Theatre Organs

This 3 manual, 10 rank instrument, Opus number 2183, Model 220 Special, built by the Rudolph WurliTzer Co. USA was originally installed in the Empire music hall, Edmonton, North London in 1933 and opened by American organist Don Baker. This later became the Granada, Edmonton and the WurliTzer was regularly featured by the famous Granada team of top organists.

When the Granada finally closed in 1968, the organ was purchased by Charles Hart who had been encouraged to preserve the WurliTzer by organists Vic Hammett and Bernard Worster. The organ was removed between the 2nd and 9th October 1969 and moved to St. Albans. An unusual feature of this instrument was the provision of a dedicated chamber for percussion controlled by an additional expression pedal. Restoration began in 1976 when a team led by Fred Jennings refurbished every working part. The only motivation during this long, arduous and often exhausting process, was the distant prospect of hearing this famous WurliTzer in its new surroundings at St. Albans Organ Theatre.

The WurliTzer was finally completed in the summer of 1992 and has been in regular use since that date with our monthly concerts. The cumbersome electro-mechanical switch-stack that interfaced the commands from the console with the organ chambers was replaced with a modern solid-state electronic system.

The addition of a piano, playable from the WurliTzer console, was just in time for the opening concert. Often pianos associated with theatre organ installations can be just basic 'skeleton' pianos as they are not generally seen. The installation at St. Albans boasts a superb Weber Duo-Art grand piano which was previously donated to the Society.

A comprehensive brochure fully describes the specification, restoration project and other details of the WurliTzer; also a CD recording is available - more information on these can be found on our Sales pages.

WurliTzer Sound Sample

This 3 manual, 6 rank instrument was originally installed in the Regal, Highams Park, East London in 1935. The cinema underwent conversion in 1984 and the organ was then moved to the Organ Theatre under agreement with the organ's owner. This arrangement concluded in December 2011 when the Society purchased the organ.

An inaugural concert was given by the eminent American theatre organist Dennis James on 24th May 1987.

The Spurden-Rutt organ company of Leyton, East London, built many fine church organs, but built and installed only three theatre pipe organs very late in the theatre organ era.

This one was the largest of the three and the only one with three manuals and an illuminated surround. The other two much smaller instruments were installed in The Palace, Slough (sadly later broken up for parts) and the other organ, previously in the Super Cinema, Oxford, is now in a private collection near Woking.

Rutt Sound Sample