Me playing the beautiful 3 manual Nicholson & Co pipe organ at St Andrews Methodist Church in Worcester. As always, I like to play something on the church organ you wouldnt expect to hear so here is
I've played several theatre organs built by Compton and Wurlitzer but never a Christie until today! Im playing "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts" on the Christie theatre organ at the Social Welfare Hall in Harworth near Doncaster. The organ was originally built in 1934 for the Essoldo cinema in Durham and had 2 manuals and 7 ranks of pipes. It was installed here in the 1960s and had an extra manual and some extra ranks of pipes added. When playing a cinema organ my aim has always been to try and play as they did in your average 1930s surburban cinema. In otherwords - knock out the tune! The emphasis these days tends to be on "orchestral" styling etc.
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!
Me playing the 2 manual Peter Conacher & Co pipe organ at Richmond Methodist Church in Penzance, Cornwall. Im playing the hymn "City of God" to the aptly named tune "Richmond". The organ features a beautiful Trumpet stop which I use in the 3rd verse.
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.
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.
A brief description of the Compton electrone organ and includes me playing the hymn "Christ be our light" on the Compton electrone organ model 363 at Portobello Methodist Church in Willenhall, West Midlands.
The organ is located in an alcove at the front of the church on the right facing and the "rotofon" speaker is housed in a chamber behind an ornamental grille directly above the console.
At the Plaza with "On the Sunny side of the street" played on the 1931 Compton pipe organ. In this video I tried to play exactly how I think a 1930s cinema organist would have done ie I didnt try and sound like another organist or follow a particular style. I simply banged out the tune!!! :-)
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.
Every organ donor has the potential to save eight lives, which is the foundation of the new public awareness campaign from the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE). Using multiple channels such as outdoor, television, print and radio advertising, transit wraps, a brand new website and social media, CORE is encouraging individuals to “LiVE: 8” and end the wait by signing up to become an organ and tissue donor.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7253051-center-for-organ-recovery-and-education-launches-live-8/
Me at the organ of Ombersley Road Methodist Church in Barbourne, Worcester where I was organist at during 2004 and 2005 before moving to Manchester. Im playing the hymn
Off The Grid tells compelling human stories from across the globe, framing them within a bigger picture. It’s about individuals whose lives have been affected by unforeseen events, but who decide to take their destinies into their own hands.
A new episode of Off the Grid – Silent Death on a Syrian Journey – exposes a booming illegal trade in the Middle East: organ trafficking. Producer/Director Mouhssine Ennaimi visits Lebanon where hundreds of thousands of desperately poor Syrians have taken refuge. With little money for food and shelter, Abu Ahmed and Abdallah have sold their kidneys to organ traffickers. One of them was given only a fraction of the sum promised and faces now health complications. The other one is recovering in a filthy room in a dirty slum hoping to be smuggled to Europe by the organ trafficker.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8219151-trt-world-off-the-grid-organ-trafficking/
