• Introduction
  
• The Regal Conacher
  
• Organ Chambers
  
• The Conacher Action
  
• Holophane Illuminated Console
  
• Specification of the Organ
  
• Ups and Downs
  
• Rescue and Renovation
  
• Organ Re-opening Concert
  
• New Owner - More Changes
  
• Some of Rotherham's Organists
  
  • Tommy Dando
    
  • Charles Randolph
    
  • David Lowe
    
• Conacher Recordings
  
  • Recording for BBC Broadcast
    
  • Recording for Audio Cassette
    
  • Now in Digital Stereo
    
• Organ Photographs
  

Introduction
A feature item at the opening of the Rotherham Regal on Saturday 22nd December 1934 was a recital by Tommy Dando "at the Mighty British Organ" as the local press described the new Conacher 3-manual 9-rank theatre organ built by Peter Conacher & Co Ltd of Huddersfield. Conacher proclaimed that its theatre organs as broadcast from the Regal Wimbledon, Ritz Nottingham, Regal Hull and now the Regal Rotherham were "second to none".

The Regal Conacher

The three keyboards were slightly inclined and keys covered with super-thick ivories and the sharps/flats being of ebony. The pedals were of selected birch, noiseless in action and of the latest radiating and concave design. Both keys and pedals had a silver-faced contact plate.

Organ Chambers
The organ chambers (solo and accompaniment) were built on the right hand side of the rectangular proscenium opening. The two chambers were positioned one above the other and fronted by a decorative moulded grille.

Accompaniment (lower) chamber:
Diaphonic Diapason
Celeste
Violin
Flute
plus Vibraphone.

Solo (upper) chamber:
Tibia
Trumpet
Tuba
Vox
Orchestral Oboe
plus Traps and Percussion.

At its opening it was reported that . . .
"The chests are made of pine and of the latest Roosevelt pattern of up-to-date construction with primary action throughout all chests. The shutters are of a graduated design allowing for 16 distinct movements thus ensuring a perfectly smooth crescendo and diminuendo."

"The main cable connecting the console to the chambers is of 26-gauge DCC enamelled copper wire with two wrappings of fireproof tape. All cables are of the hand spun variety. Relays are of the latest scientific design, electro-pneumatically operated and the whole mechanism is of high efficiency giving an incredibly responsive action. The workmanship and finish throughout are of the highest class and wind pressures are determined to suit the acoustic requirements and approved in consultation with the musical adviser" - in this case Reginald Foort.

"The stops are voiced to produce a tone which is essential for a modern cinema organ, each tone colour possessing that individuality indicated by its name and giving a perfect blend to produce a well balanced ensemble." It must be remembered that Peter Conacher & Co Ltd were principally church organ builders."

"Percussion is of the finest quality, the snare drum being mounted in a position near the shutters to ensure a perfect tone reaching the audience. Vibraphone fans are controlled electro-pneumatically to eliminate fire hazards. The pipes throughout are scaled to suit the building and the smaller manual wood pipes are of well seasoned St. John's pine put together without nails. Wind is produced by a special designed rotary organ blower driven by an electric motor wound for the current available through direct coupling. The motor is designed to drive a specially constructed generator supplying direct current for action."

Peter Conacher's advertising continued to boast the organ had . . .

"Cancels to each department of the organ.
Ventils which will enable the organist, in the unlikely event of a cipher, to cut off the wind temporarily from the rank of pipes concerned."

The Conacher Action
"While Peter Conacher & Co Ltd proudly claim that every single component of their instruments is of the best possible quality attainable in design, material and workmanship, perhaps the most outstanding feature of the Conacher Theatre Organ is the action, that vitally important mechanism which connects the keys at the console to the various pipes, drums etc., which actually produce the sounds."

"Unless the action of a theatre organ is absolutely perfect from every point of view, the organist cannot possibly produce all those fascinating variations of effect which are essential to a perfect performance. If he is able to play with every possible type of touch from the legato of the church organ to the ultra-snappy staccato of the modern dance band, the action must be so efficient and responsive that he can forget all about it. If in a snappy staccato passage, for example, owing to the defective design of the relay or chest mechanism, half the pipes hardly sound at all, it is impossible for the organist to produce the effect he wishes."

