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.
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.
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.
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!!! :-)
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.
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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.
Playing "Love is a song" from Walt Disneys Bambi on my Compton electronic tonewheel organ. Unfortunately, I had to place the camera close to the speaker hence there is some distortion. Therefore I recommend listening to this through headphones.
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.
Me on the organ at the beautiful Mousehole Methodist Church just outside Penzance, Cornwall. Im playing "If" which demonstrates the soft sounds on this fine organ. Mousehole (pronounced "Mouzel") is a very picturesque seaside village and well worth a visit! The organ here was originally built by Heard & Co of Truro in about 1903 and rebuilt in the 1940s by Hele & Co. It was overhauled in the 1980s by Lance Foy and electric action installed.
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.
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".
