The Organist Entertains is a long-running music programme broadcast 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...

 presented by Nigel Ogden

Nigel Ogden

Nigel Ogden is an organist and radio broadcaster in the UK who presents The Organist Entertains on BBC Radio 2. Inspired by theatre organists 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...

. 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 organ

Hammond organ

The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...

s around the United Kingdom and the rest of the world.

The programme has been running as a weekly feature on Radio 2 since 1969 and was presented by Robin Richmond until Nigel Ogden took over in 1980. In his absence, the programme is sometimes guest presented by Blackpool Tower organist Phil Kelsall

Phil Kelsall

Phil Kelsall MBE ALCM is an English theatre organist who has been principal organist at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom since 1977...

.

External links

• The Organist Entertains website