A First for the Royal College of Organists?

In what is believed to be the first time in its 150 year history the RCO held a joint meeting with the Cinema Organ Society on 7th January 2017 showcasing the beautifully restored Wurlitzer organ now installed at the Troxy Entertainment Centre in Stepney.

Originally installed in the Trocadero Cinema at the Elephant and Castle in 1930, the organ with 21 ranks and a 4 manual console was the largest Wurlitzer in Europe. The cinema, with its lavish decoration and plush seating served the population of South East London until its closure in 1963.

The Cinema Organ Society purchased the now silent organ in 1961 and kept it in store until another home was found at the Edric Hall of the Borough Polytechnic, now the South Bank University. While in store members of the Society undertook a comprehensive overhaul of the organ which was re-opened in 1979 by the BBC’s William Davies who had previously played at the Trocadero.

After 25 years the University decided to remodel the hall and it became apparent that the organ could no longer remain there. After 5 years in storage and much investigation of potential sites a new home was identified at the Troxy, another former cinema, on the Commercial Road in London’s East End. This building, a sister of the Trocadero, also had a Wurlitzer in years gone by so much of the necessary space for the organ chambers and blowing equipment was already in situ. Restoration and installation of the organ commenced in January 2011 and the completed organ was opened at a Gala Concert in August 2015.

For the 2017 London Organ Forum over 100 delegates from the RCO and COS heard a comprehensive programmes of playing, demonstrations and talks, capped with a superb recital by Simon Gledhill, the chairman of the COS. The day included a practical demonstration of the families of pipes on a cinema organ by Richard Hills with Simon at the console, a presentation of how to arrange an orchestral or piano score for performance on the organ, a concert by Richard, from memory, at which the dexterity of organ management and hand registration was admired by all, tips on accompanying a silent film by Donald Mackenzie and the splendid final recital by Simon.

This was a day to give regular church or concert organists a lot to think about. Those who had possibly dismissed cinema organists as something of a lesser breed were forcibly reminded of the great skills of these musicians; highly dexterous organ management, outstanding manual and pedal technique, usually playing from memory and arranging their own music from other scores.

After 2 years, this will be my last regular column for the Society. I hope others may want to contribute their thoughts and ideas about current happenings in the wider organ world; and I will continue to be an occasional contributor as I become aware of relevant items which I think might be of interest to members.

David Wakefield

I was the President of the Organ Club of Great Britain from 2009 to 2012 and I am a Vice president of the Eric Thompson Trust, which provides bursaries for specific educational projects for young professional organists; and I chair the Larkin Trust with similar aims but associated with St. Giles Cripplegate and the Royal College of Organists, of which I became a Trustee and Council Member in 2013. I was elected to the committee of SSLSO at the 2016 AGM.My interest in all things “organ” has gone from being an occasional hobby to something of an unpaid profession, through which I have developed a range of contacts and informants. I will try and find relevant items from the world of organs, organists and organ music to entertain and inform you each month.

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