Showboat Medley (Jerome Kern)

The South Western district of the Theatre Organ Society held a meeting at the Congregational Church, Beer, East Devon on Saturday 17th May; and what better way for it to celebrate the 70th birthday of the Theatre Organ Club than to do so with the musical help of the very first Wurlitzer organ imported into the UK?
The organ of course is the two manual six rank Style D, which was originally installed at the Picture House in Walsall and opened by Jack Courtnay at the beginning of 1925.
A fitting finale to the afternoon was provided by the one-and-only Trevor Bolshaw who was certain to be the only person present who had heard the instrument in all three of its homes.
He began with the first tune he’d ever heard played on it –- as a nine-year-old at the then Gaumont, Walsall – the Gaumont British Children’s Club March. Many remember Con Docherty’s composition with affection, and it was nice to hear someone in the audience singing “We come along on Saturday morning…..!”
Continuing with a programme of interesting light music, Trevor concluded the afternoon with a selection from Showboat showing just how much variety of registration it’s possible to draw from such a comparatively small instrument.