Tea dance revival with Phil Kelsall

OrganFax Directory

Worthing Wurlitzer

Telephone Number :  01903 206 206

Email address :  contact@worthing-wurlitzer.org

Website :  www.worthing-wurlitzer.org

Contact name :  Box Office

Venue address : Worthing - The Assembly Hall, Stoke Abbott Road , Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 1HQ

About Worthing Wurlitzer

Thank you for visiting the Organ Fax website for the Worthing Wurlitzer.   Please note that our concerts start at 2.30pm and our dances at 2.00pm. 

Please note updated dates for Phil Kelsall's events. 

TEA DANCES

Saturday September 14th at 2pm with Michael Wooldridge

Saturday January 11th at 2pm with Elizabeth Harris

Saturday April 12th at 2pm with Phil Kelsall MBE

Blackpool comes to Worthing!! Come and experience the atmosphere of dancing to the sounds of the mighty Wurlitzer Organ, just like in the Ballroom at Blackpool Tower. 

In April, Phil Kelsall MBE from the Blackpool Tower ballroom gave us a wonderful weekend of dance and music. Next up is local but internationally reknown Michael Wooldridge to accompany dancing in September. Do come and join us. 

The entry price includes tea, coffee and delicious cake, provided in the interval.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON CONCERTS

Sunday September 22nd at 2:30 pm - John Atwell from Australia

Sunday October 13th at 2:30 pm - Robert Wolfe

Sunday February 23rd at 2:30pm - Aaron Hawthorne

Sunday April 13th at 2:30pm - Phil Kelsall MBE

Our Sunday afternoon concerts comprise two halves of about 50 minutes each with an interval of about 25 minutes.   We do hope that you can join us! Tea and cake are available.

Second hand CDs and vinyl records are available to purchase before concerts and during the interval. All proceeds will go to the Sussex Theatre Organ Trust to help ensure the future of the Wurlitzer events

Further Information

For those of you who are new to cinema and theatre organs, Wurlitzer pipe organs are historic musical instruments that were originally designed to provide accompaniment to silent films in cinemas. After the 'talkies' were invented, the instruments were played to provide music before and after film shows and during the interval. Many cinema buildings were demolished in the latter half of the 20th century but a number of the organs were saved and reinstalled in other buildings. The Wurlitzer installed in the Assembly Hall is just such an example and the excellent acoustics of the hall make the best of this organ's rich sounds.

Worthing's wonderful Wurlitzer is one of the largest theatre organs in England, indeed Europe. The sound you hear is produced from over 1500 organ pipes installed in the two organ chambers located behind the grilles on either side of the stage. The pipes range from 2 inches in length to 16 feet in length. Alongside these pipes are real percussion instruments; a xylophone, sleigh bells, drums, cymbals and even a set of cathedral chimes! The organ is a powerful instrument using air produced by two 5kw blowers housed under the stage. The console rises majestically to its playing position on a lift, as all proper theatre or cinema organs should. The console is where the organist sets the sounds (registrations) required from the organ pipes and other instruments from within the chambers, and of course where the notes are played on the manuals, also known as keyboards. The smallest theatre organ will have two manuals of five octaves in length; Worthing's Wurlitzer has three manuals (see photo) and some organs have four or more.  

 

Worthing Wurlitzer's Photo Gallery

Phil Kelsall at the Worthing Wurlitzer Robert Wolfe from the Thursford Collection David Gray at the Worthing Wurlitzer Michael Wooldridge & Jamyma Hanson Tea dance revival with Phil Kelsall Robert Wolfe Simon Gledhill Stephen Austin Michael Wooldridge and Jamyma Hanson playing Organ & Piano Duets Cameron Lloyd

Worthing Wurlitzer's Concert Diary

2025
January 11thElizabeth Harrison (more details)

Dance - 2pm

February 23rdAaron Hawthorne
March 16thDave Wickerham - Top organist from the USA
April 12thPhil Kelsall MBE (more details)

Dance 2pm

April 13thPhil Kelsall MBE
June 8thDeclan Poole
October 12thRobert Wolfe
October 18thCameron Lloyd (more details)

Dance 2pm

November 16thRichard Hills