Norfolk Organists' Association Events
For details of any of the future or past events below, please e-mail the Events Secretary.
All events are free for NOA Members (unless stated otherwise). There is an admission charge of £5 per head for non-members.
Forthcoming Events
Saturday 12th April 2025 at 11 a.m. - Visit to two organs in the Waveney Valley
11:00 Meet at St. Peter & St.Paul Church, Fressingfield IP21 5PE (Father Willis Organ from the Savoy Chapel, London).
12:15 to 13:30 Lunch
13:30 to 14:45 Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Redenhall, IP20 9QS (Holditch 1842). Location: The Lecture Room, Rosebery Road Methodist Church, Norwich, NR3 3AB Our
castaway this year is Dr. Ben Miller (Director of Music, St Mary's Church, Attleborough), interviewed by Ron Watson about his life
and selection of music. (A
joint venture between Aylsham Church and the N.O.A.) at Aylsham Parish Church,
Market Place Aylsham, NR11 6EH. 10
a.m. to 11 a.m. - Coffee Morning, followed by 11:15
p.m. to 12 noon Young Organists’ Recital.
Location: St
Cuthbert's Church Hall, Wroxham Road, Sprowston, Norwich, NR7 8TZ. For the last millennium, organists and organ builders have sought to make this inflexible concoction of wood and metal into an expressive musical instrument, often seeking inspiration from vocal and orchestral music. This talk looks at those influences and charts their development.
St
Cuthbert's Church Hall, Wroxham Road, Sprowston, Norwich, NR7 8TZ. Fish
'n' Chips followed by a quiz on general knowledge and music hosted by Chris Marshall. Bring
your own drinks, cutlery and condiments. 11:00 a.m. A.G.M. (Members only)
11:45
a.m. A talk about the church and the organ 12:30
p.m. Lunch 1:30
p.m. Short recital given by Philip Adams 2
p.m. Open console 2:45
p.m. Finish St
Cuthbert's Church Hall, Wroxham Road, Sprowston, Norwich, NR7 8TZ. Fish
'n' Chips followed by a quiz on general knowledge and music hosted by John and
Lisa Hanton. Bring
your own drinks, cutlery and condiments. Our guide was Loreto Aramendi, International virtuoso concert artist, Professor at the F. Escudero
Conservatoire in San Sebastian and main organist of the Cavaillé-Coll organ of
the Basilique of Santa María del Coro. St
George’s Church, Colegate, Norwich, 2 p.m. 18th Century English Organ Music led by Anne
Page (International Recitalist and Professor at the Royal Academy of Music)
Held
at the Lecture Room, Rosebery Road Methodist Church, Norwich, NR3 3AB A
talk by Ron Watson on the Methodist hymn write Fred Pratt Green. (A
joint venture between Aylsham Church and the N.O.A.) at Aylsham Parish Church,
Market Place Aylsham, NR11 6EH. 11
a.m. to 12 noon - Coffee Morning, followed by 12:15
p.m. to 1 p.m. Young Organists’ Recital. All N.O.A. members are welcome to attend any of the following visits:-
10:30 The Old Meeting House, Colegate
13:00 Organ Recital by Anthony Gritten at St. Peter Mancroft. (Public Recital)
14:30 The Octagon Chapel, Colegate
Followed by Norwich Cathedral after Evensong. Held
at the Lecture Room, Rosebery Road Methodist Church, Norwich, NR3 3AB Our
castaway this year is Dr. David Flood, interviewed by Ron Watson about his life
and selection of music. 11
a.m. A.G.M. 11:45
a.m. A talk about the church followed by a short talk given by David Berwick on
the organ and its restoration in 2019 by Richard Bower. 12:30
p.m. Lunch 1:30
p.m. Mini recital given by David Berwick, Matthew Bond and Tim Patient 2
p.m. Open console 2:45
p.m. Finish Eye
Parish Church, Church Street, Eye, Suffolk IP23 7BD. An opportunity to hear and
play the Binns Organ, hosted by Tim Patient. St
Cuthbert's Church Hall, Wroxham Road, Sprowston, Norwich, NR7 8TZ. Fish
'n' Chips followed by a quiz on general knowledge and music hosted by John and
Lisa Hanton. Bring
your own drinks, cutlery and condiments. Time:
5:30 pm. Attend
the Evensong service, followed by a talk on the recent work carried out by
Harrison & Harrison and then a visit to organ loft to play. Leaving
Harwich on the overnight Stena Line ferry to the Hook of Holland on Sunday 22nd
October and returning on the overnight ferry back to Harwich on Friday 27th,
arriving in Harwich early on Saturday morning. We will be based at the Martini
Hotel in Groningen (Breakfast and Dinner included) and our guide on the organ
tour will be Sietze De Vries. A not to be missed opportunity to hear and play
many fine historic instruments. (A
joint venture between Aylsham Church and the N.O.A.) at Aylsham Parish Church,
Market Place Aylsham, NR11 6EH. Coffee
Morning, followed by Young Organists’ Recital. St.
