The Copeman Hart Theatre Organ

CD Duration: 54.04 / Year: 2013

2013 release containing the only commercial recordings made on this unique prototype Electronic Theatre organ.

Featuring William Davies and Tom Hazelton.

Code: OK31.

WILLIAM DAVIES:
Moonglow
Remember Me (Signature Tune of Harold Coombs)
You Were Meant for Me
For You (Signature Tune of Ernest Broadbent)
Life is Nothing Without Music (Signature Tune of Reginald Foxwell)
Let the Great Big World Keep Turning (Signature Tune of Lloyd Thomas)
Keep Smiling (Signature Tune of Reginald Foorte)
I’ll Play for You (Signature Tune of Sandy MacPherson)
Beside the Seaside (Signature Tune of Reginald Dixon)
On the Prom, Prom, Prom, Prom Promenade (Signature Tune of Horace Finch)
I’ve Got to Sing a Torch Song (Signature Tune of Sidney Torch)
September in the Rain
Scherzo from Concerto Symphonique
Gershwin Medley: Rhapsody in Blue / Fascinating Rhythm / Somebody Loves Me / Summertime / Lady Be Good / Liza / Rhapsody in Blue (reprise)
Diane

TOM HAZELTON:
I Know That You Know
Ain’t We Got Fun
If I Loved You
Swanee / But Not for Me
I Got Rhythm
The Man I Love
Love is Here to Stay
76 Trombones
Sweet Georgia Brown

SLEEVE  NOTES:

These sounds are the only ones ever recorded of the Copeman Hart electronic theatre organ, the brainchild of Ernest Hart who founded the company in 1960. The formative years found Ernest, himself an accomplished organist, playing in prestigious London West End hotels. In the fullness of time the company obtained large commissions, including the fine examples still to be found in such diverse places as the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham; St. Augustine of Hippo RC Church, St.Austell; Oundle School; St. Cuthbert’s Parish Church, Lytham, Lancashire and Grieghallen Concert Hall, Bergen, Norway.

It was during Ernest’s consultancy period at Bradford University where revolutionary digital organ sounds systems were in their experimental stages that a ‘meeting of minds’ resulted in Ernest and Dr. Peter Comerford taking their ideas to a new and higher level. The resultant sounds are from the only theatre organ model ever produced, which was based on a conventional theatre pipe organ of 9 ranks of pipes. There were 16 loudspeaker systems with a power output of over 2000 Watts RMS.

The first organist to record it was William Davies who made a cassette in 1987. A lengthy rank-by-rank demonstration is the only item missing, due to time constraints, but the remainder of his programme is included. Shortly after that, American organist, Tom Hazelton, gave a public concert, which was recorded with a view to making a commercial recording at a future date. Sadly this never happened and although both those limited edition cassette recordings demonstrate the versatility and tonal range of this pioneering electronic theatre organ, neither artist is still alive.

Several decades later, this notion reached its apotheosis at St. Cuthbert’s Church in Lytham where the organ has dual voicing – classical and theatre organ: Nigel Ogden heard about the project and was invited to be the consultant on the theatre organ, and he and Ernest worked closely to produce a superb instrument.

In transferring the recordings to digital format no audio enhancements have been added.

…Ken Mellor.