Sydney Torch plays Orient Express at the Edmonton Regal

[MrTilaws]

can we have more of this oranist -the greatest in m mind

[bundleHastings]

Hear another version at

youtube.com/watch?v=d8qfH46hfW­I

[Squarerig]

What a pleasure to hear this really great organist under a fullhead of steam.A60Stock;do you know where one can obtain a recording of Sidney Torch at the Regal accompanying Les Allen singing Little man you've had a busy day?I would be grateful for any info.

[lomanchun]

I can't believe why he is so underrated !

[MrTilaws]

can anybody find more torch music like hot dod etc--iconsider him among the greatest of his kind without any doubts at all !!!

[chamade16]

The best. Thank you for uploading

[schneckenturm]

he is very brilliant and I like the sound of those cinema organs. Do you call them regal? That is interesting for me. I have a copy of a 16th century bible regal(!) with one 8' stop and a nasal sound. I have placed two videos of this instrument in You Tube in the last week.

[DavidRayner1947]

No, it wasn't the organ that was called Regal, that was the name of the cinema it was situated in, the 3,000 seater 1930's art deco Regal in Edmonton, north London. It closed as a cinema in the early 1970's and for a while became the Sundown music venue. When that closed, it became a Top Rank Bingo and Social Club. It was demolished in November, 1985. Apparently, the organ was still in situ when the place was demolished. A Lidl supermarket now occupies the site.

[jazzboyfin]

The Regal Christie was not in the cinema when it was demolished. It had already been removed and was installed in a concert hall in Barry South Wales, where it still is.

[DavidRayner1947]

Thanks for the info, jazzboyfin. I'm very pleased to learn that it didn't end up among all the rubble at the Regal. I hope all the projection room equipment was saved, too. Such a waste if it wasn't.

[blackpoolbarmpot]

In my opinion, Sydney Torch was the greatest Organist of all time.

It was such a shame he moved away from the Organ, after the war.

[A60stock]

The reason he moved to conducting light music was that post-war cinema organs were in rapid decline. The organ had been introduced in the age of silent cinema and with the advent of talkies its primary purpose of providing a sound track was redundant.

[deancook652]

Plus, also, Mr. Torch had always wanted to get into conducting since he was a dance-band pianist in the late 20's. He moved to the organ at the Regal Cinemas, Marble Arch & Edmonton, all the while pining to move into orchestras. According to an interview with him on a Doric double LP release in the 70's, once he got the gig with the BBC Orchestra, retired from the organ, and never touched one in public again, and quite happily, too, from all accounts.

[EccentricRichard]

@blackpoolbarmpot - greatest cinema organist of all time, maybe, alongside his old boss Quentin Maclean, but greatest organist of all time of any kind?