PATRONS : Dr Robert Boughen OBE and David Gray Jul - Aug 2020

Welcome back !

We are open for business… (for the time being…)

TOSAQ DIRECTORY

President: Lance Hutchinson (07) 3355 0979 a/h hlhutch@optusnet.com.au Vice-President: Kevin Collins 3351 2322 k.collins@iinet.net.au Treasurer: Kevin Purchase 3359 6016 dipur@bigpond.com Executive Secretary: Brett Kavanagh 0412-879 678 info@tosaq.com.au Tibia Editor: Mike Gillies (07) 3279 3930 regent1929@gmail.com Committee Members: David Bailey Debbie Fitzsummons Robert Weismantel John Rattray Murray Ries Tim Larritt Christie Maintenance: Rick Whatson 0451-409 343 greenfox4075@gmail.com Postal Address (all correspondence): 51 Princess St, Mitchelton QLD 4053

TOSA QUEENSLAND was established on 26 Feb 1964

Unless otherwise noted, our daytime

meetings are held from 2 pm at Kelvin

Grove State College Theatre, corner of

Tank Street & Victoria Park Road, Kelvin

Grove 4059 — ALL WELCOME!

www.tosaq.com.au

Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily

that of the TOSAQ committee, its membership

or the Society’s policy.

COMING UP:

IMPORTANT MESSAGE:

HALL ACCESS IS APPROVED ! !

Monday Play Nights & Club Days

Monday 10 August - 7.30pm

Monday 24 August - 7.30pm

Monday 31 August - 7.30pm

Monday 14 September - 7.30pm

The School has given approval for TOSAQ to

hold Monday play nights subject to strict

COVID-19 guidelines as laid down by Kelvin

Grove State College.

The Christie console will be classified a 'high

touch' surface and will be required to be

disinfected before each player uses the organ.

In addition to filling in contact tracing

attendance sheets, all attendees will be

required to wash their hands and use sanitizer

before playing the Christie.

The committee is working on a COVID-safe

program for the remainder of the year which

may include Club Days and a major concert,

subject to approval from the School etc. The

first of these will be a Members Club Day,

much like the Sunday events in the past.

Sunday 27 September –

Members Club Day 2pm

Sunday 1 November –

Concert Event Tony Fenelon OAM

Sunday 6 December –

AGM and Members Club Day

REMEMBER: This could change —stay up-

to-date on this situation by regularly

checking the TOSAQ web page or on

Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/TOSAQLD

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

Slowly, but all so slowly, things are returning to what I call the new normal. What an absolute

delight that we have been able to gain access to the Christie once more. A special vote of

thanks to Secretary Brett for his hard work in gaining access. Also, a big thank you to the

Principal of the school, it requires his blessing for any outside school activities to happen.

So, Monday nights are on the calendar again using strict COVID rules, also a Sunday club day

is also being planned for Sunday the 27th of September. November the 1st we will have Tony

Fenelon at the helm for a wonderful Sunday afternoon concert.

On a sad note, long time member and great supporter of TOSA Q, Ron Barham passed away

on Saturday the 1st of August. On behalf of all members I would like to pass on to Jan and her

family our deepest condolences. Our prayers and thoughts are with you.

I’ll see you at the next Monday play night.

Lance Lance Hutchinson

President

TOSAQ

VALE RON BARHAM

Ron Barham along with wife Jan were hard workers on past projects and events of TOSAQ.

Ron was there always lending a hand and taking photos as TOSA official photographer for many, many

years. Ron was always the driver for them both to travel via 4-wheel-drive to concerts and conventions

and an active helper with setting up for concerts, to pouring a cuppa. His job at the University kept him

very busy with Jan typing students’ papers upon demand until retirement. This lead to the roll of Tibia

Editor and a somewhat massive TOSA copier residing at their house. I know how massive because it

was collected from there to come to our place.

Many artists were hosted at Ron and Jan’s’ home over the years with the back and forward travel to

Kelvin Grove for rehearsals and trips to the airport.

He was a man of few words with a passion for Theatre Organ and the artists and their music.

Glenda Kubler

Cover photo: The Christie looks inviting in a regal

purple hue, thanks to Paul Bailey’s lighting prowess.

We hope to see you all back at the hall sometime

soon (under COVID-safe conditions, of course)..

Secretary’s Report

I am pleased to advise that we will be resuming our scheduled activities as outlined below. Our first

event was held on Monday 10 August evening members’ play night at our Christie Cinema Pipe Organ,

Kelvin Grove State College. Following the successful running of this COVID-era event, further TOSA

events are now proposed.

