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In the
1980s, David Houlgate and Michael Maine jointly purchased a
nine rank Christie organ that had formerly been in the Queen's
Cinema. Cricklewood.
A year later, David
purchased the nine rank Compton organ, formerly in the Regal
(ABC) Cinema in Ilford, then at Finchley Methodist Church.
Move on another year,
and the ten rank Christie organ, formerly in the Castle Cinema,
Mertha Tydfil, which had been in store for 30 years, was
acquired.
Through the good
services of Councillor Baron Sanders of Hove, Portslade Town
Hall was put forward, which indeed has proved an ideal site for
the installation of the three organs. David Houlgate
commenced the mammoth task of installing the best of the three
organs as one instrument, with the assistance of a devoted band
of enthusiasts, in May 1987.
The pipework and
traps are installed in three chambers the full width of the
hall, over the stage area, main chamber on the left, solo
chamber on the right and the percussion in the centre, behind
the blue curtains in the centre of the old organ screen,
containing dummy pipes.
Within one year,
working evenings and weekends, the organ had some ten ranks of
pipes playable from the console, together with most of the
traps, ready for the first concert. Since then further
ranks of pipes have been added, and there are now twenty ranks
playable from the console. The wind supply for the organ
is produced by two five stage blowers, dating from 1937, one
having the original motor, working in tandem. The action
from the console to the pipes above the stage is part electric
- using the original 1937 action from the Regal Ilford, and
part electronic, designed by David. |
