Bob Mitchell, one of the  longest-lived and best-known members of the Los Angeles Chapter AGO, passed away on Saturday, July 4, 2009 at age 96. Robert Bostwick Mitchell was born in Sierra Madre near Los Angeles and studied organ with Ernest Douglas, the founding dean of this chapter. Bob was one of few to have passed all five of the Guild's certification exams, and at age 18 was the youngest person to be named a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists. He served as dean of this chapter in 1970-1972, and was later named an Honorary Life Member. He was also one of few theater organists surviving from the era of silent movies. Until shortly before his death, Bob could still be heard several times each month accompanying films at the Silent Movie Theatre in Los Angeles.

A tribute to Bob Mitchell took place at the noonday recital at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles on Thursday, August 13. Several of Bob's friends and colleagues participated in this program on one of the world's largest pipe organs, which Bob himself had played on numerous occasions.

"May the time not be distant when no organist will play without tremulant."

- Bob Mitchell

Photos

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Links

Information, articles, photos, and videos of Bob Mitchell on this and other websites:

Honorary Life Member of this chapter (more biographical information)
Remembrance and photo and the legacy of Bob Mitchell (pdf)
Los Angeles Times Obituary: Bob Mitchell dies at 96
Los Angeles Times Blog post: Original Dodger Stadium organist passes away
Los Angeles Times Blog post: Services for theater organist Bob Mitchell
The Signal (Santa Clarita Valley newspaper) The final note for Newhall fixture
Silent Movie Theatre Bob Mitchell (1912-2009)
Hidden Los Angeles RIP - Local Legend Bob Mitchell, 96
Los Angeles Theatre Organ Society 2005 article: Bob Mitchell, a Los Angeles original
YouTube Includes videos of Bob
Mitchell Choirboys Includes early photos of Bob and his choir
Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Reminiscences

"Bob was a remarkable person whose wit and kindness brightened everywhere he went. His incredible recollection of amazing contacts with movie stars, other musicians and the many boys whom he worked with will be truly missed by all who knew him. An awesome era of an amazing man and his accomplishments has come to a close."  - Manuel Rosales, Dean, Los Angeles Chapter AGO

"Truly, truly a loss for us, as he was a vibrant champion for the organ and the LA AGO. Although more frail than usual the last time I saw him, I had no idea he would be leaving us this soon."  - John West

"Bob was sitting backstage at our J. B. Consort performance in January of 1972 at the Mark Taper, and was so very complimentary of my work. Then we saw him play for a screening of a Chaplin short at Hollywood High School in connection with a concert honoring my father a few years back, and had a nice chat there. What a guy. Ever young. Hard to forget. He experienced the 'Golden Age' of Hollywood - as did I."  - John Biggs (son of Richard Keys Biggs)

"What a sweet man and truly the end of an era!"  - Gregory Norton

"He was a wonderful man and I will pray for him."  - Anthony Newman

"Sad to see such a sweet and kind man go. But he had a full life, and isn’t it just like Bob to go out in style on a 4th of July."  - Christoph Bull

"Bob was such a good and supportive friend. He never missed one of my local concerts. I will remember him fondly and celebrate with others his long and productive life."  - Robert Tall

"My family and I were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our dear friend Bob Mitchell.
     While Bob was connected to people and music of all persuasions, he loved being and playing at Sinai [Temple in Westwood]. Thirty five or more years ago, I watched Bob play the Robert Morton [organ] at Sinai when Erwin Jospe was on vacation. I stood off to the side, and watched in awe as he played and conducted the quartet. Bob became my friend, confidant, supporter and mentor. He played for my wedding and watched my daughters from birth, grow to mature beautiful young women.
     This past Saturday was the 4th of July. I felt that we should sing something special at Services, so I asked if we could sing 'America the Beautiful'. I stood on the pulpit and explained to the congregation that Bob Mitchell had created this special arrangement 25 years ago when the Heritage Mosaic Wall was to be unveiled at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park. The General Manager had asked for a 'special arrangement of America the Beautiful and that it sound Jewish.' I called Bob, who delighted at the idea, and said I'd have an arrangement the following week. I did indeed get the arrangement complete with 'Warner Bros. coda' and 'offensive ethnic ending' in parentheses (instead of 'from sea to shining sea', he wrote, 'for every wand'ring Jew'). Of course, this was a tongue-in-cheek joke (so typical of Bob's sense of humor!) for us to see and laugh about, and this past Saturday morning the congregation delighted in this rousing arrangement once again. It cannot be only coincidental that we thought of Bob this past Saturday morning, as he transitioned from this world.
     Many do not know that Cantor Carl Urstein, cantor of Sinai Temple from 1947 to 1972, taught Bob how to read Hebrew, and that Bob transliterated Hebrew into English for some of the arrangements he created. He also wore a watch with Hebrew letters instead of numbers.
     As long as I continue to play, Bob will live and breathe, as the organ continues to live and breathe as I use some of his techniques that have become a part of my style of playing.
     Long live the tremolos and crescendo pedal. May the memory of Bob Mitchell forever be a blessing to all who knew him."  - Aryell Cohen

"Oh, how I wish I could be there to honor his legacy!"  - Geraldine Biggs McGrath (daughter of Richard Keys Biggs)

"Bob was certainly one-of-a-kind, and a truly dear soul. He was very gracious to Mike and me one evening when he invited us to a silent movie which he accompanied expertly and effortlessly! We will miss his smiling face at so many of the Los Angeles recitals."  - James Buonemani

"It was a pleasure and a privilege to witness someone who wasn't just a master at his craft, but was a human portal to another time. There will be wonderful silent [movie] musicians continuing the tradition of live, improvised accompaniment, but [with Bob] there was a certain unforgeable authenticity that comes from not simply recreating another time, but being of it. Bob's entire musical background and earliest memories lent a texture to his performance that was quite unique; his musical quotations, his sense of humour, his reference points were all of the era. He knew and remembered the songs and themes that were contemporaneous with the films he accompanied, and would weave them into the scores at natural points."  - The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre

"It's fascinating to realize that when Bob was born in 1912, the Los Angeles Chapter AGO was just two years old, so he lived most of its history as well as having studied with its founding dean, Ernest Douglas. What a pity that Bob won't be here to celebrate the chapter's centennial in 2010 - or his own a few years later. May we all live so long."  - Vincent Verga