It will be exciting to come together once more and hear the thrum of our wonderful Christie Cinema Pipe

Organ. The TOSAQ committee has adopted a staged return of activities, with a range of social

distancing and sanitisation strategies to ensure compliance with the COVID operating regulations set

down by the Queensland Government for all arts organisations and schools. It is important to note the

TOSAQ Committee is appreciative of the ongoing support of Kelvin Grove State College who have been

very helpful during these unprecedented and trying times.

We will commence with Monday Play Nights to ensure we can manage our COVID requirements before

holding a Sunday Club Day and then a full concert event. All members and guests are asked to strictly

adhere to the requirements which will be simply and clearly outlined upon arrival at the College Hall.

Members and guests will be asked to leave the venue should anyone persistently or deliberately place

the health and welling of other attendees at risk.

Below are our planned events for the remainder of the year. The TOSAQ committee will continue to

monitor and respond to all Queensland Health COVID requirements and advice from Kelvin Grove State

College. Planned events could be cancelled at any stage due to health warnings or directives.

Planned Events for the remainder of 2020:

Monday Play Nights

• Monday 24 August - 7.30pm • Monday 31 August - 7.30pm • Monday 14 September - 7.30pm • Monday 5 October - 7.30pm • Monday 12 October - 7.30pm • Monday 26 October - 7.30pm • Monday 9 November - 7.30pm • Monday 23 November - 7.30pm

Sunday Club Days & Concerts

• Sunday 27 September - Members Club Day 2pm • Sunday 1 November - Concert Event Tony Fenelon OAM • Sunday 6 December - AGM and Members Club Day

NOTE: All TOSAQ members and visitors to events will be required to register upon arrival and adhere to

good hand hygiene and maintain social distancing at all times. The Christie console has been

considered a high touch surface risk and as such will be sanitised in between each player. There will

also be a good supply of hand sanitiser placed around the College Hall including the registration desk,

Christie console, and supper areas. There will be further directives simply and clearly outlined at each

event.

IMPORTANT HEALTH MESSAGE: Any TOSAQ member or visitor with cold or flu-like symptoms is not

permitted to enter the Kelvin Grove State College grounds and as such are not permitted to attend

TOSAQ events.

Kind regards,

Brett Kavanagh, TOSA Q Secretary

0412-879 678

The Scoring Organ

By Robert Weismantel and Nathan Barr

If you have seen the movies such as “House with

a Clock in its Walls”, or “Journey to the Centre of

the Earth” or maybe “The Day the Earth Stood

Still” and “The Addams Family” to name a few, you

may have noted the sounds of a Wurlitzer.

Notes and photo from Nathan Barr’s web site

explain a little about the instrument, its owner /

Composer and the unique recording studio that

Nathan has built.

Meticulous attention to detail in relation to

controlling the inherent noises a pipe organ

produces during its normal operation have allowed

this instrument to feature and support other

instruments and orchestras during recording of the

film score. It is a well-established practice to ‘fill

out’ the orchestra sound by using and organ to

gain a better fullness of sound.

The Theatre Organ is

the perfect vehicle for

writing scores for film

because it is literally a

one-man orchestra.

Every instrument is at

the composer’s finger

tips. The Wurlitzer is a

cost-effective way to

experiment with

sound without the

expense of having to

re-write orchestral

parts with a room full of musicians waiting and

then constantly changing what they need to play.

No doubt this can be very time consuming and

frustrating for all the musicians, conductor and

recording specialists. The entire score can be

produced by one person and then printed ready for

when the orchestra is assembled.

Taking its name from the fictional country in Alfred

Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes, Bandrika is

Nathan’s recently completed studio in Tarzana,

CA.

The 8,500 sq. ft. complex is constructed around

the 1928 Barr/Fox Wurlitzer Theatre Organ, which

lived on the famed Newman Scoring Stage at Fox

Studios from 1928 to 1998.

It can be heard in dozens of classic film scores

including The Sound of Music, The Day the Earth

Stood Still, The Witches of Eastwick, and Journey

to the Center of the Earth.

With 1,366 pipes and a plethora of real percussion

instruments, this organ truly must be heard to be

believed.

Years after the organ was removed from Fox in

1998, Barr purchased it from Ken Crome of The

Crome Organ Company in Reno, Nevada, and

thus began a 4-year restoration by Crome’s team.

Since Bandrika’s opening in May 2018, the

Barr/Fox Wurlitzer has re-entered the world of film

music, and can be heard extensively in Barr's

score for Amblin/Universal's The House with a

Clock in Its Walls and also in Danny Elfman's

score for Universal's hit adaptation of The Grinch

(2018).

