EOA

Organ recital by Philip Prior, St Augustine's Limbury, Luton
2025-08-05 12:15 - 14:15 UTC

All day visit to St Mary's, Dedham and Royal Hospital School, Holbrook
2025-07-19 10:00 - 17:00
In this joint visit with The Organ Club, organised by EOA Committee Member Andrew Stevens, we are delighted to be able to visit the large 2 manual and pedal Binns organ at St Mary’s Dedham, recently installed, as well as to be invited back to play the huge 4 manual and pedal 1933 Hill Norman and Beard organ in the Chapel of the Royal Hospital School, at Holbrook, near Ipswich. A pre-booked cooked lunch, provided by the school catering, is already included in the visit fee for this event which will be £20 per person. Given that the visit is taking place very soon, if you have not already booked a place on this visit it may be too late by the time you read this. To enquire about the availability of places, please email EOA Committee member Andrew Stevens using a.stevens50@btinternet.com. Note that a pre-booked cooked lunch, provided by the Royal Hospital School, is included in the visit fee for this event. If you have booked a place on this visit and have dietary requirements, please let Andrew Stevens know immediately so that he can let the School know.

Organ recital by Logan Williamson, Chelmsford Cathedral
2025-07-11 12:00 - 14:00

Organ recital by Dr Emma Gibbins (Chelmsford Cathedral) at St Edward's Parish Church, Romford
2025-06-28 16:00 - 18:00

Organ recital - Thomas Trotter, Birmingham City Organist (Thaxted Parish Church)
2025-06-28 12:00 - 14:00

Annual General Meeting with supporting attraction and start of 75th celebration year
2025-06-15 | Chelmsford Cathedral, Chelmsford, Essex
To mark the 75th anniversary of the re-founding of the Essex Organists’ Association (then known as the Chelmsford & District Organists’ Association) after the Second World War in June 1950, by the then Master of the Music at Chelmsford Cathedral, Dr Stanley Vann, this year’s Annual General Meeting took place at Chelmsford Cathedral and was followed by a special Choral Evensong and a meal at a nearby restaurant. The 75th Annual General Meeting, which took place in the Cathedral Chapter House, marked the end of Philip Prior’s seven-year Presidency of the EOA. Then came a special celebratory service of Choral Evensong, with the new EOA President, Dr Emma Gibbins – who is Director of Music at Chelmsford Cathedral – conducting, in the Cathedral at 3.30pm. This was followed by an informal drinks reception in the Cathedral to which all the congregation, choir members and clergy were invited. Samuel Bristow, Assistant Organist at Chelmsford Cathedral, played for the service. The concluding voluntary was the premiere of a new work composed by Sam, called “Essex Paean”. This work was specially commissioned by the EOA to mark the 75th Anniversary. A copy of this commission has been made available to current EOA members with this newsletter. At 5.30pm, 15 people, including the new EOA President Emma Gibbins, former EOA Presidents Philip Prior and Richard Brasier, and the composer Samuel Bristow, went for a group meal at a nearby Italian restaurant, Il Palazzo – a very sociable and enjoyable conclusion to a very special afternoon of music and celebration. Whilst thanks are due to everyone who attended or was involved in some capacity, particular thanks are owed to EOA Committee members Andrew Stevens and Michaela Cottee for organising the refreshments, to former President Philip Prior for making all the arrangements with the Cathedral and the restaurant, and to Samuel Bristow for his composition. Special thanks are owed to the new President Emma Gibbins who not only curated a wonderful musical service, but who also spent several hours making and icing special ‘organ stop’ biscuits which were enjoyed by the choristers, and others, after the service.

Organ recital by Philip Prior, St James' the Great, East Hill, Colchester
2025-06-03 13:00 - 15:00

IAO Eastern Regional Day at Our Lady and English Martyrs, and other venues in central Cambridge
2025-05-31
Following on from the IAO Eastern Region Organ Day based around French organ music in the liturgy, hosted by the Essex Organists’ Association in 2023 at Chelmsford Cathedral, this year’s IAO Eastern Region Organ Day, hosted by the Cambridge Organists’ Association, took place at the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the English Martyrs (OLEM) on the Hills Road in Cambridge. About 45 people were in attendance, including a pleasing number of EOA members. After registration and coffee, there was a brief introduction and welcome from the President of the Cambridge Organists’ Association, Charles Hall, and from the Director of Music at OLEM, Nigel Kerry. In the morning we were treated to a very interesting and thought-provoking Keynote Address prepared and presented by Alexander Berry, Director of Music at Great St Mary’s in Cambridge since 2023 and Director of Music at Bradford Cathedral before that, on the very important topic of working with young people and encouraging them in church music – both choral singing and organ playing – followed by a lengthy and wide-ranging Q&A session. In the afternoon, representatives from each of the participating Associations took part in a composite recital at OLEM. There were open console sessions during the lunch break and after the recital at three different venues, and the organ in OLEM was also available for people to play immediately after the recital.

