The Henley and District Theatre Organ Trust is a charity founded in 1971 with support from The Rotary Club of Henley on Thames. The late Gordon Mintern who was manager of the Regal cinema and a Rotarian, was appointed Chairman and his late wife Dorothy was Secretary.
Originally the organ in the Regal Cinema in Henley was used for regular Sunday concerts. The inaugural concert by the late Reginald Dixon attracted some 1,200 visitors to the town.
In the same year several recordings were made with the BBC and various film Producers with some top named stars. When the Regal Cinema closed in 1986 the original organ went to a museum in Norfolk.
Henley Town Council, with the support of Waitrose who bought the site, installed a dual purpose, state of the art Allen MDR3 organ in the Town Hall, where the Sunday musical afternoons have been held ever since, in the magnificent main hall.
Over the years these concerts have provided great entertainment and much enjoyment to local people, while also raising money for charities such as the Air Ambulance, Sue Ryder and The Mayor’s Christmas Party. The organ has become a great asset to the Town Hall, where it is used for The Mayor’s Christmas Party, Tea Dances and Remembrance Services. As a result of the Trust’s hard work, Henley Town Hall has become one of this country’s leading venues.
The Trust’s objectives are:
- to preserve one of the finest theatre organs in the country
- to raise funds for other local charities through running profitable concerts
- to provide much needed musical entertainment for the diverse local population
The Trust is a registered charity, 268161, run by a dedicated group of local volunteers. The current President of the trust is Robert Wolfe and Chairman is David Rusman, whom you can contact on 0118 972 4988 or email davidrusman@cooksutton.co.uk