Ritz Cinema, Hereford

The Compton organ at the Ritz Cinema in Hereford was one of 3 identical models and was designed by Harold Ramsay and was opened by Wilfred Southworth on 10th January, 1938.  The other two instruments of this model were installed at the Ritz Horsham and Ritz Penzance. 

These three instruments were the smallest instruments Compton's built for cinemas and had just 4 ranks of pipes Tromba, Tibia, Flute and Gamba enclosed in a single chamber.  Harold Ramsay was very keen on the Tromba as it stood in for both a Tuba and Trumpet.

Of course these instruments were fitted with the usual traps and percussions and the all important melotone unit and looking the specification it is easy to see what an important feature this now was.  It is more like an extra rank of pipes than just a solo device and even has it's own expression pedal. 

The specification read:

PEDAL				ACCOMPANIMENT		SOLO

Tromba		16'		Contra Gamba T.C.	16'		Tromba		16'

Tibia		16'		Tromba		8'		Tibia		16'

Tromba		8'		Tibia		8'		Contra Gamba T.C.	16'

Tibia		8'		Gamba		8'		Bourdon T.C.	16'

Gamba		8'		Flute		8'		Tromba		8'

Flute		8'		Tromba		4'		Tibia		8'

Bass Drum Tap F			Tibia		4'		Gamba		8'

Bass Drum Tap P			Gamba		4'		Flute		8'

Bass Drum Roll			Flute		4'		Tromba		4'

Snare Drum			Twelfth (Flute)	2.2/3'		Tibia		4'

Cymbal Tap			Gambette		2'		Gamba		4'

Cymbal Crash			Flautino		2'		Flute		4'

Triangle				Marimba		8'		Twelfth (Tibia)	2.2/3'

Accompaniment to Pedal		Vibraphone	4'		Twelfth (Flute)	2.2/3'

Solo to Pedal			Snare Drum			Ocarina		2'

				Castanets				Flautino		2'

TOE PISTON EFFECTS		Tambourine			Tierce		1.3/5'

Bird Whistle			Chinese Block			Xylophone		4'

Auto Horn				Tom Tom				Glockenspiel	4'

Cymbal Roll			Sleigh Bells			Orchestral Bells	4' (re-it)

Snare Drum-Grand Crash		Sand Block				Melotone		8'

Cymbal Crash							Melotone		4'

				ACCOMP  2ND TOUCH	Melotone Twelfth	2.2/3'

STOPKEY EFFECTS		Tromba		8'		Super Melo	2'	

Surf				Tibia		8'		Krumhorn		8'

Aeroplane				Solo to Accompaniment			Cor Anglais	8'

								Chimes

CONSOLE LIGHTING		TREMULANTS			Carillon

Off				Tibia				Echo Control

Automatic				Tromba-Flute-Gamba			Vibrato

Red								Sub Octave

Blue				VENTILS			Super Octave

Green				Tibia Treble			

Amber				Tromba-Flute-Gamba			EXPRESSION PEDALS

Orange				Basses				Organ

Sky Blue				Percussions			Melotone

Turquoise				Melotone Amplifier Off		Crescendo

Mauve										

ACCESSORIES

6 double touch thumb pisons to Accompaniment

8 double touch thumb pistons to solo

4 toe pistons to pedal

1 operator toe piston

Double touch canceller to each department

Voltmeter

The Hereford Compton was removed from the cinema in the late 1960s and installed at a private residence.  It is now currently undergoing installation at Paul Corin's Music Museum in St Keyne, Cornwall where it will entertain alongside the 1929 ex Regent Brighton Wurlitzer.  I believe the melotone is currently in working condition.