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
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.
2025 | |
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January 11th | Elizabeth Harrison (more details) Dance - 2pm |
February 23rd | Aaron Hawthorne |
March 16th | Dave Wickerham - Top organist from the USA |
April 12th | Phil Kelsall MBE (more details) Dance 2pm |
April 13th | Phil Kelsall MBE |
June 8th | Declan Poole |
October 12th | Robert Wolfe |
October 18th | Cameron Lloyd (more details) Dance 2pm |
November 16th | Richard Hills |