Organ recital by Jonathan Scott, St Mary's Church, Dedham
2025-05-10 19:00 - 21:00 | St Mary’s Church, Dedham
Opening recital on the newly installed Binns organ by Jonathan Scott.

Organ recital - school staff and students (chapel of New Hall School, Chelmsford)
2025-05-01 19:00 - 21:00 | New Hall School

All day visit to village organs in the area to the east of Colchester
2025-04-12 10:00 - 17:00
On a lovely April day with super weather, a good number of members and friends visited three interesting and historic instruments at parish churches in Bradfield, Mistley and Ardleigh. At St Lawrence, Bradfield, John Barrow, the church’s organist, met us and talked about the organ that we see today. Originally a 3 manual and pedal instrument, it was rebuilt in 1964 by Cedric Arnold as a 2 manual and pedal organ. After a short drive, which included lovely views of the River Stour estuary, we arrived at our second venue of the day, the Georgian Church of St Mary and St Michael, Mistley, and after an excellent lunch at The Wooden Fender, Colchester Road, Ardleigh, we moved onto our final venue of the day, nearer into Colchester. This was the lovely medieval parish church of St Mary’s, Ardleigh, with very East Anglian flint exterior and excellent Victorian interior restoration. Our thanks to EOA Minutes Secretary, Chris Denney, with the help of his wife Nancy, for organising such a great day out for us, including arranging the wonderful food and weather!

Stainer's Crucifixion and music by Schubert, Howells, Purcell and Mendelssohn
2025-04-06 15:00 - 17:00 | Billericay Methodist Church
Musical Director: Ed Sutton; Organist: Philip Prior.

Organ recital - William Saunders (Chelmsford Cathedral)
2025-04-04 12:00 - 13:00 | Chelmsford Cathedral, Chelmsford, Essex

All day visit to organs in Reed, Standon and Ware, Hertfordshire
2025-03-29 10:00 - 16:00
A good number of our members drove the distance to Hertfordshire for this joint event organised by our colleagues in the Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Organists’ Association, to visit 4 very different organs that the EOA had not visited before. We began with a brand new 2 manual & pedal tracker organ built in 2024 by N P Mander of Canterbury in the small village church of St Mary’s, Reed, between Ware and Stevenage on the old Roman road. We then travelled to St Mary’s Church, Standon, a medieval church with an incredibly high chancel, dating from its earliest days. After an excellent and convivial lunch at The Star pub opposite the church, where members of both Association were able to socialise, we drove a few miles to the large market town of Ware for our afternoon visits – the Parish Church of St Mary’s and Christ Church. Our thanks to our colleagues in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Association for their excellent organisation of an excellent day out!

Organ recital - Jonathan Lilley (Waltham Abbey Church)
2025-03-19 13:15 - 14:30 | Temple Church, London, EC4Y 7HL

Organ recital - Claudia Grinnell (St Edmundsbury Cathedral)
2025-03-07 12:00 - 13:30 | Chelmsford Cathedral, Chelmsford, Essex

IAO London Organ Day
2025-03-01 10:00 - 17:00 | St Botolph’s Aldgate and St George’s German Lutheran Church
IAO London Organ Day at St Botolph’s Aldgate & St Georges’ German Lutheran Church. Details from https://iao.org.uk/london-organ-day/

Organ recital - Robert Poyser (Beverley Minster)
2025-02-12 13:00 - 14:30 | Lion Walk URC, Colchester

Organ recital - Andrew Caskie (Nicholson's Organ Builders & Assistant, Malvern Priory
2025-02-07 12:00 - 14:00 | Chelmsford Cathedral, Chelmsford, Essex

Desert Island Discs with Castaway Dr Emma Gibbins
2025-02-01 14:30 - 16:00 | 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
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
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
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.
