Gosport Compton Theatre Organ

14/03/2026

Over a hundred people came to Thorngate Halls on Thursday for our Buster Keaton event, and what a superb evening it was!

Rob Hind from the Ritz cinema introduced the film. One of Keaton's amazing stunts left him with a broken neck. It didn't stop him filming and might explain why Sherlock Junior is slightly shorter than his other films, but with so many great gags packed into 47 minutes, it has become one of the silent cinema's best loved classics.

Michael Wooldridge demonstrated some of the features and special effects of the theatre organ, and explained his approach to accompanying movies. Then we settled down and experienced the film just as it was intended. The live accompaniment was absolutely superb, manipulating our emotions without taking our attention away from the screen. Thank you Michael for giving us such a splendid feel-good evening.

We'll have another movie in the autumn. Make sure you keep November 12th free!

09/03/2026

This Thursday ...........

05/03/2026

Looking forward to welcoming Michael Wooldridge to the console on March 12th for our silent movie. Sherlock Junior is one of Buster Keaton's best-loved films. Rob Hind from the Film Club will begin the evening with an introductory talk.
Tickets £10 at the door.
Our refurbishment programme is progressing well, and the organ is sounding better than ever. If you would like to contribute towards the restoration of the vibraphone, go to our Justgiving page at https://tinyurl.com/m4by4tk6

02/03/2026

11/12/2025

All is bright!

We didn't have our usual Christmas concert this year but the elves have been busy. After a lot of elbowgrease and brasso, the bars of the vibraphone are shinier than they have been in decades. Looking forward to hearing it again in the new year when it is re-installed.

Keep an eye on this page for news of next year's events. The organ will be entertaining visitors to the Winterfest beer festival on February 27th and 28th, and we will have another silent movie on March 12th. More details nearer the time.

29/10/2025

Coming soon ......

13/10/2025

Robert Stacey really did us proud at our concert on Sunday October 12th. He played a hugely varied selection of music - crowd pleasers by Lloyd Webber and Glenn Miller, film themes from John Barry and Ron Goodwin, Rumbas with plenty of castanets, and much more. Occasionally he duetted with himself on a pre-recorded backing track of James Last numbers – the Lonely Shepherd and Mornings at Seven.

Following the first stage of its major refurbishment, the organ was sounding wonderful, and regular visitors noticed the improvement. From the organist's point of view it is more responsive, allowing faster playing. Robert told us that his encore – a version of Flick Flack at breakneck speed – would not have been possible a year ago.

Keep an eye on this page, as we plan to upload some extracts from the concert soon.

08/10/2025

Thank you to Radio Solent for featuring our club on the Stephen Brown show this evening (October 8th). You can hear it on BBC sounds – a telephone interview with club secretary Graham Benzeval from 19.17 to 19.26. Graham told the listeners about our concert this Sunday October 12th when Robert Stacey will play a wide range of music, including Don't cry for me Argentina, Black and White rag, and pieces by Gershwin and Glen Miller. Thorngate Halls, Bury Road, Gosport, 2.00 to 4.30.

02/10/2025

On Sunday 12th October Robert Stacey will be at the console for our first public concert in over a year. The recent refurbishment project has taken the organ out of action for some months, so it will be great to hear it again. Robert will talk about the work that has been done, and promises to play some Glenn Miller numbers, show tunes and other favourites. We are very grateful to the Theatre Organ Club and Gosport Borough council who have funded much of the recent work.

20/09/2025

Don't forget - open day is tomorrow.