Compton CH2 electrone organ - demonstration of stops

Описание: #organ #comptonorgan #electronicorgan

Me playing the Compton electrone organ model CH2 at Community of Christ Church in Denton, Manchester.

The John Compton Organ Company developed the first electronic organ tones in the 1920s and thus the 'electrone' was born as a result of much experimentation by engineer Leslie Bourn. At first the device was used in cinema organs from 1935 to 1939 to produce ethereal sounds and was called the 'melotone'. This device was then developed into a complete pipeless organ for both cinema and church use - the cinema version called the 'theatrone', the church model the 'electrone'. Production and development, like every industry in Britain, was halted at the start of the second world war in September 1939.

After the second world war, Compton produced a whole range of electronic and in the early 1960s, developed the 'CH2' model which I am playing here. The CH2 was designed exclusively for the smaller church or chapel or home use as all the components - including the speakers - were housed in the console A cinema organ version called the 'HE2' was also produced. The specification reads:

PEDAL
Contra Bass 16'
Bourdon 16'
Flute 8'
Flute 4'

GREAT
Quintaton 16'
Open Diapason 8'
Spitzflote 8'
Octave 4'
Rohrflote 4'
Twelfth 2.2/3'
Fifteenth 2'
Trumpet 8'
Mute

SWELL
Contra Viol 16'
Geigen Diapason 8'
Lieblich Gedeckt 8'
Salicional 8'
Principal 4'
Wald Flote 4'
Flautina 2'
Mixture IV
Contra Fagotto 16'
Cornopean 8'
Clarinet 8'
Clarion 4'
Mute

GENERAL
Vibrato On/Off
Vibrato Light/Heavy
Vibrato Fast/Slow
Reverberation
Bass Sustain
Treble Sustain

PRESETS
Diapason Chorus
Baroque Chorus
Full Swell

This particular instrument I am playing dates back to around the mid 1960s. Towards the end of the decade, the CH2 was given a makeover and some slight modifications to the specification and called the 'Cantata'.

As previously mentioned, from 1947 Compton developed a full range of electronic instruments ranging from a single manual to large custom built models alongside the building, overhaul and maintenance of pipe organs until that side of the company was sold to Rushworth and Dreaper in 1964. Electronic production continued until 1971 when the company went into liquidation and was sold to John Pilling in Rochdale and from which 'Makin Organs Ltd' was developed. Makin continued to use the Compton electrostatic method of tone production until the early 1980s when they moved over to solid-state tone production before going completely digital.

Despite modern digital organs being extremely convincing, I am extremely fond of these old Compton electrone instruments and was particularly pleased to be able to discover and play this now extremely rare 347 model.

For this video I use the hymn tune 'Caswall' to demonstrate the different stops individually.

For more information on the John Compton Organ Company Ltd and to see me play other Compton organs, please click on the following link for my site dedicated to the John Compton Organ Company Ltd:

http://comptonorgans.yolasite.com/

REQUEST: I am always on the lookout for Compton organs to play - particularly electrones - so if you know of any churches which still have these then please do let me know. I will happily give a donation or pay any applicable room hire charge.