Me playing the 2 manual Heard organ at Wesley Rock Methodist Church in Heamoor, Penzance. Wesley Rock Methodist Church is so called because of the frequent visits by John Wesley to the area where he is said to have preached from a rock in a field. The 'Rock' in question now forms the base of pulpit in Wesley Rock Church itself and has been moved once on the completion of the building that now forms the Church, being previously held in the older adjacent building. With this theme in mind the hymn "Rock of ages" was the perfect choice!
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 at my "local" - the Wurlitzer organ at the Theatre Organ Heritage Centre in Peel Green, Manchester playing the beautiful "Autumn leaves". The Wurlitzer organ here is one of the smallest in the country with 6 ranks of pipes (Diapason, Flute, Salicional, Tibia, Vox Humana and Trumpet) and originally built for the Trocadero in Liverpool. Unfortunately I placed the microphone a bit to near to the organ grilles so the sound is a bit harsh in this video. I recommend listening to this on a modererate to loud volume setting and your speakers about 180cm away from you if possible. Being a public place of course there were other visitors in the building so I expected some background noise. My thanks must go to Pete Taylor for allowing me use of this little gem of a theatre organ and for a tour of the museum afterwards! The Lancastrian theatre organ trust must be congratulated on their work in making this organ and all the other artefacts in the museum look like they were only built yesterday.
Me playing the 2 manual Allen electronic organ which dates back to about 1978. Im playing the hymn "Jesus is Lord" and hve included a shot of the external speaker unit at the very end of this video.
I tested out this song on Facebook and my friends there seem to like it a lot ..... This is my first vocal song, using my newer gear .... A few friends there suggested that I make a Youtube video for it and feature it as my Halloween video and I think that's a very good idea and so ..... this I guess is my Halloween song and video ....... The DEVIL made ME do it.
Lyrics:
Sister come and save me. Throw me out a line.
I say sister won't you save me cuz I'm drowning all the time.
Devil's on my doorstep. Knocking at my door.
Make me dance to Dubstep til I can't dance no more. "Ah Yeah."
Sister come and save me. I'm running out of line.
I say sister won't you save me cuz I'm running out of time.
Devil's gonna find me and lead me to his door.
Make me dance to Disco til I can't dance no more, no more, no more, no more.
The Devil mocks me on my trail. Satan's got me by my tail.
My torment that I loathe so well. I'm dancing through the gates of Hell. "Ah Yeah."
Sister come and save me. Throw me out a line.
I say sister won't you save me cuz I'm drowning all the time.
Devil's on my doorstep. Knocking at my door.
Make me dance to Dubstep til I can't dance no more, no more, no more, no more.
No more, no more, no more.
No more, no more, no more.
No more, no more, no more.
Me playing my own arrangement of "Time on my hands" on the Stockport town hall Wurlitzer organ. The day before I listened to a recording I made playing this very piece on the Southampton Guildhall Compton organ and was amazed at how similar I made two very different instruments sound particularly between 0:46 and 1:00.
Playing "La Mer" which I always associated with the film "Mr Beans Holiday"!!! I used the organs upright piano attachment for most of this piece but the camera microphone was unfortunately not able to pick this up. Like all theatre organs the organ works on the "extension" principal with 20 ranks of pipes in 2 chambers laid out as follows: CHAMBER 1 Open Diapason Flute Clarinet Viol D Orchestre Voix Celeste Quintadena Dulciana Tuba Horn Tibia 1 Solo String 1 Marimba Harp Vibraphone CHAMBER 2 Tuba Mirabilis English Horn Saxophone Trumpet Solo String 2 Tibia 2 Orchestral Oboe Oboe Horn Kinura Vox Humana Xylophone Glockenspiel Chimes Drums, Cymbals, Novelty effects etc Unenclosed is the upright piano and the "master" xylophone. I couldnt help but include a couple of clips of my favourite comedian!!!
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".
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 at the organ of St John Vianney Catholic Church in Clayhall, London. Im playing the old tune "If I could help somebody" and using the organs electrostatic melotone unit blended with the Tibia for most of the melody and to round it off I use the Triangle! The organ was originally installed at the Ritz Cinema in Nuneaton and has 3 manuals, 6 ranks of pipes and of course the melotone unit. It was designed by organist Harold Ramsay. When this church was built in the late 1960s, rather than spend large sums of money on a new organ the priest at the time was a cinema organ enthusiast and had this organ brought and installed here. The organ is used for the sunday services, weddings, funerals and other church activities and regular concerts are organised by the cinema organ society.
