WELCOME to the NETOA
We hope you like the Art Deco styling of our website and that it will set the scene for you to enjoy finding out about one of the ‘centre-pieces’ of the golden age of Britain’s ‘super-cinemas’ (which ran from about the mid-1920s to the outbreak of World War 2: the mighty ‘cinema’ or ‘theatre’ organ.
The Trustees of the North East Theatre Organ Association invite you to pay us a visit in person to see and hear the only Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ in the north east of England – one of the largest in the UK – prepare to be surprised and, we hope, delighted!
Visitors are welcme to attend our regular concerts, join in the fun on our annual Heritage Open Day in September, bring along groups for special visits / tours (by arrangement) or even try your hand(s) at playing the ‘mighty’ Wurlitzer yourself in this ‘Play the Organ Year’!
Latest News:
Our programme of events for 2024 finished with two very busy Christmas concerts at the New Victoria Centre played by AARON HAWTHORNE with a little help from members of Rock Choir and Annie Pitchers-Moffitt (either in the flesh &/or on video!) and a recorded Seasonal message from NIGEL OGDEN to entertain our audiences – PLUS – the official launch of the new CD “The Most WurliTzer Time of the Year” (see below).
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2025 Concert Season:
Our 2025 season of music continues on Sunday 18th May with the welcome return from Australia of SCOTT HARRISON to play the Wurlitzer at the New Victoria Centre, Howden le Wear. You’ll be guaranteed a ‘ripper’ of an ‘arvo’ Aussie style! (You may prefer to consider this as a ‘canny’ afternoon ‘down-under’ style!)
To get details of this and all other events & to BOOK TICKETS please click on ‘Concerts and Events’ at the RIGHT:
Coming Soon!
STANHOPE SILVER BAND join HOWARD BEAUMONT at the Wurlitzer for ‘Brass and Pipes’ on Saturday 19th July at 7.00 – just one of the events in the Durham Brass Festival 2025. For full details of all festival events visit: https://brassfestival.co.uk/
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Be One of The First To Get:
It's ‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’, so why not check out AARON HAWTHORNE's amazing new CD recorded on the NETOA Wurlitzer? Enjoy over an hour of seasonal music, old and new, with contributions from the 80-strong Rock Choir directed by Rob Slater, young soprano Annie Pitchers-Moffitt and former BBC presenter (& NETOA President), NIGEL OGDEN.
The CD IS AVAILABLE NOW: Full details of CD contents and how to order are on the SALES page.
Heritage Open Days 2024:
On Saturday 14th September we welcomed many visitors old & (mostly) new to ‘experience’ the Mighty Wurlitzer and get an in-depth view of a musical instrument that is unique in the north east.
Heritage Open Day visitors had the chance to look ‘begind the scenes’ and see the craftsmanship of the men and women who built the Mighty Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ and to find out about the way the theatre organ was used in the early 20th century to bring ‘life’ to silent movies and to lift the spirits of war-weary cinema-goers in Britain during World War II.
When these organs were originally installed in cinemas the main ‘workings’ of the organ – all of the organ pipes and percussion instruments, etc. – were hidden away from public view and only the ‘tip of the proverbial ‘iceberg’ – the organ ‘console’ – was seen by the public.
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Volunteering with the NETOA:
As a voluntary organisation we rely on the good offices of our band of regular helpers to keep the ‘wheels turning’! We always need help with the day-to-day operation and administration of the Association, so if you can help we would greatly appreciate hearing from you. Volunteers are always welcome to come along to our regular Wednesday evening sessions (we are often there at other times too!), whatever their level of skills, to help out with various activities, including:
- Assisting with the maintenance of the Wurlitzer Pipe Organ
- Counter and postal sales of NETOA goods and artists’ own goods (at concerts)
- Publicising concerts, etc. and helping to produce & distribute publicity material
- General maintenance of the New Victoria Centre building and installed equipment
- Restoration of Organ Parts and Components
- Operating Sound, Lighting and CCTV equipment
- Maintaining the New Victoria Centre in a clean and tidy condition
- Preparing the New Victoria Centre for forthcoming events, etc.
- Helping out with refreshments at concerts and other events
If we are to maintain our regular programme of concerts and other activities and keep the theatre organ flag flying in the north east, then keeping these (and other) important jobs running smoothly is vital to our continued success. If you can help out – even in a small way – we’d love to hear from you: please contact either the Hon. Secretary, Chairman or any Trustee. Thank you!
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The former New Victoria Cinema, Bradford, will hopefully soon be ‘BRADFORD LIVE’:
2025 sees the City of Bradford become ‘City of Culture’ and the new BRADFORD LIVE entertainment complex based in the former New Victoria / Gaumont / Odeon building in the city centre was due to be opened in Autumn 2024 to be a big part of this cultural celebration. After many trials and tribulations, the building was almost demolished, then when it was saved and proposals developed by the National Exhibition Centre group saw a major refurbishment of the iconic building; in the latest twist of fate the NEC group have hit financial problems and pulled out of the project leaving the City Council searching for a new operator for the project. You can find more information and videos on the LINKS page, including one by Mark Nicholson about the opening of the cinema in 1930.