Together with Bandrika

architect Jeff Soler and

acoustician Jay Kaufman,

the stage was

designed as a room that

both flatters the

Wurlitzer’s other-worldly

sound and functions as a

stunning scoring stage

described by former

Abbey Road engineer

Peter Cobbin (Dumbo,

The

Shape of Water, The Lord of the Rings) as “the

best room of its size in the world to record in

right now.” Just two weeks after opening, Bandrika

hosted the scoring sessions for Nathan’s

score to The House with a Clock in Its Walls, and

the studio’s unique sound continues to

become an ever-prominent element in his work.

In addition to the 1,500 sq. ft. stage, Bandrika

features a 510 sq. ft. writing room with 5.1

Bowers & Wilkins monitoring and an upstairs

lounge and kitchen area with full view of the main

stage.

The information and photo used in this article was derived from https://nathanbarr.com/studio/

EVENTS

August 10 Play Night

Fifteen people attended the first play night

since the COVID-19 clearance for small group

events was announced. Everyone enjoyed

reconnecting. The Christie was in good form,

considering the winter weather changes. Our

appreciation to our resident organ tech Rick

who has been in twice during the COVID lock

down under a special maintenance request

allowed by KGSC to keep the tuning stable.

Thank you to the members and guests for

following the COVID Safe Requirements.

Thanks to John Rattray for preparing all the

COVID documenting.

MYSTERY PHOTO

Last edition’s mystery photo was Sandy McPherson, one of Great Britain’s great theatre organists, seated at the BBC Jubilee Hall studio organ. This edition’s mystery organ has a local connection — can you pick it? The picture was taken somewhere in Europe—but where?.

You may have noticed that the planned events

in the Secretary’s Report mentions a concert

on the first Sunday in November. And we are

delighted to announce that Mr Tony Fenelon

OAM has agreed at short notice to provide his

services for our end of year international-class

concert on the Christie —don’t miss this event!

Ticketing and seating arrangements will be

announced shortly.

PART 2

Broadway

It was in the Roaring Twenties that live

entertainment moved from traditional vaudeville to

more sophisticated and longer musicals. The

Broadway district of New York (known as The

Great White Way because of its blazing display

lighting) was often the origin of many stage

musicals, if not plays and revues. Broadway

became a place where talented performers,

composers, writers, and musicians met to create

productions together and during the 1920s it was a

place where creativity and flamboyance thrived.

From here composers like the Gershwins, Irving

Berlin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Kurt Weil

became household names in the musical

entertainment industry.

The musical revue was perfected in the Roaring

Twenties. These revues were often shorter than a

musical, had a variety of music styles incorporated

in them, with a witty or sarcastic story line.

Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart had their first

Broadway success with the revue The Garrick

Gaieties in 1925. The song “Manhattan” came

from this revue. At the other end of the spectrum

was The Ziegfeld Follies—an elaborate, glitzy

revue spectacular, featuring chorus lines of near-

naked showgirls in exotic costumes. It was based

on the Follies Bergère in Paris and opened in New

York in 1907, closing in 1931.

Several stage musicals were later made into film

musicals. This included Sally (1920), Show Boat

(1927), Sunny (1925), Rio Rita (1927) and No, No,

Nanette (1925). Other full Hollywood productions

included The Jazz Singer (1927), Gold Diggers on

Broadway (1929) and Broadway Melody (1929).

These film adaptations were characterized by

dazzling sets with water features, dozens of

sequined dancing girls, huge orchestras, glitz and

glamour.

Transport and travel

The motorcar brought about the biggest change to

society in the Roaring Twenties. Easy credit and

more prosperity allowed more people to own a car.

Ford opened a factory in 1925 at Geelong, while

General Motors followed with their factory at

Melbourne in 1927. Australians loved their cars

even in the Twenties, with over 500,000 cars

registered by 1928. Cars enabled families to

travel to and from the city for leisure and business

and even to take holidays at the beach or picnic in

the mountains.

Railway travel was now well established and

ocean liners made their return. The tragedies of

the WW1 sinkings and loss of the Titanic were

soon forgotten. Advances in technology meant

that ships became bigger, faster and more

luxurious. And it was the only way to cross the

world’s great oceans—the Suez Canal was

widened to make way for larger liners. Thousands

of the migrating poor and well-off travellers took to

the sea.

Aviation was still in its infancy in the early 1920s.

Surplus military aircraft were decommissioned and

pilots who served in The Great War found

employment using these planes to run mail,

supplies and joy riders around the country.

Pioneers like Charles Lindbergh (1927) and Sir

Charles Kingsford Smith (1928) were first to cross

the Atlantic and Pacific oceans respectively. And

Queenslander Bert Hinkler made the first solo

flight from England to Australia in 1928. Wilmot

Hudson Fysh and Paul Joseph McGinness, two

Australian Flying Corps officers, first realised the

need for an air service in outback Australia after

returning from the Great War in 1919. By 1922

they had established QANTAS, based in

Longreach, Queensland with its first service from

Charleville to Cloncurry.

