The OLDEST Wurlitzer Theatre Organ in UK!
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Congregational Church - Fore Street - Beer - East Devon - UK
Thursday 7th February 2008 proved to be a very important date for me, as it was on that day I first saw and played the Wurlitzer organ which is installed in the Congregational Church, Beer, Devon. UK.
I had formerly been aware of the existence of “an old Wurlitzer in a fishermen’s chapel somewhere in Beer”, since the early 1980’s as a musical acquaintance of mine at the time used to play it regularly when staying at his family’s nearby chalet.
I was able to contact the Church Secretary, now known to me as Cyn, through the Church website after finding it on the internet. She kindly agreed to let me see and try the organ, which I and many others at that time believed to be unplayable, after we had exchanged a few e-mails.
By complete coincidence two groups of organ enthusiasts had also approached Cyn around the same time, both wanting to bring their own members along to listen to this “unplayable” organ which just happens to be the OLDEST Wurlitzer Theatre Organ in the UK!
I already knew that the organ needed a lot of maintenance and restoration work carrying out, but quickly realised that there could be much potential for it to earn its own keep.
After some discussion between Cyn and myself we decided to explore the feasibility of raising the public profile of the instrument somewhat, and also whether fundraising might help to restore the instrument to its former glory.
Full restoration will cost a lot of money, which we don't have at the moment, so we are trying to raise the necessary funds in various ways including arranging concerts by professional organists. There are also DVD's and postcards available for purchase.
We have now set up our support group FOB (Friends of Beerwurly) similar to that which has already been done by our sister group Friends of Rye Wurlitzer, which supports exactly the same model of organ - albeit not quite as old as ours!
Our membership is increasing steadily but there is still much to be done, so we are naturally very keen to hear of any suggestions on how to proceed.
We would be glad to hear from anyone who is interested in joining FOB, or would like to help or advise in any other way.
Please contact either Cynthia (Church Secretary) on (+44)01297 21824, or myself (Michael Cull) on (+44)01823 461094.
What, if anything, happens to the organ in the future really depends on all of us.
Why not join us?
Thanks for visiting our website.
Cheers!
Michael Cull.
www.organshow.co.uk
UPDATES
To bring you all up to date on the technical side of things:
Over the summer months the tremulant for the Vox Humana rank of pipes was taken away to be rebuilt and
repaired. Mike
successfully acquired a Chrysoglott and set of Cathedral Chimes from the USA. These items were eventually delivered direct to the Church courtesy of UPS in October. We are pleased to report that both items are in pristine condition.
Unloading and uncrating the items proved to be a rather onerous task. The van driver helped to manhandle the three lots into the church hall, without the aid of a trolley. The rest was done by
Mike, who ended up with a fixed penalty notice for
overstaying his time in the Council's car park! Fortunately the CEO of East Devon District Council waived the penalty after Mike wrote a letter to him.
Also in October, a Mr Don Bray of Seaford in East Sussex kindly donated a box of various percussion items. Glen went and collected these bits from Don's home. There are a mixture of Wurlitzer and Compton parts including a cymbal, triangle, sleigh bells, castanets and woodblock. However we now need the mechanisms to make these items work!
Jeremy Collar, who is both a member of FOB and also a most generous benefactor, recently acquired and donated a Compton organ Xylophone unit, which is believed by many to be vastly superior to those produced by the Wurlitzer factory. This unit may need some re-leathering work, although until we can inspect it we don't know for sure.
Glen and Mike collected it from Nick Pitts at "Burtey Fen" near Spalding on Wednesday 19th November, and also had an enjoyable time playing
the Wurlitzer and Compton organs as well as
inspecting the organ chambers.
Glen and Mike duly delivered the unit to Brian's home the following day, much to his suprise! It will be easier for Brian to check it and carry out any repairs there, rather than having to drive down to Beer to work on it.
At the beginning of October members of the team spent several days in the organ chamber carrying out basic repairs. Mike got stuck in to sort out the action of the shutter movement, as it would appear the shutters have never fully opened, whilst Glen attended to some of the many air leaks. Brian joined us for a while and cleaned up all the magnets on the main chest (the big wooden box that the pipes fit into).
During our few days at the church we also threw the doors open and filled Fore Street with the sounds of the Wurlitzer. Since the action of the shutters has been maximised, it is now possible to hear the instrument across the road from the Church! Several people came in to see what it was all about and we raised a total of £93 for the Wurlitzer Restoration Fund. We also held another Wurlitzer Open Day on Saturday 8th November, although this did not attract as many visitors as the previous one as it was outside the normal holiday season. It is also hoped that the Wurlitzer will be playing for Beer's Late Night Shopping in December.
