Peter is a classically trained pianist and became interested in the organ and learned to play it from his Father, cinema organ enthusiast Ron Hammond. In his teens Peter, now aged 44, went on to developed a strong interest in jazz and subsequently became a jazz pianist in his own right. He has been a performing jazz artist on piano, electric piano and more recently Hammond organ for some 24 years and has worked with the likes of Guitar ace Jim Mullen, sax maestro Dave O'Higgins and international saxophone star Andy Sheppard, whose band he was in during the 1980s.
Peter's interest in pipe organs and cinema organs was rekindled when he saw advertised and then bought a vintage 1938 Hammond BC in 2001. This led to the discovery of and being involved with the Rochford Compton at the Red Brick Bard which used to be in his own home town of Hadleigh, Essex, and which his Father used to play in the 1960s when it was still in the Kingsway cinema. Peter's interest in not only playing cinema organs but also maintaining and restoring them continued to grow.
In 2005 he formed HWS Associates with other like-minded colleagues and under this banner has initiated the restoration of the Catford 'Broadway Theatre' Compton, which is now playable after many years of neglect. In the Summer of 2005 he was approached to restore the Compton at the Cameo Regent, which is now part of Westminster University. The organ is now almost entirely renovated after some 10 years of silence.
Approaches and proposals have also been submitted by Peter for the restoration of the Regal Uxbridge Compton and the Battersea Arts Centre Hope-Jones organ.

HWS Associates are also undertaking church organ projects and have just finished work on a small Victorian tracker action example, having enhanced its specification with the addition of 13 new digitally generated ranks and added thumb pistons.

Photograph © P. Hammond