EOA

Desert Island Discs with Castaway Dr Emma Gibbins
2025-02-01 14:30 - 16:00 UTC | Broomfield Church Hall, Church Green, Broomfield, CM1 7BD
As we welcome Dr Emma Gibbins to her new role as Master of the Music at Chelmsford Cathedral, and to membership of the Association, we were delighted that she agreed to be the castaway for a Desert Island Discs event, with a very good attendance from members. Emma has both a background in cathedral music and engineering and, in the style of Desert Island Discs, chose her significant music tracks and shared a little of her own life journey, which led to Chelmsford Cathedral! As Lauren Laverne was unable, EOA President Philip Prior hosted and guided Emma through sharing her life journey to Chelmsford!

Bloomsbury Organ Day
2025-01-25 12:30 - 19:30 | Bloomsbury Central Baptish Church
Bloomsbury Organ Day at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church. Do see https://organistsonline.org/bloomsbury/ for more information and tickets.

Bring and share choral music workshop
2025-01-18 14:30 - 17:00 | St Mary the Virgin, Shenfield, Hall Lane, Shenfield, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9AL, United Kingdom
One of the goals of this event was to encourage those working with small or inexperienced choirs and singers to explore new repertoire and gain support on choir training and conducting. All participants had the chance to conduct the choir and receive some helpful tips and feedback from both EOA President Philip Prior (Director of Music, St James the Great, Colchester) and EOA Committee Member, Jonathan Lilley (Director of Music, Waltham Abbey). The choir was made of the handful members of the Association who attended the event and allowed music for SATB down to unison to be included. The church’s fine 3 manual and pedal organ recently rebuilt by Andrew Stevens) was used excellently for accompaniment.

Afternoon composite recital at Old Independent URC Church, Haverhill
2024-11-02 14:30 - 17:00 | Old Independent URC Church, Haverhill, CB9 8EF
Your committee was delighted to accept an invitation from the EOA Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and Membership Secretary, Dr Michaela Cottee, for EOA members to take part – as players or audience members – in her 60th birthday celebration composite recital at the Old Independent Church in Haverhill (where the EOA’s AGM took place in 2022). Michaela invited some excellent players from the Association, including EOA President Philip Prior, former President Gillian Ward-Russell, committee member Lyndon Ford, members Krystian Kaniecki and David Parry-Smith, as well as organist friends from outside the Association, including Roger Carter, Philip Luke, Timara Easter, Andrew Garfath-Cox, and Tony Dunn. The varied repertoire showed off the church’s excellent 41 stop, 3 manual and pedal J.J. Binns organ to its best!

3 day extended visit to play organs in Bath
2024-10-01 00:00 - 2024-10-31 00:00 | Essex
With the help of Dr Dave Hyatt who has known the organs of Bath all his life, EOA Vice Chairman and Treasurer, Dr Michaela Cottee organised a very varied three day extended visit to the city of Bath and its environs for EOA Members and friends. It included visits to the two churches at Bathwick, the Victorian Gothic-style Christ Church, Manvers Street Baptist Church and Holy Trinity in Bradford-upon-Avon, the wonderful Klais organ at Bath Abbey and the huge Compton organ of Downside Abbey.

