Blackpool Tower Organist's Message

[papadeedee]

Back in 2015, I filmed a couple of tunes at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom and posted them on You Tube. I just recieved a very blunt message from one of the organists. I had not seen any signs requesting not to video. I answered him back with a similar tone to the one he used to me. I did however write to Phil Kelsall

Message: Dear Mr Kelsall, I had a lovely time at The Tower Ballroom back in July 2015. I videoed of couple of tunes and posted them on YouTube. I am totally amazed that Mr Chris Hopkins has asked me to remove these videos. I will of course remove them. As an organ enthusiast, I thought by posting them that I was actually promoting the ballroom. I must apologise to yourself if I have erred. Mr Hopkins message has alas spoiled my memories and sadly I don't feel inclined to ever return to the famous ballroom.
Yours sincerely,
BrianDeery...................................................................................

Dear Mr. Deery,
Thank you for your email to Phil Kelsall who has asked me to reply to you on his behalf. The question of filming organists in the Tower Ballroom has always been a difficult one and for a number of years now there have been notices displayed in the ballroom to the effect that people wishing to film organists need the permission of the organist in question. With the increased use of new technologies this includes the use of social media/YouTube etc. as well as conventional video cameras.
I don't know whether or not you had obtained Chris Hopkin's consent to film him and post the clip on YouTube but if not then that would explain why he requested its removal. I am sure that you acted with the best of intentions and it is nice to know that your intention was to promote the music being played in the ballroom. Naturally, Phil hopes that this incident will not deter you from visiting the Tower Ballroom in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Alan M. Greenhalgh,
Manager to Phil Kelsall MBE

[Hugh-AR]

Hi Brian,

I'm sorry to hear this story. It must certainly have left a nasty taste in the mouth, and I can quite understand how you felt.

At our organ club we have various professional 'Artistes' play for us. Our club has a 'camcorder' which points at the upper/lower manual of the organ they are playing (rather like you have done with your video uploads recently) and this image is projected onto a large screen so we can all see everything the performer does as he/she plays. This means that the performer can sit with with his/her back to us (in which case we can see some of what they are doing anyway); or they can play 'facing us' as we can still see what their hands are doing on the screen. Most play with their backs to us, and it is really great to have that screen image as well. In fact, if we didn't do that I don't think I would be bothered to go to watch these artistes play. I remember once, the camcorder packed in and we didn't get the screen image. We all felt we had been 'robbed'!

I asked the secretary of our club (who sets all this up) if he asks the artistes if they mind him doing this, and he said, "Never". Nothing is ever mentioned about it, and there certainly aren't any notices up about recording. Our venue is a football club! And he does have to actually record everything, as if he doesn't the camcorder switches itself OFF after 15 mins if it is 'inactive' (ie. not recording), such is the efficiency of modern technology.

He did say to me that he didn't go as far as putting any of it up on YouTube as he wasn't sure about Copyright. And I suppose another issue could be the 'quality' of any recording, particularly the sound, as eg. if it was only in Mono it would not give a true representation of what was played and the artiste would not be a happy bunny.

But I am surprised that you had a personal email asking you to take it down. There are plenty of examples of 'home recordings' of Concerts etc. on YouTube, and I thought YouTube had their own procedures for dealing with Copyright material, as I have explained in my posting entitled:

Content ID in Videos uploaded to YouTube.

viewtopic.php?f=317&t=5445

I feel that this matter should have been dealt with between YouTube and the Artiste concerned, as explained in my posting. If it had been YouTube who had asked you to take it down due to Copyright reasons then I suspect you would have felt differently about it. I am just waiting for someone to say that no organist or keyboard player can post anything anywhere (eg. to Box, SoundCloud or YouTube) unless it is their own composition. Then all we would be able to do would be to play to ourselves at home.

Hugh

PS. Phil Kelsall has been one of the Artistes at our club recently.