Reginald New

Career

New was first a chorister and then assistant organist at St George's, Catford later organist at Christ's Church, Chislehurst before he became a cinema organist. When cinemas started using organists to accompany silent pictures, New was among the pioneers at various London cinemas in 1920. On 28 November 1929 he made his first BBC radio broadcast from the Beaufort Cinema, Washwood Heath, Birmingham. After broadcasting 468 times, he transferred to the Regal Cinema at Kingston-on-Thames in 1933 making another 200 broadcasts from there. He was subsequently organist of the State Cinema, Dartford for four years from 1936. He often gave concerts on the Cheltenham Town Hall organ and broadcast from there on 8 December 1935. In August 1940 he was appointed organist of the Regal Cinema, Beckenham. New was unique in that he used two signature tunes - signing in with "Jolly Good Company" and signing out with "Old Father Thames". During his time at Dartford, he composed the "Dartford March". This became a soldiers' marching tune and was sung by many who came back from Dunkirk. Reginald New made over 800 broadcasts in his career. The Compton organ from Washwood Heath was subsequently removed in 1937 and placed in the Abbey Road studios where it was recorded by Fats Waller.