Theatre Organ Pops
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Volume 28, Nos. 2-3 • February-March 2017 www.pstos.org • www.facebook.com/pstos 2017 Series THEATRE ORGAN POPS From London, England RICHARDRICHARD HILLSHILLS at the 3/25 Kimball-Wurlitzer SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2:00 PM Calvary Christian Assembly 6801 Roosevelt Way NE • Seattle Richard Hills is one of the very few musicians truly to have bridged ADMISSION and mastered the divide between the world of the classical organ (for those who are not series subscribers) and that of the theatre organ. Having commenced classical organ studies under William Whitehead at Rochester Cathedral, he became PSTOS members $20 • Non-members $25 Organ Scholar at Exeter College Oxford, studying with David Sanger. Age 16 and under FREE with adult Further organ scholarships followed at Portsmouth Cathedral, where he studied with Rosemary Field and at Westminster Abbey. He now pursues a freelance career and is Organist at St Mary’s, Bourne Street, London. His career in the theatre organ world has been equally prestigious. He has numerous prizes and awards to his credit, both in the U.K. and in this country where he was named Organist of the Year in IMPORTANT! The Calvary parking lot is operated by Diamond, but 2010 by the American Theatre Organ Society. He has appeared many parking is free for those attending this event times on national and international TV and radio, including solo appearances on programs as diverse as Radio 3 Choral Evensong Drive Directions and Radio 2’s ‘Friday Night is Music Night’, and has several recording SOUTHBOUND I-5—Take exit 171 toward NE 71st St/NE 65th St, merge credits. His most recent solo recording was made on the magnificent onto 6th Ave NE. Take a slight left at NE 71st St, continue onto NE 70th dual-purpose Compton organ of Southampton’s Guildhall. St . Turn right at Roosevelt Way NE, destination will be on the right. When not on the bench Richard serves as Musical Advisor to NORTHBOUND I-5—Take exit 171 for WA-522/Lake City Way toward England’s Cinema Organ Society and maintains a practical interest Bothell. Take a slight right to NE 73rd St, then the first right onto in organ building. Roosevelt Way NE. Destination will be on the right. PUGET SOUND PIPELINE • FEBRUARY-MARCH 2017 Memo: Thumbnails are .87” wide PRESIDENT’S Message Vol. 28, Nos. 2-3, February-March 2017 Tours, Teachers, Tracks, and Tips: A Childhood Musical Memoir Published by Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society When I was in 3rd grade my class was Then one day as an 8th-grader I was 10002 Aurora Ave N, Suite 36 #516 given a tour of the organ talking with a salesman in a music store, Seattle, WA 98133-9329 in the parish church and he gave me a tip: You should go hear connected to the school. the Wurlitzer at the roller rink in Alexan- Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society is a non-profit organization It included a demonstra- dria. That was just outside DC where we furthering the appreciation, restoration, and use of the historic tion and a chance to sit lived, so we arranged a visit and one Sunday Theatre Pipe Organs of the 1920s, through education. at the console. I was ut- my dad drove me to the rink. We heard terly transfixed by all the the amazing sound [2], climbed up to the OFFICERS keyboards and controls; console, and met Jimmy Boyce. To my as- President–Jamie Snell, [email protected] I started to play “Chop- tonishment he said: Would you like to play Past Pres.– Russ Evans, [email protected] sticks” and was quickly stopped! Without a a tune? So I got on the bench and played; Vice President–Bob Zat, [email protected] doubt, this encounter changed my life. this was my first experience playing a real Secretary–Lee Isaacson, [email protected] pipe organ! I was pretty sure I had gone Treasurer–Jon Beveridge, [email protected] In 5th grade my parents started me with piano lessons. But where my older to heaven. Then he said: I need to have DIRECTORS sister had succeeded, I failed. The music special rehearsals with my choir on Sunday Fred Rowe, [email protected] • Barbara Graham, [email protected] sounded babyish, and the emphasis was on afternoons for a couple of months; would Wendell Brunk, [email protected] • John Norton, [email protected] fine details of notation; I complained and you be willing to substitute for me? Then I COMMITTEES finally boycotted practicing, and after a was quite sure I was in heaven! I said yes, of Organ Restoration & Maintenance–Bob Zat few months my parents finally stopped the course, and did that. Program Coordinating Team– lessons. That might have been the end of Through high school