Join us for our Organ Restoration Gala Concert – Sunday 18th October

Join us on Sunday 18th October for an afternoon concert commencing at 2.30pm to celebrate the completion of the extensive restoration of The Plaza’s renowned Mighty Compton Organ which has entertained audiences throughout the decades since the instrument was installed at The Plaza for our opening day on October 7th 1932.

An original organ in a working cinema in Britain is a rarity indeed, and the 83 year old Compton has entertained many thousands of people, young and old alike, since the Plaza reopened in 2000, and truly revived a long lost legend – of those golden days when the mighty cinema organ rose out of the floor.

On Sunday 18th October our newly restored and pristine Compton organ will help us revive something else.

In the great days of the cinema organ, it wasn’t just about the organs – it was also about the organists. Many of them became great musical personalities in their own right – like Quentin MacLean at the Trocadero, Elephant and Castle, Stanley Tudor at the Gaumont, Manchester, Reginald Dixon at Blackpool Tower, and so on. ‘The organist will entertain you’ was on the billboard of every great cinema.

Over the last 15 years, the Plaza has revived the great tradition of the cinema organist, and is proud to have its very own team of talented players.

And what better way to celebrate the restoration of the fabulous Compton organ than to present our own very special ‘Plaza’ organ concert featuring one of our outstanding organists who knows how to get the very best sounds out of the unique Plaza organ – with another up-and-coming player in a special featured cameo spot.

IAN GOUGH is winner of an American Theatre Organ Society award – featuring recordings he made on the Plaza organ. From a varied musical background, he is an outstanding pupil of local organist Joyce Alldred and has played cinema organ concerts from Stockport Town Hall to the South of England. Still a relatively young organist, he looks forward to expanding his musical horizons still further, and is also now musical director for the Stockport Ukelele Players and has also played electronic organ for many years. Anyone who has heard Ian will know that a musically entertaining and creative programme is guaranteed!

ALAN ATHERTON is a relative newcomer to the world of cinema organ and has the strong credentials of a classical training and many years’ experience as a pianist, and is also a music teacher and exponent of the electronic organ. He is the newest member of the Plaza’s organ team and has already produced some exciting sounds from the Compton organ! Alan will be playing a cameo slot in the concert and the musical world will be hearing much more of him.

So come along and hear the mighty sounds of the newly restored Compton organ, and the talents of two of the Plaza’s own resident organists on parade on Sunday 18th October. Mighty Music in the splendour of the Plaza’s unique restored cinema auditorium – where you can truly enjoy the Golden Notes for the Silver Screen!

Tickets for the event can be purchased in advance by calling 0161 477 7779 or visiting our on line booking service and tickets can be purchased from our Central Box Office in person today or from an hour before the concert starts tomorrow.