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We Always Like YOUR News, Thanks!
We would like your News, Views and Any Other Contributions for our regular newsletter ‘PipeTalk’. Contact: The Chairman or Barry Raine
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Covid 19 Coronavirus:
This winter Flu, Covid 19 and Norovirus are still very much around and we kindly request visitors to protect themselves and others by regular hand washing, etc. and by isolating if they feel unwell or test positive.
Please use the Hand Sanitiser dispensers and Wash hands using the anti-bacterial soap provided. Dispensers are also provided in toilet cubicles for sanitising toilet seats before use. Thank you for your cooperation. For Government information on Covid 19, etc.: Click Here
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How to Keep Up-to-date:
Our newsletter ‘Pipetalk’ has much more NETOA news and it is circulated to ‘Friends’ of the NETOA four times a year. If you want to receive your own copy and keep up to date with everything that is going on, why not Become a ‘Friend’ of the NETOA?
For detailed national and international theatre organ news, the Theatre Organ Club and / or the Cinema Organ Society are the two main national bodies concerned with theatre organ history and preservation.
As well as here on the website, you will also find our concerts listed on www.organfax.co.uk (where you can find information about theatre and electronic organ events all over the UK) and ‘Keyboard Cavalcade’ magazine has lots of information about concerts and for players: cavalcadeproductions.co.uk.
Do You Want to Help Our Award-Winning Charity?
In June 2016 the NETOA was honoured to be awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service (known as ‘the MBE for Volunteer Groups’. We believe that it is the first such award given to a group involved in theatre organ preservation and we would like to dedicate this award to all of the volunteers who have helped, over many years and in many different ways, to make our project a success!
All of the work involved in running the NETOA is done by a dedicated team of volunteers and you can help in a number of ways: By just buying tickets & coming along to our Concerts and Events; By ‘lending a hand’ with some of the many tasks that need doing to keep things going; By making a Donation through our ‘Sponsor-a-Pipe’ scheme (see below); or by buying a CD recorded on our organ.
The ‘Sponsor-a-Pipe Appeal’ is a special way that you can contribute to the upkeep of the New Victoria Wurlitzer organ by ‘sponsoring’ one of the 1,375 organ pipes in our ‘mighty’ instrument! Your name (or that of someone you wish to be remembered) will then be added into one of the decorative ‘organ pipes’ in the New Victoria Centre Tea Room along with all of the other ‘sponsors’ – for more details click on the link at the beginning of this paragraph.
As a Registered Charity, the NETOA can claim ‘Gift Aid’ on certain donations (including membership subscriptions, donations under the Sponsor a Pipe Appeal, etc.), whereby HMRC add 25p extra in every Pound to the amount given to us. We are most grateful if anyone who is a taxpayer (and has paid sufficient tax) will use the Gift Aid button when joining / renewing as a member of the Friends, or making donations. Thank you!
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History of Our Wurlitzer Organ:
The theatre organ is a fascinating instrument which played a major role in the social history of the mid twentieth century. You can find a brief history of the NETOA and our Wurlitzer organ on the History page and you can also see the current Specification of the organ. A fully detailed history of the organ and its various homes, together with information on how the specification has been altered over the years, so that it is now one of the largest Wurlitzer theatre pipe organs in Europe, is contained in our Souvenir Brochure which can be ordered from our online store. A group visit (see below) gives an opportunity to find out much more detail about the organ its history, its music, its technology and the way in which it was originally used.
This Website is the Quick & Convenient Way to:
- Buy tickets for forthcoming concerts (Once normal times return!!!)
- Order CDs, NETOA Mugs, Brochures and other items through the NETOA online store
- Join the ‘Friends of the NETOA’ and renew your membership subscription
- Assist with our fundraising through the ‘Sponsor a Pipe Appeal’
Just Some of the Things We Do . . .
As well as our regular concert series where you can see and hear played by top-ranking professional players, we also participate in the national Heritage Open Days Weekend in September, an informal day when everyone is welcome to come along and look around (both front-of-house and behind-the-scenes) to find out what a ‘Mighty’ Wurlitzer is all about and talk to the people behind the installation and maintenance of the organ!
Group Visits & Friends of NETOA
We are happy to arrange private visits for local groups, schools and organisations who wish to find out more about the Wurlitzer, its history, how it works and see it close-up. We also particularly encourage young musicians who are interested in learning to play the theatre organ as well as anyone who is interested in finding out about the technical aspects of this most complex of musical instruments.
Please contact John Heslop for more details: john.heslop@netoa.org.uk
We also have regular private practice sessions, when members of the ‘Friends of the NETOA’ can play the organ themselves. Details on our Play the Organ page.
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