Reginald New
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Reginald New (April 1902, in Lewisham, Kent – 28 November 1958, in Beckenham, Kent[1]) was a popular UK theatre organist whose career spanned the 1920s through to the 1950s.
Career
[edit]New was first a chorister and then assistant organist at St George's, Catford[2] later organist at Christ's Church, Chislehurst [2] before he became a cinema organist.[2] When cinemas started using organists to accompany silent pictures, New was among the pioneers at various London cinemas in 1920.[2] On 28 November 1929 he made his first BBC radio broadcast from the Beaufort Cinema, Washwood Heath, Birmingham.[3] After broadcasting 468 times,[2] he transferred to the Regal Cinema at Kingston-on-Thames in 1933 making another 200 broadcasts[2] from there.[4]
In 1932, New attended the opening of the Broadway Theatre, Catford, Lewisham alongside the then Duke of York and future King George VI.[5] New did a demonstration on the Broadway Theatre Compton organ.[6]
He often gave concerts on the Cheltenham Town Hall organ and broadcast from there on 8 December 1935.[2] In August 1940 he was appointed organist of the Regal Cinema, Beckenham.[2] New was unique in that he used two signature tunes - signing in with "Jolly Good Company" and signing out with "Old Father Thames".[2][7] During his time at Dartford, he composed the "Dartford March".[2] This became a soldiers' marching tune and was sung by many who came back from Dunkirk.[2] Reginald New made over 800 broadcasts in his career.[2]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Find a will | GOV.UK". probatesearch.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- ↑ Wills Cigarette cards
- ↑ Birmingham History Forum
- ↑ "London, Broadway Theatre – The Cinema Organ Society". Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "Catford Broadway Theatre". taylor-hammond.com. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ Cinema Treasures
