The Compton Organ

Welcome to the page dedicated to the Compton Electrone Organ installed in the Star and Shadow.

Compton Organ Opening

The project, was started in may 2010, when I met Mat Flemming, and Deborah Bower in St Thomas the Martyr as they were recording an interview there Ian Mcdonald, and a visiting organist, it had been my aim to put an organ into a cinema in Newcastle for quite some time, and finding a keen venue such as the Star and Shadow was a big step forward in this, I enquired about visiting, and playing the two electronic organs that already existed in the Cinema, the very next day I was in the cinema looking around this strange, yet very cosy venue.

After a few months of playing the Wurlitzer electronic organ, it was mooted that during the building festival, a new organ would be sought out and installed for use in gigs, before cinema showings, and for concerts on it's own.

In July 2010 this became a reality, as a Compton Electrone became avaliable to be installed, after many emails and phone calls, the Compton was secured for the cinema, and shortly after, transported to the Cinema.

After a week of work on the instrument to get it playing to a resonable standard, it was then painted in the traditional Compton cinema organ colours of Black and Gold, the surround was rebuilt using modern colour changing LEDs and new perspex.

Every event involving the Compton will be detailed on this page, so watch this space!

The Compton Cinema Organ project wouldn't have been possible without the help of the following very important individuals: