ASTORIA CINEMA, SOUTHEND-ON-SEA
Job number A293 was opened at the Astoria Cinema, Southend-on-Sea in 1935 by Guy Hindell. It was a variation of the Paramount Mark 1 model and consisted of 10 ranks of pipes,
a piano, melotone and solo cello - everything a Compton enthusiast could want! The specification read:
PEDAL ACCOMPANIMENT GREAT SOLO
Acoustic Bass 32' Vox Humana 16' Contra Tuba 16' Contra Tuba 16'
Tuba 16' Cello 16' Diaphone 16' Double Trumpet 16'
Diaphone 16' Bourdon 16' Contra Tibia 16' Contra Tibia 16'
Tibia Bass 16' Tuba 8' Violone 16' Vox Humana 16'
Bourdon 16' Trumpet 8' Tuba 8' Violone 16'
Tuba 8' Diapason 8' Trumpet 8' Tuba 8'
Octave 8' Tibia 8' Diapason 8' Trumpet 8'
Tibia 8' Vox Humana 8' Tibia 8' Diapason 8'
Clarinet 8' Clarinet 8' Vox Humana 8' Tibia 8'
Cello 8' Cello 8' Clarinet 8' Vox Humana 8'
Strings 8' Strings 8' Cello 8' Clarinet 8'
Flute 8' Concert Flute 8' Strings 8' Cello 8'
Tibia 4' Stopped Flute 8' Concert Flute 8' Strings 8'
Piano 16' Tuba 4' Stopped Flute 8' Concert Flute 8'
Piano 8' Octave 4' Tuba 4' Stopped Flute 8'
Piano 4' Tibia 4' Octave 4' Tuba 4'
Bass Drum Tap F Vox Humana 4' Tibia 4' Tibia 4'
Bass Drum Tap P Viola 4' Viola 4' Viola 4'
Drum Roll Strings 4' Concert Flute 4' Concert Flute 4'
Snare Drum Concert Flute 4' Stopped Flute 4' Stopped Flute 4'
Cymbal Tap Stopped Flute 4' Fifteenth 2' Tibia Twelfth 2.2/3'
Cymbal Crash Twelfth 2.2/3' Piano 16' Flute Twelfth 2.2/3'
Triangle Piccolo 2' Piano 8' Ocarina 2'
Accompaniment to Pedal Flautino 2' Piano 4' Piccolo 2'
Great to Pedal Piano 8' Xylophone 4' Tierce 1.3/5'
Solo to Pedal Piano 4' Glockenspiel 4' Quartane III
Traps to 2nd Touch Marimba 8' Orchestral Bells 4' Xylophone 4'
Vibraphone 4' Marimba 8' Glockenspiel 4'
MANUAL IV Snare Drum Vibraphone 4' Orchestral Bells 4'
Accomp to Manual IV 8' Castanets Sub Octave Sub Octave
Great to Manual IV 16' Tambourine Octave Octave
Great to Manual IV 8' Wood Block Solo to Great Melophone 8'
Great to Manual IV 4' Tom-Tom Melophone 4'
Solo to Manual IV 8' Sleigh Bells GREAT 2ND TOUCH Melophone Twelfth 2.2/3'
Vibraphone 4' Sand Block Double Trumpet 16' Super Melophone 2'
Traps to Manual IV Solo to Accompaniment Contra Tibia 16' Krummhorn 8'
Cor Anglais 8'
TREMULANTS ACCOMPANIMENT 2ND TOUCH TOE PISTON EFFECTS Chimes
Tibia Tuba 8' Auto Horn Carillon
Trumpet-Tuba Tibia 8' Steamboat Whistle Glide
Diapason Great to Accompaniment Fire Bell Echo Control
Vox Humana-Clarinet Solo to Accompaniment Train Whistle Vibrato
Concert Flute-Stopped Flute- Siren Solo Cello 8'
Strings-Cello VENTIL CONTROLS Triangle
CC Tuba-Trumpet Bird Whistle ILLUMINATED CONSOLE
STOPKEY EFFECTS Tibia Treble Cymbal Roll Off
Surf CCC Diaphone-Traps Snare Drum-Grand Crash Automatic
Aeroplane Glockenspiel-Xylophone Drum Roll Red
Vox Humana-Clarinet Blue
Diapason-Cello-Strings-Concert Flute-Stopped Flute Green
Melotone Amplifier Off Amber
ACCESSORIES Orange
10 double touch thumb pistosn to Accompaniment Sky Blue
10 double touch thumb pistons to Great Turquoise
10 double touch thumb pistosn to Solo Mauve
4 double touch thumb pistons to Manual IV
4 toe pistons toe Pedal
1 Operator toe piston
1 balanced expression pedal to accompaniment chamber
1 balanced expression pedal to solo chamber
1 balanced expression pedal to crescendo
Double touch canceller to each department
Voltmeter
The solo cello was from the 1934 Compton at the Astoria Cinema in Aberdeen.
Sadly, this instrument was removed in 1969 and remained in storage until 1972 when it was brought by Peter Palmer and installed at his home Wyton House, Huntingdon.
Regrettably the solo cello was removed but can now be found on the e Regal Putney Compton at Brey-on-the-Rhine in Germany. In 1992 the melotone was removed and went
to theatre organist David Shepherds Compton in Holbeach, Lincolnshire. The speakers went to the Compton at the Abbey Hall in Abingdon. Some new ranks of pipes were
added with the Krummhorn, Cor Anglais and Carillon (!!!) being wired through a Conacher Tibia. Certainly not what I call preservation - more like destruction! Why is it
that so called "preservationists" cant resist enlarging these fantastic machines and stripping them of their character? Had this organ been left as it was im sure it would
have attracted much interest with having a melotone and solo cello. A great pity.
