dose any one exept me at my age play the theatre/cinema organ?

Well, I am not your age now -- I'm an Old Fart of 50 -- but I did have my first church organist job at 15 yrs old, playing for a Methodist church in Maryland (USA) with an Allen (electronic) organ.

The church now has a large Rodgers. One of my dearest and oldest friends is a member of that church. She sang in the choir while I was there. We are still in touch, constantly via the Internet and at least weekly via telephone and mail.

You know, it's a funny thing ... I was just trying to remember what kind of vacuum cleaner they had and I don't remember! They had to have something, probably some kind of upright as the aisles were carpeted. But I can't for the life of me remember what it was! Must not have made much of an impression!

The building depicted in the link below is not the same building they had when I was there. In the winter of 1975 the church burned to the ground - arson. The arsonist was never found. It was one of the most horrifying things I have ever seen in my life when I drove down there that Sunday, not knowing what had happened (the pastor was in shock and did not have the presence of mind to call me), turning the corner and seeing the once-beautiful and historic church nothing but as vastness of burning rubble. It was just awful.

But the good end to the very sad story is that they built a new and larger church and it was paid for before it was even finished.

have you played any BIG theatre organs in america the ones in our contry are tiny but some whitch spring to mind are the el capitain whitch is a monster 4 manual and the 2 organs i play nearly every week are both 3 manuals one being a 3/12 wurlitzer
the other a 3/9 compton one of the first they ever made

Yes, although I am not a theatre organist I have played several huge instruments but only "for my own amazement" and never in concert. I really wouldn't know where to start!

Here in L.A. we do have the El Capitan as you mentioned, which I have not played yet but have heard a number of times - one of the house organists, Rob Richards, is a friend of mine, and I know another of them, John Ledwon on a congenial basis.

I have, however, played the large Wurlitzer at Founders Church of Religious Science in Los Angeles, a 4/~33 which has an incredibly rich and lush sound; the very large Wurlitzer in Plummer Auditorium in San Gabriel near Los Angeles - I believe that one is around 40 ranks and also four manuals.

Then back east at Dickenson High School in Delaware there is a very comprehensive instrument of around 60 ranks I believe and I have played that one as well. One of their regular organists, Dick Smith, is an old friend.

Also in Los Angeles is the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo where there is a big Wurlitzer of approx. 35 ranks that I have played a couple of times. The owner of the Music Hall is a good friend, named Bill Field.

There's an old hotel in Los Angeles called the Park Plaza that was built in the 1920s as the national headquarters for the Elks, a fraternal order kinda like the Masons. There's a grand ballroom in there with one of the largest Robert Morton organs built - 4 manuals and over 60 ranks. It's not exactly a theatre organ inasmuch as it has some non-unit ranks and the manual divisions are named as a church organ, but it also has some unit ranks and plenty of tibias, voxs, etc. It is what was called, once upon a time, a "concert organ." Unfortunately the organ is now in very bad shape and totally unplayable. The present owners of the hotel could not care less for the organ so it is just being allowed to go to ruin. A big shame, really.

Then there used to be a big Wurlitzer in a roller rink in Alexandria, Virginia that I did actually play for an audience once! That organ was totally unenclosed and it made quite a sound in that cavernous roller rink! That organ is no longer there.

I have also played an Wurlitzer of about 20 ranks that was formerly in a pizza parlor in Seattle Washington. Now, both the pizza place and the organ are gone.

Los Angeles really is a mecca for church, concert and theatre organs. One of the largest church organs in the world is here, at the First Congregational church -- a beast of around 330 ranks; then the new Disney Hall with its fabulous and modernistic-looking organ which I have heard several times; the new Catholic Cathedral with its 80-stop Dobson organ....... well, the list really is quite long. These are just a few of the splendid pipe organs in the area.

Yes-I could remember the skating rink in Alexandria Va-My Mom took me there when I was a kid-not to skate-but we just wanted to listen to the organ music.Sadly the rink was torn down and the organ-as Charles mentioned-It was sold before the rink building was demolished-glad of that-at least the organ-wherever it is-hope its being played in a new home.

here are some pics of the organs i mentioned

the ryehope compton

and the howden wurlitzer {with phantom piano of corse}

and the organ on whitch i am taught

the biggest organ ive ever played

... I believe?

Stupendous instrument, isn't it!

Carl, are you planning on entering the Triumphent organ competitions?

what do you mean by triumphent organ competitions?

Carl I hope I spelled it correctly.. might be Triumfant, Triumfent. Anyways it is a competition held every 3 years I think, in Calgary Alberta Canada. They hold finals each year or so in London UK, the USA, and Asia and those winners go on to Calgary to compete. 1st prize is quite a few bucks plus a recording contract. I cannot remember all the details correctly so you have to check into it.. The competitions go on for about a week and they have numerous world class organists giving concerts and judging. Simon Preston is one of the directors and judges. I attended each year it was on since we lived in Calgary up until just a couple of months ago.
This old laptop won't let me open up any websites to do with it but google Calgary organ competition

hi
sorry i havent herd of them i am in loads of other competitions though im hoping to be able to enter the young organist competition this year this is the organ ill be playing on if i do