Robin Richmond (1912 - 1977) was born in London and after a short engagement at Lambeth Mission Hall where he was sacked for adding percussion sounds to hymns, he made his professional debut in the revue It's in the Bag, then toured with the comedy duo The Two Leslies. His BBC debut was in Palace of Varieties in 1938.
His trademark instrument became the Hammond organ, after he imported the first example to Great Britain from the United States in 1935. It carried the serial number "001" and this instrument is now in the Thursford Museum.
Rejected by the military during World War II for health reasons, he spent the duration of the war as organist at the Paramount Cinema in Tottenham Court Road, London, and on BBC radio, after the war he regularly performed on the BBC Light Programme on shows like Music While You Work, Variety Bandbox and Organ Grinder Swing. He also presented a number of programmes including Housewives' Choice and Jazz Club. On television he was the resident organist on the quiz show Double Your Money.
He created the BBC Radio 2 series The Organist Entertains in 1969, and was its main presenter until 1980. A special edition in 2012 marked the centenary of his birth.
As always happened at Bangour, Robin was 'piped in' to the console by young piper Tommy Nimmo, from Duntarvie farm, near Winchburgh.
Since its installation in 1972 the Christie organ, ex Lonsdale.ABC Cinema, Carlisle, had been continuously worked onto continue its restoration. The Cathedral Chimes were unenclosed in Bangour, mounted on the front wall of the organ chambers, with the console being beneath them.
STOPS - the Scottish Theatre Organ Preservation Society, founded on 29th October 1972 during the opening concert of the organ at Bangour, is Scotland’s oldest cinema/theatre organ society, and is a registered Scottish charity (SC 018217).
We own and operate the New Palace Theatre Organ Heritage Centre in Greenlaw, Scotland and present an annual season of silent films with live accompaniment.
Our website is www.stops.org for the Society and www.nptohc.co.uk for the New Palace Theatre Organ Heritage Centre and we are on Facebook as ‘stops.org’ and ‘nptohc’.
We welcome donations of all amounts, which can be made to www.paypal.me/stops
9 сен 2024
