07/31/2025
Organist William Webber, a Cynthiana native, attended the 2025 National Convention of The American Theatre Organ Society in Milwaukee in late July. After serving on the Society's national board for two years, he was reelected for a second term, this time for three years. Bill received the largest number of votes of any candidate running this year. Here he is at the console of one of his favorite theatre pipe organ installations, the 3-manual eleven rank Robert Morton organ at The Carolina Theatre in Greensboro, North Carolina. (picture attached).
A theatre pipe organ is an instrument that does NOT sound like a church or classical pipe organ. They were first made in the early 1900's to accompany silent films and to play pop music before the movie begins. In order to do that, the organ had to include air-driven sound effects such as wood blocks, bells of various kinds, whistles, drums, and numerous orchestral sounds. Convention attendees are often treated to a silent film accompaniment at these conventions. Bill was associate organist for ten years at The Kentucky Theatre in downtown Lexington.
The convention featured some very fine theatre pipe organs, two of which are also pictured here. From British Organists Richard Hills and Simon Gledhill to American organists Walt Strony and David Wickerham, the performances on these beautiful instruments were superb. Next year’s convention will be in Rochester, New York where a recently rebuilt Barton theatre pipe organ of 4
manuals and 23 ranks of pipes will be one of the featured organs.
The two organ consoles pictured are the 5-manual 80-rank Wurlitzer at the Sanfilippo Estate in Barrington, Illinois and the 3-manual 14-rank Barton at the Capitol Theatre for the Overture Center of the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin including a larger picture of the beautiful theatre itself.