"The action of the Conacher Theatre Organ is different from and vastly superior to that of any other. Evolved as a result of collaboration and experiment by the experts responsible for the production of the Conacher Theatre Organ, the action has been subjected to the most strenuous and searching tests which could be devised. It has been proved absolutely reliable and responsive to every demand which can be made upon it."

Holophane Illuminated Console
"The illuminated console has now become an accepted part of practically every new installation so as P. Conacher & Co Ltd are determined to be satisfied with only the best - we have made arrangements with the Holophane Company to supply their latest type of illuminated console specially designed to tone with the architectural decoration of the theatre. Eight distinct colour circuits and an automatic cycle of colours are incorporated, each operated through dimmers by means of duplicate controls, so that they can be altered at will by either the organist or stage electrician. The result is immeasurably more artistic and efficient than could possibly be obtained from the ordinary type of glass console."

Specification of the Organ

Ups and Downs!
The Conacher was very popular in its early years. Even at the time of its opening, the lessee (Lou Morris Theatres of London) general manager organised tours for the public to inspect the installation with explanations from Tommy Dando himself. Many broadcasts were made from the Regal. Dando's first broadcast was on the BBC North Regional Home Service on Monday 8th April 1935 when a full half hour programme was devoted to the Conacher.

Things changed dramatically in 1954 when, under the control of Odeon Theatres Ltd/CMA, a new wide CinemaScope screen was installed behind tabs and within the original stage area. At the same time the orchestra pit was boarded over signalling the end of the organ which now fell into disuse.

Fortunately someone had the foresight to persuade Odeon management to build a trapdoor for access to the console in the hope that it might rise again. The installation deteriorated rapidly and by the mid-1960's was virtually unplayable.

Rescue and Renovation
Luckily in the mid-1960's a group of organ enthusiasts set about the long job of renovating the whole installation. Concurrent with this was the formation of the Rotherham Theatre Organ Society whose main driving force was George Emblow, chief projectionist at the Odeon (former Regal).

Organ Re-opening Concert
The Cinema Organ Society (COS) advertised thus . . .
Odeon Rotherham
Sunday 22nd October 1967 at 1.30pm.
To hear the newly refurbished Conacher Organ -
the last Conacher remaining in a theatre.
With Trevor Willets and Geoffrey Stephenson.

Later Charles Randolph also played a concert to over 600 people and he was later to become President of the local organ society.

New Owner - More Changes
The former Regal/Odeon came under new ownership in December 1975 when Owen Firth and his Twainville Ltd and DOF Leisure took control. Owen Firth first renamed the cinema to Scala and he took a great interest in the Conacher organ and the now (also renamed) Rotherham Theatre Organ Association.

Firth saw the commercial value of keeping the Conacher up and running supporting film interludes and special organ concerts.

Some of the Rotherham Organists
Tommy Dando
Usually just simply called 'Dando', he was the first resident organist at the new Regal. The Rotherham Advertiser proclaimed at the opening "Dando at the Mighty British Organ".

Dando composed his now famous Regal March specially in honour of the opening the cinema and its Conacher organ. Indeed, the piano copy depicts the cinema's exterior with an inset of Dando at the Conacher console.

Tommy Dando was highly regarded and indeed a legend in South Yorkshire for his musical talent was often advertised as "Dando the Master Musician" and "Dando, the World's Memory Master" for he was said to have a repertoire of over a thousand tunes which he could play from memory. He made his first BBC broadcast on the Conacher in 1935 and several more thereafter. He stayed at the Regal until the outbreak of the war in 1939 when Odeon Theatres Ltd took over the lease.

Charles Randolph
Following Dando was Charles Randolph who had been with the Odeon circuit since 1936. Randolph came to Rotherham from Watford and, apart from a break for military service, he stayed as resident organist until 1950. Arthur Fardy stepped in as organist during Randolph's break and later became assistant manager of the Regal which eventually changed its name to Odeon in 1946.

