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BENEFITS
The reinstallation and restoration of this theatre organ will ensure the preservation, public education and increased awareness of the historical tradition of the theatre organ. This will be accomplished through regularly scheduled public performances of this significant musical instrument between movies and through a subscription concert series and other silent film festival events in the theater. This theater organ project will bring a new cultural enrichment to Lexington and Kentucky.
KMW-TOP, Inc. provided, at no cost to the Kentucky Theater Group, an electronic theatre organ and Jim Barton, theatre organist, for use in the Library Of Congress National Film Tour at the Kentucky Theater in December of 1995. Among the eleven newly restored film prints in the festival, two silent films, Sunrise and Within our Gates, were presented. These films were the first time a silent film with organ accompaniment has been experienced in the Kentucky Theater since 1928.
On February 14, 1999, KMW-TOP, Inc presented the "Kings of Instruments" concert at the Singletary Center for the Arts on the campus of the University of Kentucky in Lexington. The concert featured organist Tom Hazleton, performing on the Center’s 5/90 Moller classical organ and the Allen Organ Company’s MDS-317 digital theatre organ in the 1500 seat concert hall. The program presented a variety of classical, show tunes and popular music.
On April 27, 2000, KMW-TOP, Inc celebrated the "Golden Age of the Kentucky Theater" with a series of events in honor of the 1922 historic theater in downtown Lexington. Organist Jim Barton, Ohio Valley Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society provided silent accompaniments and concerts during the day-long celebration. Two middle school programs featuring the silent Laurel & Hardy classic "Liberty" and a concert were enjoyed by approximately 1,100 students. The celebration concluded with D. W. Griffith’s classic "Broken Blossoms" with theatre organ accompaniment, followed with a delightful concert. The Allen Organ Company provided the George Wright "Signature Series" GW319 digital theatre organ for the programs.
A MIDI Sequencer Computer, to be installed as part of this project, will allow recording and playback of actual theatre organists and their performances, including all the subtleties of their playing. These recorded performances will allow mini-concerts to be performed between each movie shown in the theater, an experience unavailable anywhere in the state of Kentucky. These discs will become portion of the ongoing historic performances documentation for this instrument and will be preserved for archival use.
KMW-TOP, Inc. will provide and promote a silent film festival each year in the Kentucky Theater. This festival will be for public education, public entertainment, and public demonstration of the 1920-30 film experience. This film festival will showcase vintage silent motion pictures with theatre organ accompaniment and sound effects as produced by the theatre organ and organist(s).
Rev. 11/7/00