Organs (cinema, theatre, church, etc)

Hi all, It's me! I know that I live in the past, yet I look to the future. My interest in railways, music & food is much in the past. My faith looks to the future, but I will leave that one there. However reliable a piece of high-tech equipment might be, age takes its toll just as it does on you & me. I cannot honestly get over how well I'm feeling in myself, confirmed at present by my medical exam recently. That's only today, who knows about the tomorrows! Anyway, over eight years of me pounding our chapel organ, it's time for it to have a bit of tender love & care. So, that's arranged. The piano also is going to be looked at to see what's needed. Our chapel organ, a Ringway RS 600, is so perfect in design, that we are going to maintain it. I like it so much, that if we didn't have that in our chapel, I would have no hesitation in having it at home. My organ at home, is designed as an orchestral instrument, whereas the chapel organ is a far better maid of all instrument. I'm heartened when following a service, folk do tell me how pleased they are to hear an organ, being embellished with two guitarists, accompanying most of the hymns & singing. I say most, because some hymns are far better on piano. The two guitarists compliment each other by their differing styles. I'm so blessed hearing them. My days of playing out here, there & everywhere are over, yet, time after time, I'm so thrilled to be part of the music team that helps lead the singing worship in my local chapel, where it all started for me in my early teens. Am I living in the past! Possibly & practically yes, but not in my mind. So many of our Coventry previous cultures & such are no longer. Heritage groups are struggling in general. Organs like steam engines are for most a past memory, whether in a church, theatre or pub! Now & again I hear of a cultural revival, someone striking up the band, but the next time I look it's fizzled away. I'm hoping that Coventry's one time Gaumont cinema organ being let loose in Bilston Town Hall ball room this year will have a good future, but like our chapel, it will only do so by the backing of dedicated volunteers, just like our heritage railways. Without them, nothing! Love & best wishes to you all.

Hi all, I'm delighted to tell you that our chapel replacement organ arrived this afternoon. Just looking, it looks no different to the RS600 that was taken away. The key & pedal action is crisp & totally responsive, the sounds sweeter in consequence of that. The instrument taken away, will be fully overhauled, upgraded with the latest computerised technology which will elevate the organ to its new status as an RS620. Very rarely does a solid state component go down. It's the mechanics that wear, like the manuals, pedals speakers & so on. A piano overhaul might be the next job.

Hello, My chapel piano has now been fully overhauled, saving a cost of around £12K to replace as near as possible. The piano that was originally my home piano, is twenty years old, bought at a time of relative prosperity in the industry. It had so much sophistication, that when the chapel were looking to replace their acoustic piano in 2015, the piano market was in recession, so much of the sophistication was being cut from new electronic pianos. It's usually the mechanical mechanisms that wear, so having had the instrument electronics fully inspected, it was recommended by our visiting piano & organ engineer, just to overhaul the mechanics. The end product, I'm literally over the moon. That's the keyboard, upside down having had all of the return springs & contacts replaced. I'm so fortunate to know such a skilled technician, because they don't grow on trees.

Hello, Sad news, The Coventry Gaumont Organ will not be commissioned in time for the Bilston tea dance hall, opening date.