More recently members of the Team have carried on with basic maintenance, with Brian testing all the magnetic contacts. As a result of this exercise we now need to purchase around twelve new ones to replace those found to be not working.
The blower room has been cleaned and re-painted by Glen, to reduce the amount of dust and debris being pumped into the workings of the organ; whilst Mike has turned his attentions towards installing meshed inlet vents to the blower room, constructing a sealed loft hatch into the upstairs organ chamber and scrounging an oil filled electric radiator (both to ensure a constant temperature within the "chamber or horrors")!
On a more serious note; whilst the team are happy to give their services
voluntarily, we do need money to be able to repair the organ, replace broken and missing parts and return it to its former glory. You can help by becoming a "friend" of the Beer Wurlitzer. As a friend you will receive a quarterly newsletter, membership card, and a reduction in the price of concert tickets. All we ask of you is for a £10 membership fee for the year. For more details on becoming a Friend, please click HERE to view and print a membership application form.
Without your help, it is not financially viable to give this historic instrument the attention it deserves.
Also available is Glen's book, "The History of the Beer Wurlitzer" priced at £2.50, and Mike's DVD priced at £5.00. All proceeds from the book and DVD go to the Restoration Fund. With Christmas now only a few weeks away, these would make an ideal gift for the organ lover in your family. Please Contact us for more information.
More Wurlitzer produce will become available over the coming months: watch this space. But for now, please bear in mind that the oldest Wurlitzer theatre organ in the country still needs your help.
For anyone who is interested in other books about theatre organs, Glen has many more available
HERE.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES
Saturday 18th October 2008
The collective talents of Jean Martyn, Elizabeth Harrison,
Chris Powell,
Ian Griffin and Richard Bower (Keyklix) will be featured in this afternoon
concert on the
BeerWurly at 3.00pm, Saturday 18th October 2008.
Refreshments will be served after the concert, which will give the audience an
opportunity to meet the performers.
PLEASE NOTE: Admission tickets at £5 each will be strictly limited to 200,
so there is no guarantee that seats will be available on the day without one.
Please Contact Us for ticket requests.
All proceeds will be going to the organ restoration fund.
Sunday 26th October 2008
Matthew Bason will be performing a concert on the BeerWurly at 2.00pm,
Sunday 26th October 2008.
Admission to the concert only will be £5 by pre-booked ticket (or on the door
if space permits), with all proceeds going to the organ restoration fund.
Matthew has also kindly agreed to play for the "Harvest of the Sea" service
which follows in the evening on that day.
This is an annual event which always packs the Church
to capacity as it is held for all the fishermen in the immediate vicinity.
More details about the "Harvest of the Sea" service will appear on The Church Website.
Saturday 15th November 2008
Trevor Bolshaw, who lives nearby, will be performing this concert in his own
inimitable style on the BeerWurly at 2.30pm, Saturday 15th November 2008.
This is an event not to be missed, as Trevor is probably the only person alive
(age 104 as he tells me!) who has known our Wurlitzer in each of its
three locations since it first arrived in UK, so watch out for all the anecdotes!
Admission to the concert will be £5 by pre-booked ticket (or on the door if space
permits), with all proceeds going to the organ restoration fund.
Friday 19th December 2008
Richard Monks will be performing a Christmas concert on the BeerWurly at 7.00pm,
Friday 19th December 2008.
Admission to the concert will be £5 by pre-booked ticket (or on the door if space permits),
with all proceeds going to the organ restoration fund.
Tea/coffee and mince pies will be served during the interval.
Richard will provide a welcome break from all THAT pre-Christmas stress!
Ticket hotline for all concerts is 01297 21824.
HOW TO FIND US
Here's a Map!
As you drive through the village towards the sea, you will pass the Congregational Church to your right.
Take the next turning on the right, and the large Central Car Park will be found to your left behind the Dolphin Hotel.
We hope to see you soon!
Why not link to us? Just click the banner and then paste the script into your own HTML.
Powered by WebRing.
KEYBOARDNEWS.COM
The Internet magazine for keyboard and organ players and enthusiasts.
Partenaires : www.lyad.com - immobilier
| Home | Organ Details | Organ Videos | Video Viewing Information | Meet the Team | Archives and Gallery | Contact |
I was able to contact the Church Secretary, now known to me as Cyn, through the Church website after finding it on the internet. She kindly agreed to let me see and try the organ, which I and many others at that time believed to be unplayable, after we had exchanged a few e-mails.
After some discussion between Cyn and myself we decided to explore the feasibility of raising the public profile of the instrument somewhat, and also whether fundraising might help to restore the instrument to its former glory.
We have now set up our support group FOB (Friends of Beerwurly) similar to that which has already been done by our sister group Friends of Rye Wurlitzer, which supports exactly the same model of organ - albeit not quite as old as ours!
