Encouraging appreciation and enthusiam for the Organ
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If it's down to alterations, just how many organs are left that havent been altered over the years at some stage? The civic's voicing is entirely original, which John Compton oversaw himself. The only alterations has been additional ranks, expansion of the specification, and the removal of the melotone by Arnold Richardson. If that's the lottery's way of thinking, then it's a wonder they give money to anything at all. I think partly the problem might be that it is part theatre organ and not strictly straight. However as you say, that does not distract from it's quality, only made it what it should have been from the start.
There has been a recent noticable "slump" in the past few years in concert/event attendances too I think. Though there must be interest, as my Youtube channel is fast approaching 1 million views (within the next month or so).
Robert Wolfe, one of the worlds top theatre organists and showmen will be at the console of the historic Blackpool Opera House Mighty Wurlitzer, the very last new Wurlitzer to be installed in the UK. Doors open at 1.30pm for a 2pm start. Tickets are priced at £5 https://www.facebook.com/events/733600103453083/
Some will see it as sillyness/nonsense and run it down. However, it is at the end of the day, abit of fun which is needed now and then, and the audience appreciate it! The sheer fact that Robert Wolfe can go between the manuals so rapidly and still squeeze in all the chord changes is amazing. It may be fast and get to the point where it gets mushy (pipes bordering on the edge of speech) but it is as fast and accurate as it can possibly get. It is also testament to Wurlitzer's relays which the Thursford Wurlitzer still is.
What annoys me most about him is that he DOES have the ability to be extremely good, without constantly showing off -look at me, I can play 4 manuals at once and play the melody line with both feet on the pedals- that's fine back n forth now and again, but it is almost all the time with him. The result is that it sounds dreadful. He would be much better appreciated by controlling his talent a good deal more, rather than just running wild with it.
Looking at the comments and the public reaction on Cameron Carpenter's VEVO account....the public have well and truly said how they feel, but do they feel this about just Cameron Carpenter, or do they have similar thoughts about the organ scene in general too? Personally I'd agree with the latter, not totally, but a good chunk of me agrees that that is generally how the general public see the organ and organists. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLzgFkouSmc - the video itself for those who wish to read the comments.
VERY productive day in Blackpool on the 26/11/13 working on the new Empress Ballroom organ. Heard the Tibia, Vox, saxaphone and Kinura (just in chords played from the tag boards) and they sound absolutely mouth watering down on the ballroom floor!
I'm trying to find out who was organist at Sheffield's Albert Hall from 1915 - 1918. Can anyone help? Also if anyone can shed some light on who was organist at the Victoria Hall in Sheffield around the same time?
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