Michael Holmes

About Michael

Michael has had a keen interest in the organ from an early age. Lessons commenced, and after a lot of study, he turned professional after leaving college, pursuing a wide range of musical activities, including cabaret work, theatre work as a Musical Director, and also church work. His work as a Musical Director for touring shows and pantomime, and also as accompanist for the Manchester Music Hall Association has led to him working with many people, from Jane Macdonald to Norman Wisdom.

He plays both electronic and pipe organs. He uses a Roland 350C organ for organ clubs and also for theatre pit work, which he finds very versatile. As a stylist, he does accent the theatre style, but also orchestral and big band styles as well, particularly featuring show tunes. He also likes to feature humour in his presentations.

As a church musician, he is Director of Music at two churches, and also freelances playing for weddings and funerals, and has studied classical organ to diploma level (ARSM). He also teaches organ and keyboard.

Michael was a pupil of theatre organist Joyce Alldred, and  theatre organ practise started back in the early 1980s at the 3Js at Gomersal.He has performed in concert at venues such as Ossett Town Hall, Stockport Town Hall, Blue Coat School, Oldham, the Bournemouth Pavilion and Harworth, among others, and has also played for many Societies. For the past 25 years, he has been on the team at the Stockport Plaza, playing the Compton Organ for film interludes, as part of the pantomime programme and also for special events. He has worked with names such as Ken Dodd, and more recently comedians John Bishop and Tom Allen.

He also specialises in playing for silent films. In 2005, Michael was invited over to the USA to play at the 'Sounds of the Silents' film festival at the Lafayette Theatre, Suffern, New York, on the Wurlitzer, and was also asked to play as part of the 'Fatty in Fort Lee' Fatty Arbuckle season for the Fort Lee Film Commission. More recently, he played for several films at the Royalty Cinema, Bowness on Windermere on the Wurlitzer there, among other places. He has also played for films in a number of churches, 'Phantom of the Opera' starring Lon Chaney being a favourite. 

His hobbies include antiques (especially clocks) and vintage detective fiction. He is also a big fan of curries (a colleague used to refer to him as Jalfreziman!). As well as the Roland 350C, he also has a Hammond A100 with 145 Leslie speaker, a number of Orla keyboards, and a very vintage fully restored 1862 Alexandre french harmonium

Feel free to get in touch!

Michael's Photo Gallery

Michael's Concert Diary