John the Baptist Church, Lound, Suffolk, NR32 5LR. A visit to the mediaeval
‘round tower’ church with its wonderful Comper oderings, plus its recently
restored Harrison & Harrison organ. A short talk and then the opportunity
to play followed by a picnic lunch (bring your own). Held
at Chelmsford Cathedral, New Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1TY. Held
at the Lecture Room, Rosebery Road Methodist Church, Norwich, NR3 3AB Our
castaway this year was the Revd Canon Aidan Platten (Precentor of Norwich
Cathedral), interviewed by Ron Watson about his life and selection of music. A.G.M.
followed by a talk about the church and Walker’s work on the organ by Charles
Shippam. After lunch open console on the newly restored organ. St
Cuthbert's Church Hall, Wroxham Road, Sprowston, Norwich, NR7 8TZ. Fish
'n' Chips followed by a quiz on general knowledge and music hosted by John and
Elinor Hanton. Bring
your own drinks, cutlery and condiments. St
George’s Church, Colegate, Norwich, 2 p.m. Harmonium
master class on César Franck's L'Organiste. Roseberry
Road Methodist Church, Roseberry Road, Norwich NR3 3AB Our
castaway this year was George Inscoe, assistant organist Norwich Cathedral. St
Mary's Church Church Street Attleborough Norfolk NR17 2AH Our
first A.G.M in person since the pandemic, held in Attleborough Church starting
at 11:30 a.m. After
the business of the meeting there was a lunch break, followd by a short recital
by Dr.Ben Miller to demonstrate the organ. St
Cuthbert's Church Hall, Wroxham Road, Sprowston, Norwich, NR7 8TZ. Fish
'n' Chips (£8) followed by a quiz on general knowledge and music hosted by our President
Jeremy Worth assisted by Pamela. Bring
your own drinks, cutlery and condiments. Choral
Evensong, followed by the opportunity to play the Cathedral organ. Desert
Island Discs, with castaway Margaret Smith. A
talk by Philip Norman entitled "Bach and Handel; a fair match". Young
organist's platform concert. After
a talk on the organ, members had the opportunity to play the 1977 Peter Collins
instrument. 2019
- 2020 Season events leaflet 2018
- 2019 Season events leaflet Held
at Rosebery Road Methodist Church, Norwich. Held
at St Cuthbert's Church Hall, Wroxham Road, Sprowston, Norwich, NR7 8TZ. Chris
Duarte of St. George's Music Shop fame (amongst other accolades) very kindly agreed
to be our castaway this time round. Ron Watson once again presided as Grand
Inquisitor. Held
at Holy Trinity Church, Essex St, Norwich. Michael and Pamela Flatman reprised
their roles as Quizmasters General in our traditional curtain raiser to a new
year of events. Held
at Norwich Cathedral. Once again there was opportunity for members to play the
Cathedral organ after the service. Ron
Watson presented a lecture recital to celebrate the centenary of his friend,
the legend that is Dr. Francis Jackson. Tea
& cakes were available afterwards for £2 per head. Read a write up of the event by Henry Macey. The
photograph is of Francis with his telegram from Her Majesty, reproduced with
permission of Mr. Edward Jackson. This
took place at the Electric Picture Palace, Blackmill Rd, Southwold, IP18 6AQ. We paid a return visit to the exquisite recreation
of an early cinema that is the Electric Picture Palace (www.southwoldcinema.co.uk) to watch two of the
critically acclaimed organ DVDs by Fugue State Films namely "The Elusive
