Me at the 2 manual Nicholson and Lord organ at Reedswood Methodist Church in Walsall, West Midlands. Im giving this little instrument the theatre organ treatment with "Peanut vendor". Reedswood was one of the churches in the former Bloxwich and Willenhall Circuit that I used to play at in the evenings when I was organist at Allens Rough Methodist Church, Willenhall.
Walt Disney on the church pipe organ!!! Me playing "Whistle while you work" from "Snow white and the seven dwarfs" on the 2 manual Hawkins pipe organ at Essington Wood Methodist Church near Bloxwich, West Midlands.
Me at the organ at Short Heath Methodist Church in Willenhall, West Midlands. The organ is a 2 manual (keyboard) instrument that was originally built by Nicholson & Lord of Walsall for Walsall Street Methodist Church, Willenhall. It was removed from there when that church closed in 1964 and reinstalled here. Im playing the wartime ballad "That lovely weekend" as originally sung by one of my favourite all time singers - Dame Vera Lynn!
St John's Methodist Church in Bloxwich, West Midlands was the result of Wesley, Pinfold and New Street Methodist Churches merging in the mid 1960s. The organ was built and installed here by Nelson & Co of Durham. The bulk of the pipework is from the old Pinfold Methodist Church instrument and a couple of the pedal stops from the Wesley church. The pipework is on a plinth at the rear of the church and the console at the front left of the communion area. Parts of the console is from a Compton theatre organ and was originally stopkeys in horseshoe layout. In 1975 the organ was overhauled by Henry Groves of Nottingham. In 2003, it was rebuilt by John Lloyd of Bilston and some tonal alterations were made including the addition of a powerful "Tuba en Chamade" stop on the choir division. The console was also rebuilt and drawstops fitted in place of the stopkeys. In this video I am playing Handels "March from Scipio" which gives the general idea of what the organ sounds like.
Me playing the beautiful 3 manual Binns, Fitton and Haley organ at Queen Street Methodist Central Hall in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Unusual for a church instrument, the organ features a percussion stop called a "Celesta" and so I chose the old childrens song "Oranges and lemons" to demonstrate this.
Giving the Cornopean stop of the organ at Glazebrook Methodist Church just outside Salford, Cheshire a workout with "Nellie the elephant"! The organ was originally built by "Pendlebury Organ Company". It is interesting in the fact that there is an enclosed choir division consisting of 3 stops playable on the Great.
Me playing the Sixsmith organ at Wesley Methodist Church in Cadishead. The tune is Elvis Costello's "Mighty like a rose" - not the sort of thing normally played on a single manual instrument of just 5 speaking stops but I did this to prove that even the smallest of organs can be effective. I end the tune using the very delicate and beautiful Dulciana stop.
Me playing the Viscount digital electronic organ at St Paul's Methdist Church in Irlam, Manchester. Im playing the modern tune to "O Jesus I have promised".
Giving the 2 manual Wadsworth organ at Patricroft Methodist Church in Salford the theatre organ treatment with "Windows of Paris". Ironically, right next door to the church is the Lancastrian theatre organ trust heritage centre which is home to a Wurlitzer organ (originally from the Trocadero cinema, Liverpool) as well as many other theatre organ bits and bobs.
Here I am at Monton Methodist Church playing the very upbeat worship song "Shine Jesus shine" on the 2 manual Norwich electronic organ. The organ has 2 external speaker units installed in the roof at the front of the church and I have added pictures of these at the very end of this video for interest.
At the Allen electronic organ installed at Emmanuel Ecumenical Church in Salford. The church was originally Salford Methodist Community Church but in recent years has joined with the local Anglican church to become Emmanuel. A new church is in the process of construction on a different site and due to open next year. It is proposed that this organ will be reinstalled in the new premises. Im playing "Mango Walk" on this Allen electronic organ which dates back to the late 1970s and make use of the "percussion" effect stop at the very end.