Our membership is increasing steadily but there is still much to be done, so we are naturally very keen to hear of any suggestions on how to proceed.
We would be glad to hear from anyone who is interested in joining FOB, or would like to help or advise in any other way.
Please contact either Cynthia (Church Secretary) on (+44)01297 21824, or myself (Michael Cull) on (+44)01823 461094.
What, if anything, happens to the organ in the future really depends on all of us.
To bring you all up to date on the technical side of things:
At the beginning of October members of the team spent several days in the organ chamber carrying out basic repairs. Mike got stuck in to sort out the action of the shutter movement, as it would appear the shutters have never fully opened, whilst Glen attended to some of the many air leaks. Brian joined us for a while and cleaned up all the magnets on the main chest (the big wooden box that the pipes fit into).
During our few days at the church we also threw the doors open and filled Fore Street with the sounds of the Wurlitzer. Since the action of the shutters has been maximised, it is now possible to hear the instrument across the road from the Church! Several people came in to see what it was all about and we raised a total of £93 for the Wurlitzer Restoration Fund. We also held another Wurlitzer Open Day on Saturday 8th November, although this did not attract as many visitors as the previous one as it was outside the normal holiday season. It is also hoped that the Wurlitzer will be playing for Beer's Late Night Shopping in December.
More recently members of the Team have carried on with basic maintenance, with Brian testing all the magnetic contacts. As a result of this exercise we now need to purchase around twelve new ones to replace those found to be not working.
The blower room has been cleaned and re-painted by Glen, to reduce the amount of dust and debris being pumped into the workings of the organ; whilst Mike has turned his attentions towards installing meshed inlet vents to the blower room, constructing a sealed loft hatch into the upstairs organ chamber and scrounging an oil filled electric radiator (both to ensure a constant temperature within the "chamber or horrors")!
On a more serious note; whilst the team are happy to give their services
voluntarily, we do need money to be able to repair the organ, replace broken and missing parts and return it to its former glory. You can help by becoming a "friend" of the Beer Wurlitzer. As a friend you will receive a quarterly newsletter, membership card, and a reduction in the price of concert tickets. All we ask of you is for a £10 membership fee for the year. For more details on becoming a Friend, please click HERE to view and print a membership application form. Without your help, it is not financially viable to give this historic instrument the attention it deserves.
Also available is Glen's book, "The History of the Beer Wurlitzer" priced at £2.50, and Mike's DVD priced at £5.00. All proceeds from the book and DVD go to the Restoration Fund. With Christmas now only a few weeks away, these would make an ideal gift for the organ lover in your family. Please Contact us for more information.
More Wurlitzer produce will become available over the coming months: watch this space. But for now, please bear in mind that the oldest Wurlitzer theatre organ in the country still needs your help.
For anyone who is interested in other books about theatre organs, Glen has many more available
HERE.
Congregational Church - Fore Street - Beer - East Devon - UK
Thursday 7th February 2008 proved to be a very important date for me, as it was on that day I first saw and played the Wurlitzer organ which is installed in the Congregational Church, Beer, Devon. UK.
I had formerly been aware of the existence of “an old Wurlitzer in a fishermen’s chapel somewhere in Beer”, since the early 1980’s as a musical acquaintance of mine at the time used to play it regularly when staying at his family’s nearby chalet.
By complete coincidence two groups of organ enthusiasts had also approached Cyn around the same time, both wanting to bring their own members along to listen to this “unplayable” organ which just happens to be the OLDEST Wurlitzer Theatre Organ in the UK!
I already knew that the organ needed a lot of maintenance and restoration work carrying out, but quickly realised that there could be much potential for it to earn its own keep.
Full restoration will cost a lot of money, which we don't have at the moment, so we are trying to raise the necessary funds in various ways including arranging concerts by professional organists. There are also DVD's and postcards available for purchase.
Why not join us?
Thanks for visiting our website.
Cheers!
Michael Cull.
www.organshow.co.uk
Over the summer months the tremulant for the Vox Humana rank of pipes was taken away to be rebuilt and repaired. Mike
successfully acquired a Chrysoglott and set of Cathedral Chimes from the USA. These items were eventually delivered direct to the Church courtesy of UPS in October. We are pleased to report that both items are in pristine condition.Unloading and uncrating the items proved to be a rather onerous task. The van driver helped to manhandle the three lots into the church hall, without the aid of a trolley. The rest was done by
Mike, who ended up with a fixed penalty notice for
overstaying his time in the Council's car park! Fortunately the CEO of East Devon District Council waived the penalty after Mike wrote a letter to him.
Also in October, a Mr Don Bray of Seaford in East Sussex kindly donated a box of various percussion items. Glen went and collected these bits from Don's home. There are a mixture of Wurlitzer and Compton parts including a cymbal, triangle, sleigh bells, castanets and woodblock. However we now need the mechanisms to make these items work!