English Organ" (charting the history of the English organ from Tudor times
to the early 19th century) followed, after an interval, by the second part of a
trilogy of films entitled "Widor: Master of the Organ Symphony". Part
II pays particular attention to the organ symphonies 5, 6, 7, and 8. The
event cost £5 per head and concluded at 5pm. Read
a write up of the event by Henry Macey. Photograph
reproduced by kind permission of King’s Lynn Community Cinema Club. Held
at Wroxham Parish Church. After coffee on arrival at the church, Richard Bower
gave a talk about the organ (II/P 17) and a recital after which members were
invited to play too. At 1pm there was an informal 'President's Lunch' at
Salhouse Lodge (NR12 6HD). Held
at Wymondham Abbey. Our young organist this year is Ollie Neale, a sixth former
at Langley School and one of the current Organ Scholars at St. Peter Mancroft,
Norwich. The
last of three Restored, Renewed & Inspired organ
recitals at Aylsham Parish Church, to celebrate the restoration of the 1911
Norman & Beard Organ by Henry Willis & Sons Ltd. Admission £5, at the
door. Wine and refreshments were served afterwards. The
second of three Restored, Renewed & Inspired organ
recitals at Aylsham Parish Church, to celebrate the restoration of the 1911
Norman & Beard Organ by Henry Willis & Sons Ltd. Admission £5, at the
door. Wine and refreshments were served afterwards. Held
at Aylsham Parish Church. A day of events open to all in celebration of the
restoration of the 1911 Norman & Beard organ (III/P 27). Held
at Church Farmhouse, Church Rd, Deopham, NR18 9DT. Another welcome opportunity
to explore and play Geoff Sankey's remarkable collection of organs including an
important new addition since our last visit. The
first of three Restored, Renewed & Inspired organ
recitals at Aylsham Parish Church, to celebrate the restoration of the 1911
Norman & Beard Organ by Henry Willis & Sons Ltd. Admission £5, at the
door. Wine and refreshments were served afterwards. Starting
at St. Botolph's Aldgate, Aldgate High St, London, EC3N 1AB. The
organ at St. Botolph's (III/P 21) was built by Renatus Harris in 1704 and
superbly restored/reconstructed to near original condition by Goetze &
Gwynn in 2006. As such it is arguably the oldest playable church organ in
Britain. After
lunch we regathered at Christ Church Spitalfields (E1 6LY) to hear and play the
wonderful Richard Bridge organ of 1735 (III/P 37). The largest organ in Britain
when built this hugely important instrument was unplayable for almost 60 years
until the recent, meticulous restoration/reconstruction by William Drake Ltd.
The well known recitalist, Gerard Brooks has been appointed as the organ's
curator and was on hand to give us a short demonstration recital before
overseeing our own playing efforts. These
are the two most important surviving early 18th century organs in England. They
are within 10 minutes walk of each other and Liverpool Street Station. We
booked a two hour session at each instrument. Held
at St. George's Colegate, Norwich. Following our Business Meeting we had a
Buffet Lunch in the nearby Old Meeting House after which Anne Page (BMus, Hon
ARAM, and Professor of Harmonium Studies at the Royal Academy of Music) gave an
Organ/Harmonium recital back in St. George's. Held
at The Lecture Room, Rosebery Road Methodist Church, Rosebery Road, Norwich. Dr.
