This Edition Updated: June 28, 2010
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Will you be visiting Hawaii and the Big Island? Plan to stop in Downtown Hilo on Wednesdays for the weekly "Hawaiiana Live" show featuring the Robert-Morton Pipe Organ, traditional Hawaiian music and hula, legends of Hawaii and historic films. 10:45am every Wednesday. For more information on this show call (808) 934-7010 or visit http://www.hilopalace.com/
After the show, enjoy exploring Historic Downtown Hilo including shopping, dining and the famous Hilo Farmers Market!
The four-manual Palace Theatre Robert Morton organ now has 19 ranks playing. For more information on the organ project and special events sponsored by the Hilo Theatre Organ Society visit http://htos.palacehilo.org/
Bob Alder - June 20, 2010
Thomas (Tom) Roughton was the first of three boys born to James and Irma Roughton in Long Beach, CA on October 30, 1942. He attended Bullard High School in Fresno, CA, University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA and Fresno State University, Fresno, CA. His working career was focused in the banking and computer industries spending many years at Bank of America, Olivetti, Caelus Manufacturing Software and Lukins & Annis Attorneys P.S. He lived most of his life in California until moving to Spokane, Washington in 1990. He married Joani Roughton in 1992 and in 2003 they made the move to the Seattle area landing at Redondo Beach. Tom was an accomplished musician, playing such instruments as the oboe, flute, accordion, tuba, piano and the pipe organ. He was an avid enthusiast of computers, clocks, automobiles, trains, planes and pipe organs. His love for trains led to his involvement with Amtrak and their Trails and Rails program of which he was an Interpretive Guide on the Coast Starlight/Seattle to Portland route. In addition, Tom's passion for aviation led him to his dream job as docent at the Museum of Flight in Seattle where he shared his knowledge for airplanes with people from all over the world. His musical background led to his performing as House Organist at Kenyon Hall in West Seattle, on their famous 1929 Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ. Tom had a wonderful sense of humor, a love for fine food and cookies, and enjoyed being with people of all ages. A big fan of baseball, he had a special place in his heart for the Los Angeles Dodgers as well as the Seattle Mariners. Tom was on the Board of Directors for the both Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society, and Seattle Artists. He was also a member of American Theater Organ Society and the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association. He truly found happiness in Redondo Beach with his beloved wife Joani. Together they enjoyed their days watching planes arrive and depart SeaTac Airport and ships ply the waters with their cargo from Tacoma to points worldwide.
Tom passed away on Wednesday June 16, 2010 due to complications from cancer and heart disease.
Thomas Roughton is survived by his wife Joani of Redondo Beach, WA, daughter Cynthia L. Roughton-Carpenter and husband Paul and her mother Trudy M. Roughton of Garden Grove, CA, brother Larry James Roughton and wife Debra of Rancho Cucamonga, CA, brother Walter Byde Roughton and mother Irma Adair Roughton of South Lake Tahoe, CA, step-daughter Micki Odegaard and husband Kevin of White Center, WA, Carol Harshaw and husband Mike of Lynnwood, WA, and grandchildren Brooks Carpenter, Maddie, Jackson & Lilly Odegaard, and Emma Mae Harshaw.
Celebration of Life Services will be held at both The Museum of Flight and Kenyon Hall on a future date(s) to be determined.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Virginia Mason Foundation at www.virginiamason.org
Cynthia L. Roughton-Carpenter - June 19, 2010
This program was reveiwed in the current edition of the ATOS magazine and is an exciting, innovative theatre organ event. The program takes place May 7th, 2010 at 7:00 PM at Cleveland high school, 3400 SE 26th Ave, Portland, OR 97202
More information is available at the OCATOS website: http://www.ocatos.org/ Online ticket sales at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/105881
Robert Kingdom - April 2, 2010
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| David Baskeyfield (Right) coaches Ryan Enright at the Wurlitzer as other performers of this years’ “Eastman Bunch” concert look on (Photo by Richard Neidich) |
The RTOS – Grierson 4/23 Wurlitzer Auditorium Theater, Rochester, NY (Photo by Richard Neidich) |
The fourth annual edition of the highly successful collaboration between the Rochester Theater Organ Society and the University of Rochester's world renowned Eastman School of Music to take place at Rochester's Auditorium Theater.
Since 2007 this ground-breaking event has presented ESM students and their instructors in concert on the famed RTOS - Grierson 4/23 Wurlitzer as part of our yearly concert series each February as these aspiring organists strike out beyond their usual regimen of classical organ studies to explore the joys of Theatre Organ performance in an authentic setting before an audience that thrives on the music of the Mighty Wurlitzer. In the fall of 2006, Jon Ortloff, then an ESM student, with the encouragement of the ESM organ department's David Higgs and William Porter brought the idea to RTOS where it took root and has grown into an annual event that each year exposes more and more people who we would normally never reach to the thrills of theatre organ music. Capping an unprecedented three day weekend Pipedreams Live event last year, American Public Media's Michael Barone presided as Eastman faculty and students brought down the house before a cheering audience of nearly 1200.
This year, led by Professor Porter and Doctoral candidate David Baskeyfield no less than eight performers are spending long hours braving the unheated theater to hone their skills as each prepares for his or her opportunity to experience the thrill of applause as they put their skills to the test.
David Higgs, Chairman of ESM's organ department, is currently spearheading an effort to expand interest in theatre organ performance at Eastman and has a stated goal of establishing a certificate course in its instruction making use of the two RTOS Wurlitzer organs and eventually acquiring and installing a suitable theatre pipe organ at the school as a teaching and practice instrument. Admittedly an ambitious and long term endeavor, success will go a long way toward ensuring a bright future for our instruments and performers.
Russ Shaner - February 9, 2010
Two films are left in 2010 of the Yannitell Memorial Concert/Film Series at The Historic Palace Theatre in Marion, OH. Also part of the series were two films in fall 2009.
April 25, 2010 at 3:00 PM
Charlie Chaplin in "Easy Street" and "The Kid"
June 13, 2010 at 3:00 PM
Harold Lloyd in "Girl Shy"
Renowned theatre organist, and friend to Yannitell, Dennis James will play the accompaniment to the films on the 3/10 Wurlitzer.
The Wurlitzer was installed in 1976 by the late Tom Yannitell who had a lifetime interest in theatre organs and the Palace Theatre. The theatre is one of John Eberson's smaller atmospheric theatres. It originally had a Page organ.
Web Journal Editor & Palace Theatre Staff - January 8, 2010