Meanwhile, Charles Randolph had taken up a new residency playing the 3-manual 10-rank Wurlitzer at the huge Gaumont (former New Victoria Theatre) in Bradford.

After a period of neglect and disuse in the late 1950's and early 1960's, the organ was restored and Charles Randolph returned to the now Odeon Rotherham to play the restored Conacher in 1970. Randolph later became President of the local organ society until the early 1980's.

David Lowe
By 1980 David Lowe, formerly a resident organist on the Wurlitzer at Bradford's Gaumont Theatre, was now making regular trips to Rotherham at weekends to play interludes in the film programme and special events. The cinema was now Owen Firth's Scala. David Lowe remained until its closure in 1983 along with Jeff Forrest who also did a short residency.

Conacher Recordings
On Sunday 15th May 1980 from mid-morning to late afternoon, a tape recording session of the Conacher was set up for David Lowe then resident organist. The organ was in fine form having been maintained by enthusiasts Ken Morgan and Derek Chester.

The open-reel tape deck and mixer desk were set up in the left-hand side of the front stalls with good sight and communication with David at the console.

As the organ chambers were situated one above the other behind a decorative grille on the right-hand side of the proscenium opening necessitating two uni-directional microphones to be placed one above the other and focused on the lower and upper chambers respectively. This microphone assembly mounted high on a stand (with shock mounts) just to the right of centre in the front stalls. Monitoring was by headphones.

The resultant sound pickup was "turned through 90 degrees" when placed on the Left and Right channel tracks producing a horizontal "stereo spread" of sound. Ultra low noise/high output matt-backed tape was used. Various music tracks were captured and the pre-planned effect worked out fine.

Recordings for BBC Broadcast
Two years later there was the distinct possibility that the Scala cinema might soon close and another recording session, again with David Lowe, was set up on Sunday 5th July 1983.

The same open-reel tape deck, mixer desk and vertical microphone positioning was used as on the previous occasion as this produced the desired sound and ambience required in the otherwise empty cinema. This time the master tapes were 'dbx' encoded to obtain a wider dynamic range and lower noise floor from the tape.

Material was captured for a projected BBC broadcast which necessitated an extra microphone being placed at the console for David's introductions to his musical selections and a brief verbal history of the organ.

Tape editing and sub-master copying was done later. The final result was subsequently broadcast in Nigel Ogden's "The Organist Entertains" on Wednesday 16th November 1983 on BBC Radio 2. The entire programme was devoted to the sound of the Scala Conacher.

Meanwhile the Scala cinema had indeed closed on Friday 23rd September 1983.

Recordings for Audio Cassette
At the same recording session on Sunday 5th July 1983 separate material was captured for release in 1984 by the Cinema Organ Society on audio cassette . . .

"Mr Resident" (COS 104)
David Lowe plays Conacher and Hammond
Side A: Conacher Theatre Organ, Scala Rotherham.
Side B: Hammond C3, Streatham Ice Rink.

On the cassette inlay card John Leeming wrote in 1984 . . .

"Although this little Conacher may not be the world's finest theatre organ, it is unique, since it is the sole in-theatre survivor of this manufacturer's art, and this quaint instrument in its beautifully illuminated surround created a magical atmosphere in that simple but attractive auditorium. The theatre is now dark, and although the organ is still in situ, its future is uncertain."

The cassette was the first public recording of both Conacher and Hammond organs in those locations. Released in 1984 by COS Tapes and sold in aid of the Cinema Organ Society.
 

Now in Digital!
After almost 25 years, the original 'dbx' encoded master tapes had been carefully stored and preserved and recent experiments in converting them to digital Audio CD reveal a sound as fresh as the day it was made and the sound of this instrument can be preserved for posterity. There are no immediate plans to release a digital version commercially.

Organ Photographs
During breaks in the recordings, colour photographs were taken of the organ and its chambers with black and white versions later appearing in Organ Player magazine to accompany an article about the organ.

By May 1981 a colour souvenir postcard of the console and its illuminated case was produced from one of the transparencies and sold by the Cinema Organ Society at its regular concerts around the north of England.