Michael Nicholas, FRCO and former Master of Music at Norwich Cathedral gamely
agreed to be our castaway. Ron Watson was once again the Grand Inquisitor. Michael
and Pamela Flatman were our new quizmasters for our traditional and popular
opening event of the new year, held at Holy Trinity Church, Essex Street,
Norwich. Held
at Norwich Cathedral. There was an opportunity for NOA Members to play the
organ after Evensong (courtesy of David Dunnett). The
wondrously gifted Sietze de Vries was once again our Organist/Guide for our
third trip to Groningen, with excursions into Ost Friesland (Germany) to hear
and play some of the remarkable historic organs there. We
started at St. Mary le Tower, Ipswich, Suffolk. The organ here is considered to
be one of the finest in the county. Originally built by Henry Willis & Sons
in 1964 it was enlarged in by Bishop & Son in 1984 and 1997 (III/P 48). After
lunch we regathered at St. John the Baptist, Felixstowe to hear and play the
organ built by Boggis in 1992 and enlarged by Bishop & Sons in 2014 (III/P
40). Held
at St. Margaret's Church. Lowestoft. Jonathan Palman, organist at Redenhall
Parish Church was our 'Young Recitalist' this year. Followed by tea &
cakes. Our
day included an afternoon visit to the Chapel and organ with Carl Jackson, the
Palace Organist. Held
at the Park Farm Hotel, Hethersett. Dr. Alan Thurlow, former Master of Music at
Chichester Cathedral, was our guest speaker. Richard
Bower very kindly invited us to come and explore his organ building works at
the Bower & Co Factory, Weston Longville. There was a barbecue after the
site tour. We
began our day at Redenhall Parish Church where we played the fine and
historically important 1843 west gallery organ by G.M. Holdich (II/P 24). After
lunch we regathered in the Chapel of All Hallows Convent, Ditchingham. After a
short talk about the Convent by Dr. Nick Groves we were free to play the organ there
by Hill, Norman & Beard (1955) and Richard Bower (2004). Held
at Cromer Parish Church. John Stephens, NOA member and Organist at Great
Yarmouth Minster gave the recital. Based
at St Peter Mancroft Church, Norwich and Norwich Cathedral. An inspirational
hands-on, day-course for organists of all ages and all standards. See
the Royal College of Organists website for more
details. Priors
Hall, Norwich Cathedral Close. We are very grateful indeed that The Very Revd
Dr Jane Hedges, Dean of Norwich agreed to be our next castaway and allowed us
the use of the beautiful Priors Hall for the event. Held
at Holy Trinity Church, Essex St, Norwich. Ron and Isabel Watson gamely agreed
to be our quizmasters once again for our traditional curtain raiser to a new
year of events. Held
at Norwich Cathedral. After evensong here there was an opportunity for NOA
members to visit the organ loft and play the Cathedral organ. Held
at Aylsham Parish Church. As the 1911 Norman & Beard organ at Aylsham moves
towards its restoration we were privileged to have John Norman present this
illustrated talk on the history of the great, formerly Norwich-based organ
building company established by his forbears. Followed
by tea and cake. This
gave us an opportunity to play the fine, historic James Davis organ in this
glorious church. Held
at North Walsham Parish Church, featuring young performers Sam
Aldersley-Williams and Harry Sullivan. After
too long an absence the IAO's annual Congress returned to Norwich. Full
programme and booking details can be found online at: iao.org.uk/newsevents/congress/. We
met at Soham Parish Church, Cambridgeshire, where we heard and played the organ
at Soham recently rebuilt by Richard Bower. Then we attended Choral Evensong at
Ely Cathedral. There was an opportunity for NOA members to play the Cathedral
organ after the service. Held
at the Royal Hospital School Chapel, Holbrook, Suffolk. Alongside recitals by
Tom Bell (organ) and Gemma Beeson (piano), the celebrated 'Organiste Titulaire'
of Notre Dame in Paris, Olivier Latry conducted a masterclass in improvisation
and concluded the day's proceedings with a recital on the chapel's mighty organ
featuring works by Boëly, Franck, Guilmant, and Vierne's Symphony no.2. Held
at St. Thomas's Church, Earlham Road, Norwich. Following his previous
presentations on the Clavierübung Part III and the 'Eighteen' Chorales, Harry
Macey turned his attention to Bach's preludes and fugues in this
lecture/recital. Held
at the Old Meeting House, Colegate, Norwich. Our business meeting was followed
by a buffet lunch after which Philip Luke (Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church)
gave a recital on the intriguing and historic OMH organ (II/P 12) now skilfully
brought back to life by the devoted efforts of our own John Plunkett. Held
at Holy Trinity Church, Essex Street, Norwich. Ron and Isabel Watson very
