Organ in the firing line

MY wife and I have just been to a concert given by Worthing Symphony Orchestra at the Assembly Hall, Worthing.

I wonder how many people know that this hall is one of the best halls in the country for acoustics. It knocks the multi-million-pound Brighton Dome into a cocked hat.

A part of the concert was the Organ Symphony by Saint Saëns. This included the wonderful Wurlitzer organ which resides in the hall. It is unique in the whole of Europe. The conductor told us that the Organ Society had been given notice to remove it.

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Which vandals are ready to destroy the heritage not only of Worthing, but also this part of Sussex? I gather that the Worthing theatres are again under threat.

Brighton managed to save the Dome by handing it over to a charity. Why cannot Worthing do the same? Some years ago, I visited the Winter Gardens in Bournemouth. Although not built as a concert hall, it had, by accident, the most wonderful acoustics for music and was home of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

The local council decided to sell the building and build a new arts centre at Poole. The orchestra moved and the acoustics in the new building were terrible.

So, people of Worthing and its environs should make sure that their heritage is preserved.

Brian Coomber

councillor

St Nicolas ward

Buckingham Road

Shoreham-by-Sea

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