ORGAN1st Radio - A Monthly Hour-Long Podcast Presented by Alan Ashton

A Message from Alan Ashton…

I would like to thank so many friends and organ world enthusiasts for all the messages of Sympathy following the passing on October 31st of my dear wife Dorothy after losing a 10 month struggle to overcome a serious heart operation. Thank you all so much.

Secondly and for the reason that I've been producing and presenting theatre, electronic & keyboard organ music for 50 years via broadcasts, (National and Local) and in more recent times via podcasts, I decided to make the December edition of ORGAN1st Radio my final one. Everything it contains are recordings, for one reason or another, that meant something to both Dorothy & I. For once it seemed to be a good excuse not to rack my brain in order to cobble together a programme of festive music that changes so little as the years roll by! Unbeknownst to me fellow broadcaster Ian Wolstenholme contacted many organists and people connected with the organ world in order to compile a lengthy retirement ‘best wishes’ addition to the final show. Huge surprise which I watched through a mixture of tears of sadness and happy memories.

All my programmes for ORGAN1st Radio will remain in the Archive and at least I will have a little more time to continue adding to the long list of YouTube videos in the Organ Celebrities and associated productions under my GramRfone or Percy Quill credits.

Back in 1971 the organ scene was dominated by the weekly broadcasts by the ‘Old Organ Grinder’ Robin Richmond, but whether he appreciated it or not along came the likes of myself (Radio Manchester) Eric Lord (Radio Blackburn) and Arnold Loxam, Frank Hare & Barry Davenport (Radio Leeds). In fact there were enthusiasts in the NW ‘triangle’ who were placed and able to hear all these shows, plus those by Robin each week... Happy days.

Back in 1971 my fee for a 30-minute weekly show was £5 & the Tax Man even chased me for some of that in the belief that I had an off-shore Swiss Bank Account! Mind you, towards the end of my BBC association of 17 years it had risen to £15 for a 60 minute edition which invariably got taken off without notice in order to comply with the need to honour the great God of Football at Trafford Park. With the occasional access to the WurliTzer at the Playhouse in Hulme, I was able to present several live concerts, all of which were free admission, featuring some of the great names in both theatre and electronic organ playing.

Finally, to everyone who has enjoyed my broadcasts/podcasts over the years, a big thank you for your musical friendship.

THE FINAL SHOW

Vic Hammett, Klaus Wunderlich, Keith Beckingham, Dave Nicholas, Lenny Dee, Ray Willetts, Paul Roberts, Brian Sharp, Franz Lambert, Grahame Wright, Tony Fenelon, Ian Griffin, Angela Turner, Claudia Hirschfeld, Howard Beaumont, John Mann, Ronald Curtis, Jean Martyn, John Kyffin, Mike Hall, Hector Olivera, Terry Charles & Dorothy Ashton.
Chris Giles, Peter Hayward, Stephanie Slater, Penny Weedon, Angela Turner, Danny Mannix Trio, John Bowdler, Phil Tempest, Chiho Sunamoto, Max Takano, Bryan Rodwell, John Mann, Nicholas Martin, Andrew Tootell and Anthony Lomas.
This show is a continuation of last months episode which explores how the UK organ festivals began.

Howard Beaumont, Andrew Smith, Franz Lambert, Glyn Madden, John Walker, Tim Flint, Leigh Perry, John Beesley, Trevor Bolshaw, Ron Curtis, Eric Lord, David Ingley, Jean Martyn, Andrew Seditas and Klaus Wunderlich.
This specially extended show is a tribute to the UK organ festival originator Cled Griffin who sadly passed away on 7th August, just three weeks short of his 90th birthday.

Mark Shakespeare, Trevor Daniels, Brian Sharp, Byron Jones, Peter Bartle, Brian Hazelby, Yasashiko, Michael Brent, Dave Smith, Andy Carvill, Tony Pegler, David Shepherd, Alec Leader, Steve Lowdell, Keyklix, Alan Haven, Antonio Matia Mayolas, Jerry Allen, George Blackmore and Keith Beckingham.
Alan Ashton - Presenter of ORGAN1st Radio
ORGAN1st Radio is presented by ex-BBC broadcaster Alan Ashton. The monthly sixty-minute Podcast features old and new recordings of theatre organs, electronic organs and keyboards and covers everything from Wersi to Wurlitzer and Hammond to Compton. You can contact Alan Ashton at info@organradio.com.

You may also like to visit
KlausWunderlich.co.uk a website dedicated to the late German Organist.
This website is maintained by MSS Studios who run ORGAN.co.uk & ORGANS.uk where many current recordings can be purchased.

Rüdiger Kauffmann – Forever Young

Claudia Hirschfeld – My Favourite German Hits

Ken Griffin – Music In My Heart

A Selection of USED Organ CDs

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Links to the Show Pages and mp3 Files:

Show 173
Details | mp3 (December 2021)
Show 172
Details | mp3 (November 2021)
Show 171
Details | mp3 (October 2021)
Show 170
Details | mp3 (September 2021)
Show 169
Details | mp3 (August 2021)
Show 168
Details | mp3 (July 2021)
Show 167
Details | mp3 (June 2021)
Show 166
Details | mp3 (May 2021)
Show 165
Details | mp3 (April 2021)
Show 164
Details | mp3 (March 2021)
Show 163
Details | mp3 (February 2021)
Show 162
Details | mp3 (January 2021)
Show 161
Details | mp3 (December 2020)
Show 160
Details | mp3 (November 2020)
Show 159
Details | mp3 (October 2020)
Show 158
Details | mp3 (September 2020)
Show 157
Details | mp3 (August 2020)
Show 156 Details | mp3 (July 2020)
Show 155 Details | mp3 (June 2020)
Show 154 Details | mp3 (May 2020)
Show 153 Details | mp3 (April 2020)
Show 152 Details | mp3 (March 2020)
Show 151 Details | mp3 (February 2020)
Show 150 Details | mp3 (January 2020)
Show 149 Details | mp3 (December 2019)
Show 148 Details | mp3 (November 2019)
Show 147 Details | mp3 (October 2019)
Show 146 Details | mp3 (September 2019)
Show 145 Details | mp3 (August 2019)
Show 144 Details | mp3 (July 2019)
Show 143 Details | mp3 (June 2019)
Show 142 Details | mp3 (May 2019)
Show 141 Details | mp3 (April 2019)
Show 140 Details | mp3 (March 2019)
Show 139 Details | mp3 (February 2019)
Show 138 Details | mp3 (January 2019)


MORE SHOWS…