kindly agreed to be our quiz-masters once again for our traditional
curtain-raiser to the New Year. Held
at the Song School, Norwich Cathedral Cloisters. Having avoided his planned
shipwreck in February 2014 due to unforeseen professional commitments Ashley
Grote, Master of the Music at the Cathedral graciously agreed once again to be
our castaway on the mythical island. Due
to circumstances beyond our control this event sadly had to be cancelled. Held
at St. Thomas's Church, Earlham Road, Norwich. Richard Townend, long time
organist at the Wren church of St. Margaret Lothbury in the City of London,
gave us this talk on a fascinating and wide-ranging topic. Refreshments were
available afterwards. NOA
member Andrew Campbell is the organist at St. Peter's Church, Westleton. He let
us inspect the new west gallery organ there (III/P 26), currently being
completed by Peter Bumstead in the English Classical style incorporating
mid-19th century pipework by James Corps of Norwich from the organ at Little
St. Mary's Church, Cambridge. After
lunch (pub!) we proceeded to Snape church to inspect the organ Peter built
there in 1999/2000 (II/P 17) and which inspired Andrew's choice of Peter for
the work at Westleton. We then drove to the glorious church of St. Michael,
Framingham where Sandra Cartwright met us and gave us access to the celebrated
organ there (II/P 20). Built originally by Thomas Thamar in 1674 for Pembroke
College, Cambridge the beautiful case still contains a good deal of pipework
from the 17th and 18th centuries. This is a historic instrument of national
importance. Held
at St. Peter Mancroft Church, Norwich. Our Young Organists' Recital this year
featured four young organ students, Harry Sullivan, George Jefford, Sam
Aldersey-Williams, and Luke Lindsey, pupils of Julian Haggett and Lawrence Tao.
Tea & cakes were served afterwards. Following
our highly successful visit in April 2012, Sietze de Vries was once again booked
as our Organists/Guide for our return tour to hear and play historic organs
(including four built by Arp Schnitger) in Groningen, Oostwold, Godlinze,
Eenum, Krewerd, Appingedam, and Leeuwarden. Held
at Church Farmhouse, Deopham. Some NOA Members may recall a most pleasant visit
to the home of fellow member, Geoff Sankey some years ago. A recent addition to
his organ collection housed in his adjoining barn is a German pipe organ now
reconstructed within a historic English organ case. Geoff very kindly agreed to
welcome us once more to his abode and enjoy his collection. The visit included
a visit to Deopham church next door which houses a rather delightful little
Nicholson organ of c.1870 (I/P 9). Held
at St. Peter Mancroft Church, Norwich. Following his recent attendance at a
summer school centred on the unaltered François Henri Clicquot organ of 1783 at
Souvigny, France, Julian Haggett (organist at St. Peter Mancroft) shared his
passion for this music in a presentation/demonstration/masterclass utilising
the 1984 Peter Collins organ at St. Peter's. This is one of the very few organs
in East Anglia that can do proper justice to this distinctive and rewarding
repertoire. William
Saunders, the current President of the Suffolk Organists' Association is the
Director of Music at the Royal Hospital School and he very kindly invited us to
hear and play the mammoth 1933 Hill, Norman & Beard organ (IV/P 64) in the
enormously resonant chapel there. At
St. Nicholas, Dereham. Proceedings began with our business meeting in the
Church Hall followed by a buffet lunch. Our meeting concluded in the church
itself where Tim Patient regaled us with a recital on the organ there (III/P
30). Originally rebuilt in 1874 by Hill & Son and restored in 1964 by Hill,
Norman & Beard the current instrument was extensively rebuilt by Richard
Bower in 1995 with a new Chaire organ containing pipework by Father Smith. Held
at Brooke Church Rooms. Ashley Grote, our planned castaway, was sadly
unavailable to take part in this event but thankfully our immediate past
President, Harry Macey very kindly agreed to share with us his choice of discs
for the mythical island in Ashley's place. Held
at Holy Trinity Church, Essex St, Norwich. Ron and Isabel Watson were the
quizmasters for our traditional and much loved curtain-raiser to a new year of
events. Evensong
was followed by the opportunity to visit the organ loft with David Dunnett to
play the Cathedral organ. This
was a 'live' broadcast by the BBC. The
Vicar of St. Edmund's kindly invited us to explore and play the 2 manual, 22
stop organ extensively rebuilt by E.J.Johnson of Cambridge in 1977. Held
at Brooke Church. With the aid of recordings and a 'live' performance or two,
Ron entertained and enlightened us with a talk about some of his compositions. St.
