The Wurlitzer organ

The Mighty Woking Wurlitzer

Experience the Golden Age of the American Theatre Organ at Woking Leisure Centre

Woking Leisure Centre is the home of a 'Full Bodied Mighty Wurlitzer' Theatre Organ, built in America in 1937 and originally housed in the Granada Cinema, Welling, Kent.

Since being installed here by enthusiastic volunteers from ATOS (The American Theatre Organ Society) in 1995 extra pipes have been added and the Woking Wurlitzer is now substantially larger than even the more famous Blackpool Tower Ballroom organ.

The Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ
The organ weighs around 15 tons. All of the sound comes directly from pipes and percussions contained in 3 specially built chambers - there is no amplification. Although the pipes and organ console remain original, in order to enlarge the organ's specification, ATOS installed a £20,000 Digital Relay Transmission System to act as an interface between the organ's keys and the pipes. As a bonus, the facility now exists to connect any electronic 'MIDI' instrument to the Wurlitzer

The value of the organ in 1937 was £10,000. As Wurlitzer has not built a pipe organ since 1939 these unique instruments are now much sort after antiques and almost priceless.

Concert Dates

Date

Concert

Time

  
May 16 2009  Jean Martyn    7.30pm
July 18 2009  Simon Gledhill    7.30pm
September 19 2009  Richard Hills    7.30pm
October 10 2009  TBA    7.30pm
November 21 2009  John Mann    7.30pm
December 12 2009  Len Rawle and special guests Christmas Concerts  2.30pm  7.30pm

Len Rawle at the organ
International organist Len Rawle with the Mighty Wurlitzer

For further details:
American Theatre Organ Society.
Tel: 01923 720511

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