All day visit to organs in Woodbridge and Orford
2024-09-21 | Essex
A handful of keen members of all ages began our all day visit to coastal Suffolk in the market town of Woodbridge, at the historic (and former Abbey) church of St Mary’s, Woodbridge. This impressive medieval flint church boasts a very good parish church choir to supplement its Anglo-Catholic liturgy, and St Mary’s is very fortunate to have recruited James Davy (formerly of Chelmsford Cathedral) as its Director of Music at the beginning of 2024. The organ was originally built in 1886 by Monk as a 3 manual and pedal instrument,
replacing an earlier gallery organ, and then reduced to 2 manuals and pedals by Bishops of Ipswich in 1976, with a detached console, with further additions by Bishop & Sons in 1989 (inc. Tuba, Clarinet, Pedal Bombarde). In 2005 – Bishop moved the console to its rather distant position in the East End of South Aisle as part of reordering of East End, when a Pedal 32ft Contra Bass added. James demonstrated the organ after which members had plenty of time to explore this fine instrument, which is currently undergoing restorative care work and tuning from Andrew Stevens.
A few minutes away was the beautiful village church of St Mary’s Parish Church, Great Bealings. Situated down a peaceful lane with fields and the river close by, this is an idyllic spot for a church. We were welcomed by the enthusiastic churchwarden who talked about the church and its history before unlocking the organ for us! This was one of those small instruments where “every stop counts” in the ensemble and makes a difference. Built in 1894 by the great northern builder, James Jepson Binns (or “Battleship Binns”) and untouched since, this superb little organ did everything you would expect it to and more. Despite only having 10 stops across 2 manuals and pedals (and nothing above 4 ft pitch) this organ more than comfortably filled the building from its West End position and was an absolute hidden gem to play, as those members who tried it soon discovered.
After an exceptionally good pub lunch at the Kings Head pub in Orford, we ventured a short walk to the parish church of St Bartholomew’s, Orford. Although the Director of Music Graeme Kay had joined us briefly over lunch, he was unable to be with us in the church, and we were pleased that the Organist Adrian Nicholson was able to host us there. The stunning 3 manual and pedal Classical style organ was originally built in 1977 by Peter Collins for Turner-Sims Concert Hall, Southampton University. Whilst there, it was an instrument which never settled properly to its surroundings. In 2019, after much discussion and wrangling between church and diocese, it was installed here by Cousans Organs, with some revoicing, and the original Brustwerk doors replaced with shutters and combination system upgraded. With 28 speaking stops it is very much in the North German style, but this does not limit what can be played on it to just that genre of repertoire. Everyone who played it thoroughly enjoyed its very responsive action, and soon discovered that the more inventive reached a wider range of additional colours possible from it. Clearly this time it has settled brilliantly into its new home. Along with excellent playing from Philip Prior, Jonathan Lilley, and Fay Hepworth, we were even treated to a Toccata & Fugue in D minor battle by members Chris Denney and Krystian Kaniecki, who had both chosen this infamous piece to play.
This was an excellent day’s playing in an area of Suffolk we have not visited before and our thanks to EOA President, Philip Prior, and James Davy for organising it so superbly for us.

Organ recital - Richard Brasie
2024-09-07 18:00 - 19:00 | St Georges’ Lutheran Church, 55 Alie Street, London, E1 8EB, United Kingdom
Richard Brasier (St George’s Lutheran Church, London)

Summer Picnic at Waltham Abbey
2024-08-10 13:00 - 17:00 | Waltham Abbey
Jonathan Lilley has kindly offered to host this year’s summer party as an afternoon/evening picnic, with members providing their own food and drink, at Waltham Abbey, using the Church Hall as a base and with the Abbey organ available for players. It will be a picnic style event (bring your own food) based around the Abbey’s Parish Hall but allowing us to meet in the Abbey grounds (if weather permits), so bring rugs and chairs to sit on as needed. Members, their families and non-members are very welcome to join us for this event! Please bring your own picnic food along with plates, cutlery etc – Jonathan will be kindly providing us with a variety of drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic! There will also be the chance for anyone who would like to play the Abbey Church’s 3 manual and pedal pipe organ and Piano. To cover costs of hiring the Parish Hall, there will be an opportunity for those attending to make a suggested donation of £5 each. Parking is available nearby on street or in nearby carparks. Please do email EOA Committee member, Jonathan Lilley as soon as possible if you would like to join us for this event, using jonathan.lilley@walthamabbeychurch.co.uk.

Organ Recital - Timothy Patient
2024-07-27 16:00 - 17:00 | St Peter & St Paul, 50 Church Street, Eye, IP23 7BD
Timothy Patient (St Peter & St Paul, Eye)

IAO Festival York
2024-07-25 - 2024-07-29 | York
For more details, please visit https://iao.org.uk/festival-invitation/.

