With the news of lessening Covid restrictions we hope that our events from August onwards will be live events where we can fully resume meeting in person.
As we begin to meet again together, there may be members who would like to join us but have transport difficulties. If this is the case for you, please do email the Association at organistassociation@gmail.com so that we can try to put you in touch with members attending events who may be able to help you with this.
Saturday 14th May - A visit to see, hear and play organs in Braintree & Bocking churches
In 1950, when the Chelmsford Association was reformed after the war, its first visit was to organs in Braintree. We had planned this visit to originally take place in 2020, but the Covid pandemic meant that this is the earliest we can run this event. We visit three churches in Bocking and central Braintree, with a pub lunch:
- St Mary’s Bocking - 2 manual & pedal Norman & Beard
- St Peter’s Bocking - 3 manual & pedal Gern, most recently rebuilt by Andrew Stevens)
- Our Lady, Queen of Peace RC Church - 2 manual & pedal, installed by Peter Wood.
Please email EOA Committee Member, Andrew Stevens, at a.stevens50@btinternet.com to book your place and your pub lunch on this trip.
Saturday 11th June - the 72nd Annual General Meeting including visits to Haverhill and Clare
Your committee have decided to try a new style of event and surround our 72nd AGM with visits to three organs in two churches in Suffolk, so that members will have the opportunity to see, hear and play as well as attend our AGM. As usual, all paperwork for the AGM will be sent out in a separate email at the beginning of June, but in time for you to read before the meeting. Travel will be in members’ cars and the schedule for the day is as follows:
- 10.30am St Peter & St Paul Church, High Street, Clare, CO10 8NY
The church’s Director of Music, David Musgrove, will meet us and demonstrate the organ, after which members will have plenty of time to play the organ and enjoy the church. 2 manual & pedal organ – Gray & Davison 1847 for St John, Charlotte St, London 1905 Speechly; Willis 1957; Bishops of Ipswich rebuilt in 1977, combining previous organ with pipework/soundboards from St Peter’s Ipswich; Trombone added later.
- 12 noon Pub Lunch at The Swan, 4 High Street, Clare CO10 8NY – must be pre-booked -1.30pm
- 2pm 72nd AGM at The Old Independent URC Church, Haverhill, C89 8EF
- 3pm-5pm Members’ playing time at The Old Independent Church.
The cost of this trip will be £10 for players and £5 for non-players. Please email EOA Committee Member Michaela Cottee at michaelacottee@gmail.com to book your place and your pub lunch on this trip. For all questions relating to the AGM part of this visit or to send apologies, please email organistassociation@gmail.com
Sat 16th July – All day visit to see, hear, and play organs in Gorleston & Lowestoft in Suffolk - a joint visit with The Organ Club
We are delighted to be joining with The Organ Club for a joint visit to Gorleston & Lowestoft to see, hear and play 4 very interesting organs. EOA Committee member Andrew Stevens is on The Organ Club committee, and we thank him for the idea of a joint visit. The schedule and preliminary organ details is as follows:
- 10:45am St Andrew’s Church, Church Road Gorleston, NR31 6LR - 3 manual & pedal Norman & Beard 1904, originally in St John’s Lowestoft before being dismantled and taken to Norwich R.C. Cathedral where it was never erected but was sold on to St Andrew’s Gorleston and installed there in 1979 by Wood Wordsworth.
- 12:30pm St John the Baptist, Church Lane, Lound, NR32 5LR - 2 manual & pedal Harrison & Harrison, 1913, recently overhauled by Boggis of Diss for which organ club President, Paul Hale, was advisor and who will talk about the recent works. The case is by Sir Ninian Comper.
- 2.30pm Our Lady Star of the Seas RC Church, Gordon Road, Lowestoft NR32 1NL - 3 manual & pedal Norman & Beard 1900 untouched.
- 5pm St Peter and St John Church, Rectory Road, Kirkley NR33 0ED - 4 manual & pedal – originally 2 manual & pedals Brindley and Foster 1881 enlarged to 4 manuals in the 1890s by Norman & Beard.
More information in the next newsletter, but travel will be by members’ cars – do consider car sharing for this trip – if you have a free space or spaces and are happy to give lifts between venues, please do let Andrew Stevens know as there may be some on the visit getting the train who would be glad of a lift around the churches. The cost of the day will be £10 payable by cash or card on the day please, not by BACs on this occasion, as The Organ Club will be handling all the finances for this trip. Please do book your place as soon as possible on this trip by emailing Andrew Stevens, at a.stevens50@btinternet.com.
Other EOA events in the pipeline for 2022 and 2023 for your diaries include:
- Sat 6th August – Summer Party at Ridgewell
- Mid-week in September Possible extended visit to organs in an English city Sat
- 1st or 15th October All day visit to organs near Great Bentley & St Osyth
Plans for 2023 include our rescheduled Extended visit to Paris and a joint organ day in Chelmsford Cathedral with members of the other Associations in our region.
Non-EOA Events
Events Promoted by Members
As we are gradually beginning to return to more active lives, please do remember to send your contributions to the list of organ recitals and concerts that you or your church are going to perform. With restrictions on the uses of churches being gradually lifted, it would be good if we can offer albeit a small number of organ recitals and related events to members and beyond through our website. Please send these to the EOA email address which is: organistassociation@gmail.com .
Friday 14th May 2022 at 7.30pm, St Bartholomew’s, Wickham Bishops
The Beacon Hill Ensemble (which includes our member Paul Strong) present “Music for a Spring Evening: from Bond to Beethoven” Tickets £12, email kathrynadkins@btconnect.com
Wednesday 18th May 2022 at 1pm, Brentwood RC Cathedral
Kelley Leung (Organ)
Sunday 29th May 2022 at 4pm, St Mary the Virgin, Shenfield
Philip Prior (St James the Great, Colchester) Programme of organ favourites. £5 admission on the door; under 18s and Essex Organ Academy members free.
Tuesday 7th June 2022 at 1pm, St James the Great, East Hill, Colchester
The Elite Quartet present a programme of popular classics for Strings.
Wednesday 8th June 2022 at 1pm, Lion Walk URC, Colchester
Michael Frith (Organ)
Friday 10th June 2022 at 12 noon, Chelmsford Cathedral
Adrian Gunning (St John’s RC Church, Islington)
Sunday 12th June 2022 at 4pm, St Laurence Church, Ridgewell
Lyndon Ford (Portsmouth) Jubilee recital with big screen, £10 inc. refreshments; email: michaelacottee@gmail.com
Sunday 12th June 2022 at 4pm, St Nicolas, Witham CM8 2JS
Richard Overill - A 450th anniversary celebration of Thomas Tomkins (1572 - 1656).
Tuesday 14th June 2022 at 1pm, Moot Hall, Colchester
William Saunders (Organ) including Elgar’s Organ Sonata
Rescheduled London Organ Day 2022 – Saturday 18th June – “Grand Vauxhall Organ Extravganza” at St Peter’s, Vauxhall
London Organ Day - The Incorporated Association of Organists (iao.org.uk)
Friday 1st July 2022 at 12 noon, Chelmsford Cathedral
Matthew Kelley (Organ Scholar, Chelmsford Cathedral)
Tuesday 12th July 2022 at 1pm, Moot Hall, Colchester
Stefan Donner (Vienna)
IAO Festival Friday 22nd – Tuesday 26th July 2022 in Edinburgh
Festival Invitation | The Incorporated Association of Organists (iao.org.uk)
RCO Summer Course - Monday 1st to Saturday 6th August
https://www.rco.org.uk/events/SC2022
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