Two Organists Share Saltaire Wurlitzer Console For Summer Concert

Two familiar faces from the UK theatre organ circuit will share the console at Victoria Hall, Saltaire, on 14 June at 2.30pm, in the first of three joint concerts on the venue's celebrated Wurlitzer this year.

Michael Carter and Mark Speight bring contrasting backgrounds to the afternoon's programme, promising a varied and entertaining recital on one of the country's most distinctive theatre organs.

Carter, a professional railwayman from the West Midlands, is known for a broad repertoire of theatre organ favourites and a particular enthusiasm for unearthing less familiar pieces. Beyond the concert platform, he edits Cinema Organ, the quarterly journal of the Cinema Organ Society, and serves as the society's Midlands District Secretary.

Speight's connection with the instrument runs deep. He began playing the Tower Ballroom Wurlitzer in Blackpool just two days after his sixteenth birthday and went on to establish himself on the concert circuit, becoming a regular contributor to BBC Radio 2's The Organist Entertains. After stepping away from performing for several years to pursue a career in accountancy, he has returned to the circuit with a fresh programme.

Audience members will be able to visit the organ chambers below the stage to see the instrument's nearly 1,000 pipes and percussions at close quarters. Light refreshments will be available.

Victoria Hall offers level access from Lockwood Street via lift and is a short walk from Saltaire railway station.