All day visit to organs in Southend
2024-07-19 08:00 - 17:00 | Essex
Our newly elected Committee member and Minutes Secretary, Chris Denney has organised a day’s visits for us in Southend – somewhere which the EOA has not visited for many years, and we hope members will take advantage of this opportunity to play the organs at these churches in the bottom right corner of coastal Essex! The schedule (with travel in members’ cars) is as follows:
10.15am St Augustine’s, Thorpe Bay
11.30am Cornerstone United Reformed Church, Bournemouth Park Road
1pm Pre-booked Lunch at The Trading Rooms, Westcliff
2.30pm Kings Rd URC, Westcliff
The cost of this event is £10 for players and £5 for non-players or players under 18. Please email Chris Denney on chrisdenney1@gmail.com asap if you would like to join this event, giving details of whether you would like to book for lunch at The Trading Rooms.

“A Byrd in the Hand” a lecture-recital by Dr Richard Overill on the life and music of William Byrd at St Nicholas
2024-07-16 | St Nicholas Church, Chipping Hill, Witham, CM8 2JS, United Kingdom
In this, the 400th anniversary year of the death of the Essex composer, William Byrd (1540-1623), for our July event, EOA members were very pleased to be able to support EOA Member Dr Richard Overill’s lecture-recital, “A Byrd in the Hand”, at St Nicholas Church in Witham.

Organ recital - Krystian Kaniecki
2024-07-14 16:00 - 17:00 | St Francis RC Church, 90 Colchester Road, Halstead, CO9 2EW, United Kingdom
Krystian Kaniecki (EOA Student Member and organist of St Francis RC Church, Halstead)

Organ Recital - Will Warns
2024-07-14 15:00 - 16:00 | All Saints Church, Springfield Green, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 7HS, United Kingdom
Bastille Day organ recital with a French flavour – Will Warns (Felsted School)

The 74th AGM of the Association
2024-06-15 | Essex
Although only 5 EOA Members were able to attend the 2024 EOA AGM held in the Octagon Hall of St Mary’s Church, in Maldon to celebrate and review the Association’s year from 2023-2024, the meeting received full and inspiring reports from its President and Treasurer leaving no doubt about the secure financial state the Association is now to be found in, after a very successful year, with membership remaining at around 50 members. After the business part of the meeting, and tea and cakes provided by the church, it was a great pleasure to have Samuel Bristow (Assistant Organist, Chelmsford Cathedral) to play for our AGM recital this year, on the Klais organ of St Mary’s Church, Maldon. His North-German influenced programme showed off the colours of the organ and his excellent playing skills, honed at venues including Coventry, St Paul’s and Salisbury Cathedrals.

Visit to All Saints and St Andrew’s Churches, Hertford and Haileybury College
2024-05-04 | Essex

“Bring and Share organ music for Lent and Easter”
2024-03-23 | Essex
6 EOA members and friends accepted the invitation to bring along a couple of pieces with a Lenten or Eastertide theme to introduce, share, and perform on the fine organ 3 manual and pedal organ of St Peter’s Bocking, which offers much to the inventive player as provide a wide palette of colours needed for range of organ schools. There was a huge range of styles and periods shown in the choice played. Everyone encountered some new seasonal pieces which they hadn’t heard before, as well as being reminded of some old favourites, and all were left with plenty of new ideas to add to their own repertoire and usefully include in services during Lent and Easter next year!

All day visit to organs in Halstead and Earl’s Colne
2024-02-24 | Halstead
Our day in visiting churches in the Colne Valley in North Essex, began at St Andrew’s Parish Church, Halstead, the medieval parish church of the town. We then moved to the next venue, just a few minutes away, St Francis RC Church, in Halstead. After lunch at the The Lion Pub, at Earls Colne, the party moved across the road to St Andrew’s Parish Church, Earls Colne. Everyone who participated enjoyed the day and the wide variety of organs we visited, and it was good to hear newer members taking to the organ bench as well.

