House I have I have posted a number of tracks there, therefore used the simple technique of rais- each recorded on the sample set. Three of ing or lowering the lid. To mimic this, the the tracks also have a link to a recording of position of the lid on the screen controls the same music that I made on the real the piano volume in the sample set. Wyton House organ, using exactly the same registrations – as exacting a test as any The console and piano screens are fun for sample set could be given. an audience and can be projected on separ- ate displays away from the console. Acknowledgements The sample set was recorded by Carl Present and future sample sets Heslop, assisted by Paul Turner. Sample pro- The sample set described here represents cessing and noise reduction by Graham the organ as it was shortly before removal Goode. Graphics and Hauptwerk program- from Wyton House and is available from ming by Olivia Nagioff. Nigel Laflin kindly Melotone Sound Productions – details are delved into the COS archives and retrieved on the Internet at information on Opus A293 from the Jim https://sites.google.com/site/meltonesou McKeown index.We are ndssa/home/wyton-house-compton, or extremely grateful to simply type Melotone Sound Productions Liz Palmer for allowing into a search engine. us to record this fine instrument. In fact, this sample set is now a historical 30

THE CINEMA ORGAN SOCIETY Promoting the cinema organ as entertainment for over 60 years Founded in 1952 by Hubert Selby and Tony Moss President: John Mann Vice-presidents: John Smallwood & John Leeming* www.cinema-organs.org.uk NATIONAL OFFICERS General Archivist General Secretary Nigel Laflin* 38 Furzedown Road, Sutton, SM2 5QE Malcolm Phillips* 7 Larch Way, Sleaford, NG34 7UG Chairman DISTRICT SECRETARIES Simon Gledhill* 8 Hockley Drive, Gidea Park, RM2 6NL Midlands & Wales Treasurer Damon Willetts* 139 Greenhill Road, Halesowen, B62 8HA Steve Nicholson* 76 Railway Rd,Adlington, Chorley, PR6 9RB Northern Membership Secretary Richard Stephenson* 15 Rayner Street, Wakefield, WF4 5BD David Shepherd, Dolby House, Barrington Gate, Holbeach, PE12 7DA Scotland See our affiliate group SCOT in the section below Newsletter Editor Southern Wayne Ivany, 43a Castle Street, Boston, PE21 8PR Damon Cox 14c Wilton Rd, Colliers Wood, London, Journal Editor SW19 2HB Michael Carter, 4 Asbury Road, Balsall Common, CV7 7QN Troxy Liaison Webmaster Nigel Laflin* 38 Furzedown Road, Sutton, SM2 5QE David Schuster, 5 Barn Mead, Doddinghurst, CM15 0ND Technical Officer Email: COS officers can be contacted by email using the Robert Balfour-Rowley, 4 Model Village, Creswell, Worksop, ‘contact us’ option in the information menu of the COS S80 4BW Website www.cinema-organs.org.uk Musical Adviser Richard Hills, 25 Ady’s Road, London, SE15 4DX The Society is administered by a General Committee of Sales Officer Officers and District Secretaries. Not all Officers are elected Simon Field* The Quillet, Corfe Lodge Rd, Broadstone, Committee members. Local activities are the responsibility BH18 9NF of the District Secretaries, who are assisted by local commit- Media Officer tees.All posts are honorary. Aaron Hawthorne, 104 Fort Street, Motherwell, ML1 3GF Publicity Officer The Society is working towards becoming a Registered Vacant Charity. Recordings Officer Richard Stephenson* 15 Rayner Street, Wakefield, WF4 5BD *Trustee. Other trustees are John Abson, David Lowe, Robert Pearsall and David Warner. CLUBS, SOCIETIES, PUBLICATIONS AND BROADCASTS Below are brief contact details of some other groups and facilities that may be of interest to our members The Theatre Organ Club American Theatre Organ Society (USA) Grant Pilcher, White House Farm, Long Row, Tibenham, NR16 1PE Donna Parker, PO Box 162049, Atlanta, GA 30321-2049, www.theatreorganclub.co.uk USA Scottish Cinema Organ Trust (SCOT) www.atos.org Ruth Muirhead, 20 Fishescoates Ave, Burnside, G73 5DY Netherlands Organ Federation www.scottishcinemaorgantrust.org.uk NOF, Rosa Spierlaan 442, 1187 PJ Amstelveen, Holland Scottish Theatre Organ Preservation Society www.theaterorgel.nl New Palace Centre,Todholes, Greenlaw,TD10 6XD Stories of London – Theatre Organ Series Lancastrian Theatre Organ Trust www.stories-of-london.org/the-theatre-organ-home-page/ Michael Holmes, 26 Stocks Gardens, Stalybridge, SK15 2RD The Organ Club theatreorgans.com/lancast/ Mark Jameson, 92 The Hawthorns, Reading, RG10 9TS North East Theatre Organ Association www.organclub.org John Robinson, 14 Hilda Park, Chester-le-Street, DH2 2JP Cinema Theatre Association *UPDATED www.netoa.org.uk http://cinema-theatre.org.uk/membership/ Theatre Pipe Organ Preservation Society Robert Farnon Society Website TPOPS, Ansty House, Henfield Road, Small Dole, Henfield, West www.robertfarnonsociety..org.uk Sussex, BN5 9XH. The Light Music Society www.sussexwurlitzers.co.uk Hilary Ashton, 19a Eshton Terrace, Clitheroe, BB7 1BQ Rye Wurlitzer Academy www.lightmusicsociety.com Richard Moore, 180 Sedlescombe Road N., St. Leonards-On-Sea, East Sussex,TN37 7EN. Facebook groups/pages of interest: The COS, ‘British www.ryewurlitzeracademy.co.uk Cinema Organs’ and many other specialist groups. American Theatre Organ Society (London & SE) Radio Programmes – all available on line Peter Collett, 117 Charles Street, Sileby, LE12 7SH ATOS Radio; Community Keyboards; Hot Pipes!; Organ31s1t www.atos-london.co.uk Radio;The Organist Encores