THE WORLD'S BEST THEATRE ORGAN - COMPTON

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for this excellent and interesting presentation, from an era when things really *were* 'made in Great Britain'.

[@tedlassagne8785]

Thank you, John Parker, for preserving this wonderful slice of theatre organ history and making it available to us through KZbin.

[@ericrippin2379]

It's amazing to watch this. Especially from 5:12 - 5:31 which is when my father Ted Rippin is in frame. He worked there for many years and went on to form Grant Degens and Rippin. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@felixwaterman4448]

Coming from Birkenhead, I remember St. John's parish church in Grange Road. It is the one which shows Hope Jones at the console outside the church. Beautiful organ cases to left and right of the chancel. There was nothing above 4'. All gone, as far as I know.

[@stephendutfield3137]

The film dates from 1936 - among the consoles seen in the factory are the BBC St. George's Hall theatre organ, the Ambassador, Hounslow and the AVRO (Hilversum) 'church' organ. The film was made for a trade show and in its original form was silent. The music dub was added by Derek Batten (who had obtained a redundant print when he worked for Comptons) and about twenty years ago he and Ivor Buckingham re-released it on VHS video. I wonder what modern health & safety gurus would make of the footage of the sawmill?!

[@pauljames5914]

And all those men inhaling lead fumes and phenolic bakelite fumes! Handling lead pipes with bare hands. They probably all got lead poisoning 😕

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

@@pauljames5914 You don't get lead poisoning from handling lead pipes.

[@pauljames5914]

@@Offshoreorganbuilder sure as hell do!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

@@pauljames5914 What is your evidence? Do you have any experience in the pipe-pipe industry?

[@pauljames5914]

@@Offshoreorganbuilder yes, and it happened to me from building my own pipe organ..

[@heiheko1]

Wozu der Mensch fähig ist. Gigantisch.

[@mainaccount131]

Excellent

[@charleshines844]

As an old movie - its good quality , a visual and musical editorial!

[@jamesdawson7826]

I'd like to try and get hold a copy of this amazing film to use a couple of excerpts in a documentary I am making about pipe organs. Can you help? Thanks, James

[@shiningarmor2838]

Straight outta organs

[@paulj0557tonehead]

I Love the tone of a Compton. It's nice this 16mm film doesn't have much wow and flutter:) I included this in my 'Night time headphone zzz' KZbin play list as well, due to it's warm sound. If you play the playlist on randomtube it will play the playlist in random order (google randomtube don't put dotcom after it or you get the wrong randomtube). You can play several playlists ( even from different screen names, ie. paulj0557 & pax41 ) and it will randomize a continuous stream of videos.

[@steakhousejohn5990]

Can i still tour their works?

[@jazzboyfin]

Wonderful to have this on youtube John. I have a copy myself and cherish it, especially as I have been fortunate enough to work on many Comptons over the years. So interesting to see all those components actually being made 80 years ago. Well done for posting (but pity about the twat below and his stupid comments)

[@Parker6432]

I would guess from the organ consoles featured in the shop, it would be around 1936

[@Larsky1010]

I'm interested in why Compton is your preference, Peter. I've not had the good fortune of playing one. What are the primary differences?

[@felixwaterman4448]

Sorry, the comments below were meant to respond to Mr. Duval's reference to R H J in the first comment.

[@deadlyvelociraptor]

Do you still have this as a 16mm Print?

[@Parker6432]

I would estimate this would have been filmed around 1935-36 judging from the work on the factory floor at the time - it was certainly pre WW2

[@frederickfarias9515]

My grandmother played the organ for silent films.

[@harrymartenas3826]

Amazing, John Parker! Do you know the date this was filmed?

[@tedlassagne8785]

The St. George's Hall organ was installed in 1936. It looks like this film was made in 1936 or possibly a year or two earlier.

[@DavidDrinkell]

Maybe Wurlitzers had the edge in one way - their wooden Tibias were more lush than Compton's metal ones. But Compton organs had more varied tonal schemes, sometimes including mixtures, and were therefore more versatile. Some Compton theatre organs were better suited to playing Bach than a lot of 'straight' organs of the time.

[@paulj0557tonehead]

Two can be the best when they are that damn good! Besides Wurlitzer is the best theatER organ and Compton is the best theatRE organ. So no foul, right?

[@ikonix360]

Don't forget the Chicago stadium organ which was the biggest and in my opinion the best.

[@fftopskin1]

I prefer the Comptons (and large unit Conachers) to Wurlitzer... but that's my personal taste... bigger is not always better... I just will have to make do playing a Wurli presently :-)

[@SeeburgMusic]

One person thinks there's more scratching and clawing in the comments section going on here than at an auction for a box set of Joan Crawford movies.

[@Parker6432]

See above comments

[@bobduvall2927]

More is not necessarily the best. Wurlitzer just had the luck of mass production. Others then can do to you know. Hope Jones....was not Americn by birth.