I continued to play Bob Buchholz, Jo Ann Evans, Barb Graham, Ray Harris, my musical education. and learn theatre organ, built a larger organ Susan Buchholz, Jamie Snell, Bob Zat But in my 7th grade year the Heathkit kit [3], and got to know the organ in my Scholarships– Company announced a build-it-yourself school’s chapel. Then in 1967 I went off to Paramount Volunteer Coordination–Phil Hargiss, [email protected] electronic organ, and I was thrilled. I asked college and didn’t play an organ for forty Membership Coordinators–Jeff & Rachel Snyder my parents if they would buy it; we could years. But then as I was nearing retirement Haller Lake keys–Bob Zat never afford an organ from a store, but this age I thought, I could get back to playing the organ! I joined PSTOS, acquired a Hospitality HLCC–Ellen Sullivan, 206-365-7554 kit cost much less. My mother was sure I decent practice instrument, and “the rest is Facebook–Wendell Brunk, Jeff Snyder would build it and then never play it, so she said no. But I persisted, and finally history.” NEWSLETTER & WEBSITE she said we would buy it if I would take Here’s the point of all this: That tour Pipeline Co-Editors–Jamie Snell, [email protected] organ lessons and prove I was serious about of the organ in 3rd grade, my Hammond Jo Ann Evans, [email protected] the music. She found a Hammond organ organ teacher, those George Wright tracks, Pipeline Online Website–Tom Blackwell, [email protected] teacher [1], who taught me how to form and that music salesman’s tip for me to visit LIAISONS any chord and play old standard songs from the roller rink, were huge influences and AMICA, POF, and AGO–Carl Dodrill a fake book. This was real music! I loved it led to boundless joy in my musical life. As Haller Lake Community Club–Bob Zat and practiced enthusiastically. And I started enthusiasts dedicated to keeping the theatre Paramount Theatre–Phil Hargiss seeing patterns: I realized that a song could organ alive, we need to keep giving young- Washington Center–TBD be played in any key - what mattered wasn’t sters similar experiences and opportunities. Calvary Christian Assembly–Jeff Snyder the absolute notes and chords, everything …Jamie Snell was relative to the key. I began to recognize scale steps and chords by ear and transcribe [1] Rudy Lewis, formerly organist at the songs I heard. Clearly I was serious about Trocadero Theatre in London. That organ the music, so we got the Heathkit and I was recently moved to the Troxy Theatre; built it and played it in every spare mo- see the article “Troc to Troxy” by Simon JOINING PUGET SOUND ment. I was hooked. Gledhill in the March/April 2013 issue of THEATRE ORGAN SOCIETY IS During this time I discovered George Theatre Organ. Wright recordings. My first one, and still FAST AND EASY! [2] Wurlitzer Opus 2178, the 4/34 from my favorite, was “Encores: Vol. 2,” which Simply click on the link below and select the Center Theater in Rockefeller Center; I listened to endlessly. His spectacular ar- your preferred level of membership. the console is now in the Berkeley Commu- rangements and keyboard gymnastics, and • Secure! nity Theatre. You can hear and see Jimmy the sound of a huge pipe organ were like • No checks! Boyce playing it in the 1973 movie “Scor- nothing I had ever heard; I wanted to play • No stamps! pio” starring Burt Lancaster. • A few clicks and it’s done! like that! I transcribed some of the tracks from this and other albums and played [3] The theatre version of Schober’s recital http://www.pstos.org/membership/ them on my Heathkit organ, but yearned model; see the ad reproduced on page 6 of new-member.htm for a bigger sound. the April 2016 issue of the Pipeline. 2 PUGET SOUND PIPELINE • FEBRUARY-MARCH 2017 PSTOS Coming Events ▲ Richard Hills Theatre Organ Pops at CCA Sat., March 18, 2 PM SAVE $$! Order the three-concert series now at From London to PSTOS! One of Britain’s most talented young http://www.pstos.org/events/ticketing/TOP2017/TOP2017.htm organists, Richard has won numerous prizes and awards, both in England and in the US. He has appeared PSTOS Member – Subscription to all three concerts $50 USD many times on national and international TV and radio. He serves as Musical Advisor to England’s PSTOS Member – Richard Hills Mar. 18 $20 USD Cinema Organ Society. ▲ PSTOS & AMICA PSTOS member – Brett Valliant June 3 $20 USD (Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors’ Assoc.) PSTOS Member – Jerry Nagano Oct. 14 $20 USD JOINT EVENT—FREE! Vintage automatic musical instruments to see and Non-Member – Subscription to all three concerts $65 USD play— PLUS cameo performances at the Wurlitzer Haller Lake Community Club Non-Member Richard Hills Mar.