Doreen Chadwick

Doreen Chadwick (7 August 191826 June 2014) was a British pianist and theatre organist. She was known for being the organist at the Odeon and Gaumont cinemas in Manchester, broadcasting organ recitals on BBC Radio, including on The Organist Entertains, and for her performances in the US, Holland, and Britain.

Early life Doreen Chadwick was born on 7 August 1918 in Maesycoed, Pontypridd, Wales to father Wyndham Chadwick (20 June 1890 – 4 November 1955), an engine driver on the GWR, and mother Alice Maud (née Dagg, 6 June 1895 – 23 September 1970), a harmonium player. Chadwick, the eldest of her siblings, lived with her family in Rosser Street, Maesycoed, and attended Pontypridd Intermediate Girls' School.

Chadwick started playing the piano at the age of seven and, in January 1929, at the age of ten, she passed her primary grade in piano. However, her love of Reginald Dixon made her give up the piano and focus on the church organ, playing at the Parish Church in Pontypridd. She played the "straight" organ and carried on with lessons, taking her ALCM diploma at the age of 16. She practiced on a concert-type organ at the Palladium, Pontypridd.

After leaving school, Chadwick worked as a short-hand typist while continuing to train to be an organist. By 1930, the family had moved to Tel-el-Kebir Road, Hopkinstown, before settling in South Street, Abercynon, four years later, where her mother lived until her death in 1970.

In June 1935, at the age of 16, Chadwick won first prize for pipe organ solos at the Urdd Eisteddfod (the Annual Welsh-language youth festival) at Carmarthen.

On 8 June 1937, at the age of 18, Chadwick commenced a series of organ recitals which were broadcast on BBC Radio from St Catherine's Church, Pontypridd, becoming the youngest female organist to broadcast straight recitals. Chadwick gave her second recital on 21 May 1938 from St Catherine's Church.

Chadwick learned to play the cinema organ at the Castle Cinema, Merthyr Tydfil, under the tuition of Gene Lynn. She made three appearances per day, at 3 pm, 6pm and 9 pm, on the Compton Theatrone, each segment 20 minutes long. She then turned to electronic organs, and started playing a Hammond organ at the Lyons' Corner House in Tottenham Court Road, London, replacing organist Ena Baga. On Chadwick's days off, Baga would deputise for her. Chadwick continued in this role for 14 months, before leaving London. Chadwick then played the organ at the British Legion Club in Higher Blackley for 11 years, before she began to wind down her performing. In July 1981, she accompanied Cerys Hughes-Taylor at the Gaumont State Theatre in Hammersmith, to an audience of 3,500 including Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

She recorded a number of LPs, and made recordings on the Gaumont, Manchester, the Christie organ at the Regal, Edmonton, and the Wurlitzer in the Free Trade Hall, Manchester.

Chadwick's signature tune was called "Doreen", and composed by Tony Lowrey. She had over 200 broadcasters to her name and was nicknamed the "Princess of the Theatre Organ".

Personal life and death Chadwick married Leonard Wiles (26 January 1908 – 5 November 2006) in 1951 in Ealing, west London, before the couple settled in the north of England in 1952. Wiles was a bandsman in the 4th Hussars, playing clarinet and saxophone. Nigel Ogden presented a tribute edition of The Organist Entertains devoted to her, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in July 2014.