Bert Hinkler’s homecoming, Brisbane 1928

Fads of the Roaring Twenties

As well as dance marathons and competitions,

crossword puzzles were popular—even flagpole

sitting competitions were introduced! People had

time now to read magazines, newspapers, play

sports and attend horse racing. Australian football

and test cricket drew huge crowds. Golf as a

leisure activity took off.

In the home, the refrigerator, vacuum cleaner,

telephones were now common. The radio brought

music and news to the household. The elevator

was introduced into multi-story buildings, followed

by air-conditioning. In New York, the skyline saw

the rise (and rise) of skyscrapers. Fashion fads

demanded by the “new emancipated woman”

meant that styles took on a more youthful look.

Anyone for tennis — at 3000 feet?

Barnstorming became popular. The phrase was

coined after aviators in America travelled around

the country and negotiated with farmers to use

their barns (and fields to land their biplanes),

where they would invite paying public to take joy

rides. The pilots would also put on aerobatic

displays. Soon the “barnstormers” organized

themselves into air shows, with ever more daring

acrobats standing, hanging or jumping from

planes, mock dog fights and aerobatics. After

several tragic mishaps, the authorities stepped in

and in 1927 stringent rules curtailed their extreme

skylarking.

The Crashing End

The Roaring Twenties ended as abruptly as it

started. Easy credit and a lifestyle of hedonistic

consumerism came undone in October 1929 when

the New York stock exchange experienced a

monumental crash. Markets internationally

immediately imploded, plunging the world into The

Great Depression of 1929–1934. The era of the

Roaring Twenties closed. It is best remembered

for it flamboyant fashions, women’s new freedoms,

its music and Charleston dance.

It was fun, but it couldn’t last — 1920s Broadway

dancers relaxing.

Yes, 100 years ago it was the beginning of a

carefree decade of new found freedom and fun.

Perhaps in this time of lockdown and COVID-19

we can look back and fondly recall how our

forebears coped back then… MG

Media centre of the Roaring Twenties:

Listen to a sample of Roaring Twenties popular

music played by George Wright on the San

Francisco Fox Mighty Wurlitzer here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIeYtosTWLI

Vintage film of the Charleston:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P96axzkWnNY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjbQfOgI9tc

1920s dance music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB3RXdoPeA

8

Paul Whiteman and Charleston dance steps 1925:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpUSEz0i_dE

Paul Whiteman band:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOD3liebUho

Paul Whiteman Orchestra with Bix B 1928:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmD7jeIEkfg

1929 Dance contest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKitWGrpqyI

In 1927, the theatre organ was the king of entertainment!

TOSA CONTACTS

TOSA ACT (Canberra) 3/8 Compton Albert Hall, Canberra Contact: tosasec@emailme.com.au

TOSA Gold Coast Olympic VTPO. Club Musical Afternoon 3rd Sunday of each month (except December). Contact: Bill Schumacher 07-5524 2746.

TOSA New South Wales Orion Theatre Wurlitzer 3/17; Marrickville Town Hall (TH) Wurlitzer 2/11; West Ryde Anglican Church 2/8 Christie Events Contact: Geoff Brimley (02) 6351 3122.

TOSA Victoria - MTO Kingston TH Wurlitzer 4/21; Malvern TH Compton 3/17; Dendy Cinema Wurlitzer 3/15; Coburg TH Christie/B & H 2/9; Regent Wurlitzer 4/36. Contact: Margaret Sutcliffe on (03) 9891 7227.

Warragul Theatre Organ Society (VIC) Wurlitzer 3/10. Meetings held first Saturday of the month. Events Contact: Di Yuill (03) 5623 3301.

TOSA South Australia Tuesdays and weekends TOSA (SA) members play the 4/29 Wurlitzer in their Capri Theatre, Goodwood Road, Goodwood (08) 8272 1177.

TOSA Western Australia 3/12 Compton. John Leckie Music Centre 25 Melvista Ave, Nedlands. Member’s days first Sunday of the month at 2pm. Contact: Rodney Raymond (08) 9310 2838.

Stirling Productions (WA) Wurlitzer 3/21 Karrinyup Community Centre, Perth, Western Australia. Interstate TOSA Members get a 50% discount to concerts. All concerts are on Sundays at 2pm. Prior bookings are essential with John Fuhrmann on (08) 9447 9837.

LOCAL ORGAN CLUBS

Don’t forget that the Organ Society of Queensland (OSQ) has interesting classical organ links and information.

Visit their web page: https://www.organsociety.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Organ-Society-of-

Queensland-Inc-OSQ-111198455618978/

Subscribe to TOSAQ: https://tosa-qld.us11.list-

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