AN INTERVIEW WITH On the occasion of his 80th birthday, a few months before his death. Transcribed by Don Thompson INTERVIEWER: I believe you first years old then. Then I had a period and work in a steelworks I suppose, to visited Blackpool Tower in 1912, when I wasn't too well and I gave up be a steelworker. when you were seven years old. for a while, then started again - I RD: He was a steel file cutter. When I REGINALD DIXON: Oh yes, I re­ think I would be about 11. I had an­ say that to people (' 'What did your member that! I remember going on other teacher and then I took it quite father do?") they look rather blank at the sands with my sister. My younger seriously, and I was teaching music me. I've seen him take an ordinary file sister wasn't born yet (that was the when I was about 13. I took some let­ without any teeth in it, and with a year afterwards). We used to watch ters [a diploma] at a college which I hammer and chisel make a perfect the Punch and Judy show on the shall not name, which now don't file. Of course, eventually the ma­ sands every day there. Yes, that was mean very much, and I started to chines took over and that type of where I used to hear the roundabouts teach . I always think it was money by work became redundant. But he had in those days as we went, when the sea false pretences! I was keen on the pi­ little shops around Sheffield where he receded. That was when I heard "I ano, I still love it, my listening is the employed women to cut files. Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside," piano, piano concertos, I enjoy it all those years ago. We went into the somehow. There's something about it I: What made you want to be a con­ Tower, like a lot of people, on a very -there are so many ways you can at­ cert pianist; what sparked you off? wet day and it was very, very crowd­ tack a piano. I used to think that, any­ RD: I can always remember, when I ed. I remember some of the machines how, but I was never intended to be a was five years old, crying to my moth­ where you put a penny in the slot. concert pianist, as we all realize now. er because I wanted to play my piece Some of them were still there when I I sometimes think your life is gov­ on the piano, and she used to lock the went all those years later. They were erned for you. But I did enjoy those piano because she said I would dam­ so intriguing. (These automatic in­ early days and I worked very hard. age it. But eventually she gave way. struments - orchestrions, phonolist Then, of course, I went to Sheffield What it must have sounded like I violinas and the like - were STILL University for a while, studying har­ don't know! It must have been terri­ there a couple of generations later. mony and counterpoint. I should ble! I've always loved music. But in D1) have taken the Master of Music exam, those days, you know, you had noth­ I always wanted to be a concert pi­ but unfortunately we landed right in ing else; we'd no radio, po television. anist. I used to struggle very, very the middle of a slump, a "recession" Stocksbridge Palace was where I hard rehearsing. I used to do six hours as it's known now, and I had to go to started. I remember my audition. I a day of ''practice,'' as we called it, work in a cinema. played two of Debussy's Arabesques on the piano when I was in Sheffield. I on the piano, and the manager (a must have driven people mad, playing I: Your father, of course, in Shef­ grand fellow, a little cockney) came scales for two hours. I'd be about nine field, would have expected you to go down, went through a trap door in the JULY/AUGUST 1985 THEATRE ORGAN 5 orchestra pit and as he came out he I: You were only 13 when you were said "You'll do, mate!" and that was playing the organ there? how I got the job. I used to go by mo­ RD: Yes, just 13. tor bike out to Stocksbridge. I: But I think you saw the talking I: I understand you were inventive in coming in and were starting to think those days and you added sound ef­ about other things. fects. RD: Oh yes, yes. Often I didn't get RD: Oh yes, I took the bottom on the home till one o'clock in the morning. piano out and when there were bangs You see, in those days we had an op­ coming on the screen I used to put the erator who, as we used to say in Shef­ loud pedal down and kick the strings field, loved his ''bevvy,'' he liked his and do all sorts of things like that. The piano didn't like it very much and drop of "biddy," and in those days eventually suffered. They bought a there was no control over the speed of new piano on the night I left! a machine. These days it has got to be so many frames per second in order to I: And then you went on to a second keep in with the speed of the sound. cinema in Chesterfield, I think? By the end of the night I think he must RD: Yes, I went to Chesterfield and I have been leaning on the machine. It used to deputise for the musical direc­ went slower and slower and slower tor, who was rather an invalid. That and we'd be coming out of the cinema gave me good experience. I used to go at one o'clock in the morning! For­ down to the Wicker cinema for two tunately, where I lived there was a hours. There was a big pile of music tram depot and I used to catch the last on the piano. I had to read that, fol­ tram. Next morning I was down at the Reginald Dixon (Thompson collection) low a violinist, and every time there Regent Cinema rehearsing on the was a tap with the bow - ''next num­ Wurlitzer at eight o'clock, in order to visor). I said, "Oh yes." I'd played ber'' - that had to be read and get onto the organ. for one dance, at the Cutlers' Hall in played to silent films. That was an Sheffield. I'd been sent home halfway education absolutely and an exper­ I: That was the first Wurlitzer you through! There again, I'd had no ex­ ience. It was an entire job on its own played, wasn't it? perience of playing for dancing, but I and it was essential that you read and RD: That was the first Wurlitzer I was desperate! So I got the metro­ could at the same time look up at the played, yes, yes. nome going. The very first night, the picture and not lose your place in the pianist said to me, "What was that?" music. In later years I got quite a big I: But I think you moved down to I said, "It was a Quickstep." library together, there was special Birmingham for your first job on a He said, "You're telling me!" music written for it. I got rid of it Wurlitzer? The musical advisor, Jepson, said eventually because it wasn't very RD: My first job was at the West End to me, "HA VE you played for danc­ good. Later, when I went to Healey Cinema in Birmingham. That would ing?" Palace in Sheffield, we had a good or­ be about 19 ... was it 27? 28? ... I said, "Oh yes." chestra and we used to play some 28, yes, because I went up to Preston He said to me, "If you don't make very, very good music. As they used in 1929 and got married. a success of it, you '11go, and the**** to say, we used to "fit the picture." organ as well! '' But in those days they had big trade I: And that again was to take your And of course, there was no ampli­ shows with full orchestras. I remem­ first job in Blackpool? fication, and when you'd get a crowd­ ber playing for the film The Four Men RD: I had an audition in 1930, yes. It ed ballroom you couldn't hear the or­ of the Apocalypse. And Intolerance, was a very wild February day, we gan at the end of the ballroom, so in that was another very big film, you came on the Promenade, and I was '33 or '34 we started to make a sugges­ probably remember mention of that. frightened to death because I was out tion for another organ. I played for the trade shows. The of a job then. I was told afterwards trade show, as you know, was for the there were quite a number of entrants I: You, of course, then got a new one, exhibitors, and they used to go there for it, but I didn't know, I thought I with three manuals, and grand piano, to see for the booking of the film. was the only one.