Brian Sharp Musical Breaks

Brian Sharp is probably the most well-known organist in the UK. His career spanning over fifty years, has encompassed all aspects of the Theatre and Electronic Organ World.

His professional career started at Dudley Hippodrome as an organist in variety shows and reviews, and following an enforced break for National Service in the RAF he secured a summer residency at the Embassy Ballroom in Skegness with the winter months being spent at the up market La Reserve theatre restaurant in Sutton Coldfield where he accompanied big name cabaret stars like Des O'Connor, Frankie Vaughan and The Beverley Sisters. Brian's musical reputation soon spread and he was in great demand for Radio broadcasts on the BBC Light Programme in the Midlands during the 1960's.

Brian appeared on the popular Charlie Chester music show for twenty years, made other frequent appearances on Radio 2 and was part of the house band for the illustrious Pebble Mill at One and Saturday Night at the Mill BBC television shows throughout the 70s, where he cemented his reputation as a musical director, working with stars like Roy Orbison and Gene Pitney.

Brian was a pioneer of the art of generating authentic string sounds from electronic organs and because of his unique sound his many solo tours during the early 1970s were often billed as showcases by organ companies, such as Hammond, Lowrey and Bentley. Particularly in Japan, Brian would receive star treatment as one of the day's top organists when he would make extended tours playing the Kawai organ in front of thousands of fans.

Brian enjoys enormous respect from his fellow organists for his superb arangement and orchestration skills, which are clearly demonstrated when you listen to any of his recordings.

In the 1980's Brian was offered a residency at Sandford Park in Dorset, where his love for the theatre organ was re-ignited and he spent fifteen years delighting holiday audiences on the Christie, piano and various electronic instruments.

On the following pages you will find details of Brian's Musical Breaks for this year.

You can print booking forms for the Bournemouth Festivals from the appropriate pages.

You can see the fun we had at previous festivals on the Videos page. For those who were not there, at the 2009 Tinsel and Turkey Rosalie 'proposed' to Brian, so it was the natural consequence that the following year they should get married. Colin Ford had a particularly busy time as Vicar and Organist. The result was hilarious! The fun continued at the Christening the following year as you will see from the second video.

You can email us from the contact us page or call us on the following numbers:

Margaret Ross 01202 888482
George Ingley 01384 274500
Swift Music 0117 968 8427