Music Quiz Night at Broomfield Church Hall
2024-01-20 | Broomfield Church Hall, Church Green, Broomfield, CM1 7BD
Under the excellent quiz mastering of EOA Committee member, Jonathan Lilley, two teams (one from the EOA and one from Broomfield church led by its organist Jill Parkin) fought a very competitive quiz night at Broomfield Church Hall. Jonathan’s carefully put together quiz combined aspects and styles of several quiz styles. Rounds were wide-ranging, all involving listening to recordings or Jonathan’s excellent piano playing. Our thanks must go to Jonathan for all the time he put into organising what was an excellent event, with lots of fun and laughter as well as music!

Members’ Composite Recital at St James the Great, Colchester
2023-11-25 | St James the Great, CO1 2QB
Four EOA members accepted the invitation to perform a wide variety of pieces of their own choice to an appreciative audience of 20 people at St James the Great, East Hill, Colchester. All four players sounded comfortable playing on the very fine organ there, originally built in 1872 by Morten and Taylor and then reduced in size to 2 manuals & pedals when it was installed in St James the Great by J W Walker in 1954, to be followed by later tonal additions and changes by Cedric Arnold in 1970. Our thanks to Philip Prior for organising this exciting event for us and to those others who performed so well for us.

Extended visit to organs in the Portsmouth and Southampton area
2023-10-24 - 2023-10-26 | Essex
A handful of intrepid EOA members booked into the Holiday Inn in Portsmouth for a few days of friendship together as part of visits to an extremely wide range of pipe organs in Portsmouth and Southampton, all organised by EOA Committee member Lyndon Ford. We began on the afternoon of Tuesday 24th October, at Southampton Guildhall, with its unique 1937 John Compton organ, complete with two consoles: (one classical of 127 stops and one theatre organ of 196 stops), creating two very different large instruments in the same hall. After the Guildhall, we headed to the rather unusual parish church of St Faith’s, Lee on the Solent. On Wednesday morning, after breakfast, we walked to Portsmouth Guildhall, which has one of the last organs that the John Compton Organ Company built in 1963. From there, we drove out to St Mark’s Church, North End, a modern Anglo-Catholic church keeping a weekly choral tradition during Sung Mass, and then to the church of All Saints, Denmead. For our last day in Portsmouth, Lyndon had fixed for us to play the organs in the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St John’s, and the Anglican Cathedral of St Thomas. Our sincere and very grateful thanks must go to EOA Committee Member (and Hampshire resident!) Lyndon Ford for the incredible amount of time that organising such a visit takes, and for the wonderful range of playing opportunities which he arranged for us over the three days, with organs both classical and theatrical!

All day visit to organs in Basildon inc. St Martin’s
2023-09-20 | Basildon, SS14 1DX
We visited two very different venues for this all-day visit to the Basildon area, which yielded unexpected surprises for all both musical and architectural! Eight members took part in the event. First was St Michael’s Fobbing which is a lovely medieval church, overlooking the modern Thames Gateway development by the River Thames. Daryl East hosted our visit here in the morning, and very kindly provided refreshments. After an excellent lunch at The White Lion in Fobbing we drove to the large modern church of St Martin of Tours, in central Basildon, designed as part of the development of the new town, by Sir Walter Tapper. Along with generous playing time, and more excellent refreshments, we were able to visit the chambers of the newly installed chancel organ with its interesting array of pipework. Our thanks to EOA Committee member Andrew Stevens for organising an excellent and fascinating day for players and non-players alike.

Summer Party
2023-08-05 | Colchester
We were very grateful to EOA President Philip Prior and his girlfriend, Emma, for hosting this year’s summer party at their house in central Colchester. 10 EOA members and friends joined together for what was a very enjoyable time of good food, drinking, chatting and friendship. In true tradition for a summer party it rained, precluding us from sitting outside. Nonetheless, Philip and Emma had provided a varied hot and cold buffet for us to consume and the G & Ts and wine flowed around the dining table as well. Some members also tried out Philip’s 3 manual & pedal Viscount electronic organ in the organ studio. There was also a chance to bring and buy second hand organ music in aid of our Christopher Kingsley Fund for Young Organists. Bargains were to be had, and so this is something which your committee has decided that will carry on at future events: see details in separate section below. Our thanks to Philip and Emma for their hospitality in hosting this year’s summer party.
