Me playing the organ at St Edmund's Catholic Church in Walkden, Salford, Greater Manchester.

The organ is not your average church instrument but is in fact the Compton organ originally built in 1930 for the Court Cinema in Wigan, Lancashire. The organ was installed here in 1962 minus the percussions, novelty sound effects and the Tuba rank. However the Chimes have been retained. The console was originally from the Compton organ installed at the Rialto Cinema in Bebington, Wirral in 1933. The current specification reads:

PEDAL
Acoustic Bass 32'
Bourdon 16'
Bass Flute 8'
Open Diapason 8'
Salicional 8'
Flute 5.1/3'
Flute 4'
Manual I to Pedal
Manual II to Pedal

MANUAL I
Stopped Flute 8'
Open Diapason 8'
Salicional 8'
Flute 8'
Octave 4'
Salicet 4'
Flute 4'
Stopped Flute 4'
Flute 2.2/3'
Flautino 2'
Clarinet 8'

MANUAL II
Bourdon 16'
Salicional 16'
Stopped Flute 8'
Open Diapason 8'
Salicional 8'
Flute 8'
Stopped Flute 4'
Octave 4'
Salicet 4'
Flute 4'
Nazard 2.2/3'
Fifteenth 2'
Piccolo 2'
Clarinet 16'
Clarinet 8'
Chimes

TREMULANTS
Tremulant 1
Tremulant 2

ACCESSORIES
6 double touch thumb pistons to Manual I and Pedal
6 double touch thumb pistons to Manual II and Pedal
1 balanced expression pedal with indicator - organ
1 balanced expression pedal with indicator - crescendo

For this first video I am playing 'Old folks at home' by Stephen Foster. I choose this as it would have been a popular song at the time the organ was originally installed in the cinema in Wigan.

At the time of making this video, the church have purchased a Rodgers digital electronic organ and are currently looking for someone or a group to buy this organ.

Many thanks to the church officials for allowing me access to this lovely little Compton organ.

PLEASE NOTE: I am not a cinema organist in anyway, shape or form!

For more information on the John Compton Organ Company Ltd and to see me play other Compton organs, please click on the following link for my site dedicated to the John Compton Organ Company Ltd:

http://comptonorgans.yolasite.com/

REQUEST: I am always on the lookout for Compton organs to play - particularly electrones - so if you know of any churches which still have these then please do let me know. I will happily give a donation or pay any applicable room hire charge.