AN unusual project to restore a rare cinema organ has sparked an urgent call for help from an East Cornwall enthusiast. Robin Roper, of Albaston, recently bought a Compton organ from East Anglia that has fallen into disrepair. The organ needs dismantling, transporting to the Tamar Valley, storing and restoring to its former glory — and Robin is hoping fellow enthusiasts may be inspired to help with the project, with the ultimate aim of creating a concert venue in the Tamar Valley. When Robin heard of the organ for sale near Lowestoft he went to see it and bought it. It was doing things back-to-front, he said, 'but it was too good to refuse.' The organ is a three manual, with seven ranks of organ pipes, and originates from the State Cinema in Dartford. 'Typical of theatre organs, it has a full complement of pipe sounds imitative of musical instruments such as flutes, strings, woodwind and brass, but also has real percussion such as xylophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone and chimes, bass drum, snare drum, tom-tom, triangle, castanets and tambourine, as well as a range of sound effects like bird whistle, klaxon and train whistle — originally used to accompany silent films,' said Robin. 'It is a very versatile instrument. As well as jazz, popular and light music, it is also perfectly suited to classical, sacred and ceremonial music,' Robin said. The organ suffered three floodings during its life in the understage chambers in the cinema since its opening in 1935. After the last flood in 1975 the organ was removed, restored and installed in a country club near Lowestoft. 'Now it has fallen into disrepair and is no longer used, and the proprietors want the console removed by the end of December 2006,' Robin said. Robin is an organist himself and also has experience in dismantling and re-installing cinema organs, having been involved in moving three when he lived in the North of England. Dismantling and moving an organ was 'quite an undertaking', said Robin, who is looking for volunteers to help in the task, and also in fundraising to restore it — with the addition of digital technology — and find a home for it in a suitable hall in the Tamar Valley. Storage may also be needed, as the premises found originally might not now be available. Robin said he was sorry the famous Compton cinema organ from the Royal/ABC Cinema in Plymouth, which used to be played by Dudley Savage, had gone to London earlier in the year. 'I got to thinking London's gain was our region's loss, and it was high time we had a cinema organ concert venue here in the Tamar Valley,' he said. There is a Wurlitzer organ at Paul Corin's museum at St Keyne. 'But that isn't a concert hall,' Robin said. Enthusiasts and people with a range of skills from carpentry and electronics to fundraising and publicity are needed to get the project off the ground and form a group to take on the promotion and maintenance of the organ in its new home. Anyone interested in helping should contact Robin on 01822 835816.
