While the Tower Ballroom may have been recorded many times, Dixon only produced several hundred 78's, during a period when the Blackpool organ was popular because of austerity and the war years, and as an entertainment media accessible to many. He also did some 2000 broadcasts from the Tower Ballroom.
Another organist who had a broadly similar lifespan and was alive over pretty much the same years was George Thalban-Ball, who was organist at the Temple Church for some 60 odd years and produced recordings such as Ernest Lough's famous 'O for the wings of a dove' 78 which was HMV's best selling record for 1927, the year it was released, had to be re-recorded in 1928 because the master wore out, and became EMI' first million selling record in 1962. Thalban-Ball was also Birmingham City organist and gave over 1000 lunchtime recitals at Birmingham Town Hall, a tradition continued today by Thomas Trotter in his weekly recital programme.
The BBC concert organ has been heard by millions worldwide, through broadcasts (and recordings). Many of the programmes while light, were classical.
The BBC Proms are broadcast worldwide, with some 313,000 actual attendees in the 2010 season of 89 concerts. And this is serious 'classical' music.
Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings' College Cambridge is broadcast worldwide and has been on the radio since 1928 broadcast to a worldwide audience of millions.
BBC Choral Evensong is broadcast live every week to a wide audience on Radio 3. When it was axed a few years ago, there was such an uproar that it was reprieved, and when it was moved to Sunday afternoon, and audience figures dropped, it was returned to its usual midweek slot.
I have to ask barniclecompton a question, have you been to any classical organ concerts? I mean this not to be critical, but to try to show you there is a lot more fantastic music out there than that used in theatre organ circles. Unfortunately, you come across as narrow minded as many classical organ buffs do about their music. I'm sure there is a place for all of this, but my experience is, that many, many people have a great experience with classical music on the organ and in other forms.
Jonathan
Another organist who had a broadly similar lifespan and was alive over pretty much the same years was George Thalban-Ball, who was organist at the Temple Church for some 60 odd years and produced recordings such as Ernest Lough's famous 'O for the wings of a dove' 78 which was HMV's best selling record for 1927, the year it was released, had to be re-recorded in 1928 because the master wore out, and became EMI' first million selling record in 1962. Thalban-Ball was also Birmingham City organist and gave over 1000 lunchtime recitals at Birmingham Town Hall, a tradition continued today by Thomas Trotter in his weekly recital programme.
The BBC concert organ has been heard by millions worldwide, through broadcasts (and recordings). Many of the programmes while light, were classical.
The BBC Proms are broadcast worldwide, with some 313,000 actual attendees in the 2010 season of 89 concerts. And this is serious 'classical' music.
Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings' College Cambridge is broadcast worldwide and has been on the radio since 1928 broadcast to a worldwide audience of millions.
BBC Choral Evensong is broadcast live every week to a wide audience on Radio 3. When it was axed a few years ago, there was such an uproar that it was reprieved, and when it was moved to Sunday afternoon, and audience figures dropped, it was returned to its usual midweek slot.
I have to ask barniclecompton a question, have you been to any classical organ concerts? I mean this not to be critical, but to try to show you there is a lot more fantastic music out there than that used in theatre organ circles. Unfortunately, you come across as narrow minded as many classical organ buffs do about their music. I'm sure there is a place for all of this, but my experience is, that many, many people have a great experience with classical music on the organ and in other forms.
Jonathan