Jeremy Collar, who is both a member of FOB and also a most generous benefactor, recently acquired and donated a Compton organ Xylophone unit, which is believed by many to be vastly superior to those produced by the Wurlitzer factory. This unit may need some re-leathering work, although until we can inspect it we don't know for sure. Glen and Mike collected it from Nick Pitts at "Burtey Fen" near Spalding on Wednesday 19th November, and also had an enjoyable time playing
the Wurlitzer and Compton organs as well as
inspecting the organ chambers.
Glen and Mike duly delivered the unit to Brian's home the following day, much to his suprise! It will be easier for Brian to check it and carry out any repairs there, rather than having to drive down to Beer to work on it.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES
Saturday 18th October 2008
The collective talents of Jean Martyn, Elizabeth Harrison,
Chris Powell,
Ian Griffin and Richard Bower (Keyklix) will be featured in this afternoon
concert on the
BeerWurly at 3.00pm, Saturday 18th October 2008.
Refreshments will be served after the concert, which will give the audience an
opportunity to meet the performers.
PLEASE NOTE: Admission tickets at £5 each will be strictly limited to 200,
so there is no guarantee that seats will be available on the day without one.
Please Contact Us for ticket requests.
All proceeds will be going to the organ restoration fund.
Sunday 26th October 2008
Matthew Bason will be performing a concert on the BeerWurly at 2.00pm,
Sunday 26th October 2008.
Admission to the concert only will be £5 by pre-booked ticket (or on the door
if space permits), with all proceeds going to the organ restoration fund.
Matthew has also kindly agreed to play for the "Harvest of the Sea" service
which follows in the evening on that day.
This is an annual event which always packs the Church
to capacity as it is held for all the fishermen in the immediate vicinity.
More details about the "Harvest of the Sea" service will appear on The Church Website.
Saturday 15th November 2008
Trevor Bolshaw, who lives nearby, will be performing this concert in his own
inimitable style on the BeerWurly at 2.30pm, Saturday 15th November 2008.
This is an event not to be missed, as Trevor is probably the only person alive
(age 104 as he tells me!) who has known our Wurlitzer in each of its
three locations since it first arrived in UK, so watch out for all the anecdotes!
Admission to the concert will be £5 by pre-booked ticket (or on the door if space
permits), with all proceeds going to the organ restoration fund.
Friday 19th December 2008
Richard Monks will be performing a Christmas concert on the BeerWurly at 7.00pm,
Friday 19th December 2008.
Admission to the concert will be £5 by pre-booked ticket (or on the door if space permits),
with all proceeds going to the organ restoration fund.
Tea/coffee and mince pies will be served during the interval.
Richard will provide a welcome break from all THAT pre-Christmas stress!
Ticket hotline for all concerts is 01297 21824.
HOW TO FIND US
Here's a Map!
As you drive through the village towards the sea, you will pass the Congregational Church to your right.
Take the next turning on the right, and the large Central Car Park will be found to your left behind the Dolphin Hotel.
We hope to see you soon!
Why not link to us? Just click the banner and then paste the script into your own HTML.
Powered by WebRing.
KEYBOARDNEWS.COM
The Internet magazine for keyboard and organ players and enthusiasts.
Partenaires : www.lyad.com - immobilier
Trevor Bolshaw, who lives nearby, will be performing this concert in his own
inimitable style on the BeerWurly at 2.30pm, Saturday 15th November 2008.
This is an event not to be missed, as Trevor is probably the only person alive
(age 104 as he tells me!) who has known our Wurlitzer in each of its
three locations since it first arrived in UK, so watch out for all the anecdotes!
Admission to the concert will be £5 by pre-booked ticket (or on the door if space
permits), with all proceeds going to the organ restoration fund.
Friday 19th December 2008
Richard Monks will be performing a Christmas concert on the BeerWurly at 7.00pm,
Friday 19th December 2008.
Admission to the concert will be £5 by pre-booked ticket (or on the door if space permits),
with all proceeds going to the organ restoration fund.
Tea/coffee and mince pies will be served during the interval.
Richard will provide a welcome break from all THAT pre-Christmas stress!
Ticket hotline for all concerts is 01297 21824.
HOW TO FIND US
Here's a Map!
As you drive through the village towards the sea, you will pass the Congregational Church to your right.
Take the next turning on the right, and the large Central Car Park will be found to your left behind the Dolphin Hotel.
We hope to see you soon!
Why not link to us? Just click the banner and then paste the script into your own HTML.
HOW TO FIND US
Here's a Map!
Why not link to us? Just click the banner and then paste the script into your own HTML.
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