Nigel Ogden
Encyclopedia
Nigel Ogden is an organist
and radio broadcaster in the UK
who presents The Organist Entertains
on BBC Radio 2
. Inspired by theatre organ
ists such as Reginald Dixon
, he took up playing the organ at the age of 12, and was first heard on The Organist Entertains in 1972. In 1980, he took over as the regular presenter of the show.
Ogden regularly travels around the UK, playing concerts of popular light classical music on all types of organ.
He is at present the President of the singing group Cantates Domino, based at St Stephens on the Cliffs Church in Blackpool
.
Nigel started playing the organ when he was 12, having studied the piano for a number of years. His father was a church organist, so he says he had plenty of opportunity to find out about and discover the instrument for himself.
Nevertheless, it was the family trips to see Reginald Dixon at the Wurlitzer in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom that really got him hooked on the beauty of the instrument.
After training as a schoolteacher, Nigel endeavoured to get involved in the music business. His first job was that of a salesman/demonstrator in an electronic organ retail business in Hyde, Cheshire. Later he opened his own electronic organ business in Sale, Cheshire. It was during this time that he also started presenting 'The Organist Entertains'; a programme on which he'd featured many times as a player since 1972.
'The Organist Entertains' has been running as a regular weekly feature since 1969, following a pilot show in April that same year. Nigel took over as the regular presenter of the show, following the retirement of the programme's founder and first host, Robin Richmond.
When Nigel isn't presenting or preparing for the programme, he spends much of his spare time travelling around the country, playing concerts of popular light and light classical music on theatre organs and in churches, cathedrals and church halls.
Nigel hosted an anniversary concert at the Tower Ball Room, Blackpool in May 2009 which was very well received.
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
and radio broadcaster in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
who presents The Organist Entertains
The Organist Entertains
The Organist Entertains is a long-running music programme broadcast on BBC Radio 2 presented by Nigel Ogden. The 30 minute programme focusses on the organ in its many guises, and plays recordings and live broadcasts of theatre organs, pipe organs and Hammond organs around the United Kingdom and the...
on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
. Inspired by theatre organ
Theatre organ
A theatre organ is a pipe organ originally designed specifically for imitation of an orchestra. New designs have tended to be around some of the sounds and blends unique to the instrument itself....
ists such as Reginald Dixon
Reginald Dixon
Reginald Dixon MBE, ARCM, was an English theatre organist. He was best known as resident organist at the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool, where he played the Wurlitzer organ from 1930 until his retirement in 1970.-Biography:...
, he took up playing the organ at the age of 12, and was first heard on The Organist Entertains in 1972. In 1980, he took over as the regular presenter of the show.
Ogden regularly travels around the UK, playing concerts of popular light classical music on all types of organ.
He is at present the President of the singing group Cantates Domino, based at St Stephens on the Cliffs Church in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
.
Nigel started playing the organ when he was 12, having studied the piano for a number of years. His father was a church organist, so he says he had plenty of opportunity to find out about and discover the instrument for himself.
Nevertheless, it was the family trips to see Reginald Dixon at the Wurlitzer in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom that really got him hooked on the beauty of the instrument.
After training as a schoolteacher, Nigel endeavoured to get involved in the music business. His first job was that of a salesman/demonstrator in an electronic organ retail business in Hyde, Cheshire. Later he opened his own electronic organ business in Sale, Cheshire. It was during this time that he also started presenting 'The Organist Entertains'; a programme on which he'd featured many times as a player since 1972.
'The Organist Entertains' has been running as a regular weekly feature since 1969, following a pilot show in April that same year. Nigel took over as the regular presenter of the show, following the retirement of the programme's founder and first host, Robin Richmond.
When Nigel isn't presenting or preparing for the programme, he spends much of his spare time travelling around the country, playing concerts of popular light and light classical music on theatre organs and in churches, cathedrals and church halls.
Nigel hosted an anniversary concert at the Tower Ball Room, Blackpool in May 2009 which was very well received.