DAVENPORT CINEMA, STOCKPORT
Job Number A405 was opened on the 17th June, 1937 by Harold Betts. The organ was to a specification designed by Harold Ramsay and consisted of 6 units of pipes together with melotone. The chambers were housed beneath the stage with the 2 horn speakers for the melotone being located in front of the chamber openings. The specification read:
PEDAL ACCOMPANIMENT
Acoustic Bass 32' Strings II t.c. 16'
Trombone 16' Bourdon t.c. 16'
Diaphone 16' Tromba 8'
Tibia Bass 16' Diapason 8'
Tromba 8' Tibia 8'
Diapason 8' Krummet 8'
Tibia 8' Strings II 8'
Strings II 8' Flute 8'
Flute 8' Tromba 4'
Bass Drum Tap F Octave 4'
Bass Drum Tap P Tibia 4'
Bass Drum Roll Strings II 4'
Snare Drum Flute 4'
Cymbal Tap Twelfth 2.2/3'
Cymbal Roll Flautino 2'
Cymbal Crash Marimba 8'
Triangle Vibraphone 4'
Accompaniment to Pedal Snare Drum
Great to Pedal Castanets
Solo to Pedal Tambourine
Traps to 2nd Touch Chinese Block
Sleigh Bells
GREAT Tom Tom
Trombone 16' Sand Block
Diaphone 16' Octave
Tibia 16'
Strings II t.c. 16' ACCOMP 2ND TOUCH
Tromba 8' Tromba 8'
Diapason 8' Diapason 8'
Tibia 8' Tibia 8'
Krummet 8' Great to Accompaniment 4'
Strings II 8' Solo to Accompaniment 8'
Flute 8'
Tromba 4' SOLO
Octave 4' Trombone 16'
Tibia 4' Diaphone 16'
Strings II 4' Tibia 16'
Flute 4' Krummet t.c. 16'
Tibia Twelfth 2.2/3' Tromba 8'
Flute Twelfth 2.2/3' Diapason 8'
Piccolo 2' Tibia 8'
Fifteenth 2' Krummet 8'
Tierce 1.3/5' Strings II 8'
Xylophone 4' Tromba 4'
Glockenspiel 4' Tibia 4'
Orchestral Bells 4' Xylophone 4'
Melotone 8' Glockenspiel 4'
Sub Octave Orchestral Bells 4'
Octave Melotone 8'
Solo to Great 16' Melotone 4'
Solo to Great 8' Melotone Twelfth 2.2/3'
Super Melotone 2'
TREMULANTS Krummhorn 8'
Tibia Cor Anglais 8'
Tromba-Krummet Musette 8'
Diapason-Strings II-Flute Carillon
Chimes
VENTILS Echo Control 1
Tibia Treble Echo Control 2
CC Diapason Vibrato
CC Tibia-Krummet-Tromba Sub Octave
Strings II-Flute Unison Off
CCC Tromba-Tibia-Xylo-Glock Octave
Traps-CCC Diaphone Melotone Amplifier Off
TOE PISTON EFFECTS STOPKEY EFECTS
Siren Surf
Auto Horn Aeroplane
Fire Bell
Bird Whistle
Cymbal Roll
Cymbal Crash
Snare Drum Roll-Grand Crash
ACCESSORIES
8 adjustable thumb pistons to Accompaniment
8 adjustable thumb pistons to Great
8 adjustable thumb pistons to Solo
3 adjustable toe pistons to Pedal
1 operator toe piston
1 balanced expression pedal to Accompaniment chamber
1 balanced expression pedal to Solo chamber
1 balanced crescendo pedal
Double touch canceller to each department
Voltmeter
Harold Ramsay designed Comptons with near identical specifications for
the Ritz Cinemas at Nuneaton, Cleethorpes, Warrington and Woking.
The Davenport closed in 1997 and is now demolished. Thankfully the organ has
survived and is in the care of the Lancastrian Theatre Organ Trust who will be
installing the organ in a private residence. The melotone unit ceased to function at
some point during the 1960s/70s and since then has been stripped of many of it's
components. On a positive note, St John Vianney Church, Clayhall, London houses
the ex beautiful ex Ritz, Nuneaton Compton in original condition (minus illuminated
surround) complete with working melotone. Concerts are held here regularly therefore
enabling a Ramsay Compton in original condition to still be heard today.
