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. 

SILENT MOVIE accompanied by the WURLITZER

Friday October 27th evening, 7pm - The Hunchback of Notre Dame with Aaron Hawthorne. 

For the third year running we are thrilled that Aaron will be returning to play for the classic silent movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Aaron's accompaniment to Nosferatu, last year, was, in the words of one of our supporters:-

"..... a 'symphony' in more senses than one! I do not recall having heard the organ sound like that before! What a tour-de-force for both instrument and a very talented player." "The long sustained untremulated chords were superb in portraying a gorgeous cathedral-like sparkling richness!"

We do hope that you can join us for yet another recreation of entertainment in the 1920s. 

For further information please see www.worthing-wurlitzer.org

Tickets can be purchased in advance through the Worthing Theatres website https://wtam.uk/ or via the box office on 01903 206206.

NEXT SUNDAY AFTERNOON CONCERT

Sunday November 19th at 2:30 pm - Simon Gledhill  - internationally acclaimed organist 

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. 

TEA DANCES

Saturday January 13th at  2pm with Cameron Lloyd

Saturday April 6th at 2pm with Phil Kelsall

After a spectacular revival of tea dances in the Assembly Hall with both Phil Kelsall from The Blackpool Tower, and local popular international organist Michael Wooldridge, we are delighted that Cameron Lloyd will be playing for the first dance of the new year.

Cameron spends his time travelling around the country playing for Ballroom, Latin and Sequence dancing. For three years he has played at the British Association of Teachers of Dancing at their annual conference. Come and dance on the beautiful vast sprung floor of the Assembly Hall, a venue like no other.

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

MORE SUNDAY AFTERNOON CONCERTS

Sunday January 28th at 2:30 pm - Michael Wooldridge

Sunday April 7th at 2:30 pm - Phil Kelsall

Sunday June 30th at 2:30 pm - John Mann and Michael Wooldridge

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

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

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.