Address |
40 Brooklyn Ave |
Phone |
0190 3502 493 |
iain.flitcroft@btinternet.com |
|
Iain was born in Preston, Lancashire. The family loved music and Iain quickly expressed a desire to play the piano. Lessons began at the age of 6 and by the age of 15, Iain had passed all 8 Grades with the Royal School of Music. At the age of 10, Iain joined the church choir and was enthralled by the sound of the pipe organ. So at the age of 12 having reached Grade 6 on the Piano, Iain was regularly deputising for church services and by 16 was organist and choirmaster of his own church, St Paul's Faringdon, Preston. As a Christmas present Iain was given an LP of William Davies playing the Granada Kingston Wurlitzer. This was followed by a trip, with parents to Blackpool Tower and an Organist Association visit to the Paramount Organ Studios in Bolton. By the end of this, Iain was hooked on the sound of the Theatre Organ. Iain's Father was determined to find the best possible teacher and contacted Ernest Broadbent in Blackpool. Ernest had retired a couple of years earlier as Resident Organist at the Tower Ballroom where he had taken over from Reginald Dixon. Ernest agreed to take Iain on as a pupil. Iain eventually spent three years playing for First Leisure in Blackpool on the piers, In the Winter Gardens and, of course, in the world famous Tower Ballroom.
Since then, Iain has played virtually all of the theatre organ venues in the UK as well as regular concert trips to Holland. In 1989, Iain moved to Worthing, West Sussex. Since then, he has been resident organist at the famous Worthing Wurlitzer playing for concerts, dances and civic functions from Mayor's Banquets to Town Twinning Ceremonies and College Graduations.
Events at Worthing regularly involve working with the likes of the Joe Loss Orchestra, Worthing Symphony, Vera Lynn, Ken Macintosh, Eric Delany
Photograph © I. Flitcroft