The Trocadero Wurlitzer

Opportunities for education and outreach

Introduction and Overview

Since its inception in 1953, one of the goals of The Cinema Organ Society has been to encourage and promote interest in the Cinema Organ, particularly among younger people. As an art-form, playing the Cinema Organ has progressed a long way in the past fifty years – from being a somewhat faded past-time practised mainly by older musicians to one which has an increasingly younger fan-base and which prides itself on good music and high standards. This change has come about to a large extent because of the educational work done by societies such as the COS, and this programme is one that we are keen to see grow and develop. In addition to assisting young musicians through teaching workshops and subsidised concert subscriptions, several COS Districts (Including COS Southern) promote annual concerts given by young organists. Additional recognition and encouragement is given to young players with outstanding potential with the presentation of the Society’s Ian Sutherland award.

Problems facing Young Organists

Although there are basic principles of technique which apply to any keyboard instrument, playing the organ – particularly the cinema organ – demands a very different set of skills. A flautist, for example, does not have to contend with a lengthy delay between playing the notes and hearing the sound; likewise he or she will often be used to playing the same flute. Cinema organists, of course, can not take their instruments with them, and therefore have to be able to adjust to the needs of a particular organ and acoustical environment – often at reasonably short notice. It is fair to say that there is a substantial difference between playing an organ which is installed in a small room and one which is installed in more spacious surroundings. As might be expected with such a scenario, experience and targeted teaching holds the key to success, and the opportunity to gain this necessary experience depends on the availability of suitable instruments for practice and teaching. Sadly the opportunities for a young organist to play a world-class cinema organ in a sympathetic acoustical environment are now fairly limited in this country, and this is one area in which the COS strives to make a difference by making its own instruments available for tuition and private practice.

For any young musician, the ability to rehearse on a suitable, well-maintained instrument is of paramount importance. The ability to learn from an ‘established master’ also depends very much on whether or not such an instrument is available for the purpose. The Southern District of the COS has in the past played a key part in the Society’s outreach to young musicians and the installation of its Wurlitzer in a large hall would be a major asset to this work.

Education

There are several ways in which the COS seeks to assist and encourage young players:

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