Thomas's Church, Earlham Rd, Norwich. Our young recitalist this year was Hannah
Parry-Ridout. Hannah played for us a few years back but returned to entertain
us following her studies at the St. Giles Junior Organ School, the Royal
College of Music, and Royal Holloway College. Tea and homemade cakes were
served afterwards. NOA
members visited London. First stop was St. George's Hanover Square, where Mr.
Simon Williams, the church's Organist and Director of Music, introduced us to
the recently installed North German Baroque style organ by the American firm of
Richards, Fowkes and Co (III/P 46). After lunch we visited the nearby Grosvenor
Chapel (South Audley St) to hear and play the 1991 William Drake organ built in
the English Classical style (II/P 24). Members
visited and played the organs at St. Martin's, Overstrand and Cromer Parish
Church. At
St. Thomas Church Hall, Earlham Road, Norwich. Dr. Nixon, the Organist and
Director of Music at St. Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, Australia since 1973 and
an eminent musician and composer, spent an afternoon entertaining us during her
latest visit to England. Unfortunately,
due to recurring problems with the organ at St Stephen's Church in Norwich that
have developed in recent weeks, it was not possible for us to go ahead with
this visit. At
St. Nicholas, North Walsham. Continuing with our now familiar format we started
proceedings with our business meeting (in the Church Hall). A buffet lunch
followed and our meeting concluded with a recital by Richard Bower on the organ
he himself has restored in recent years. At
the Church Room, Brooke Church. Following two abortive attempts to consign Rev.
Canon Jeremy Haselock (Precentor of Norwich Cathedral) to Ron Watson's desert
island, Jeremy's choice of discs was finally revealed! This
took place at Holy Trinity Church, Essex Street, Norwich. Harry Macey was our
Quizmaster once again as we enjoyed our traditional curtain-raiser to a new
year of events. Sadly
this event did not take place due to unforeseen circumstances. NOA
Members were invited to attend evensong as a group. The Cathedral choir were
singing prior to their half term break. Members met for tea/coffee in the
Refectory beforehand. Louis
Vierne; A Celebration of his Life and Works: 2012 marks the 75th anniversary of
Vierne's untimely death in the organ loft at Notre Dame, Paris. Martin Cottam
presented a talk on the life and work of this important musician. He played a
rich selection of recordings to illustrate Vierne's highly individual
compositional voice, giving as much weight to the unjustly neglected works for
instruments other than the organ as to those for the organ itself. Young
Organist's Recital: Our recitalist this year was Ben Miller, a PhD Biochemistry
student at the John Innes Centre who is currently one of the organ scholars at
St. Peter Mancroft in Norwich. Organ (III/P 40) by Hill Norman & Beard with
recent additions by Richard Bower. We
returned to Park Farm at Hethersett for our President's Dinner where our Guest
of Honour and after-dinner speaker was Carl Jackson, Organist of Her Majesty's
Chapel Royal, Hampton Court, talking about the work of the Chapels Royal. We
gathered in the church of St. Nicholas to explore and play the highly regarded
organ of 1900 by Henry Willis & Sons (II/P 21). After lunch we visited the
Minster church of St. Margaret's, where the resident organist, Adrian Richards,
introduced us to the organ there (III/P 44) and members were able to play this
celebrated instrument which contains a number of ranks by Snetzler. Organ
Visit: David Bunkell, NOA Membership Secretary and Organist at St. Margaret's
welcomed us to explore and play the 41 stop (III/P) Hill, Norman & Beard
organ of 1937 inside this imposing medieval church. We
travelled from Norwich to Groningen by car via the Harwich - Hook of Holland
ferry to and from the various venues in Groningen province. The wonderfully
gifted Sietze de Vries was our organist guide to the
six historic instruments we visited which included three organs by Arp
Schnitger. Our
AGM followed the format that has become familiar in recent years. The business
part of proceedings was followed by a buffet lunch, then our two youngest
Committee members, David Ballard and Matthew Bond, performed a half hour
recital each, including a short organ duet. Held
at the Church Rooms in Brooke. Martin Cottam, our Events Secretary, kindly
agreed to be our castaway following the last minute withdrawal of the Rev.
Canon Jeremy Haselock due to Cathedral commitments. Ron Watson, as ever, acted
as Grand Inquisitor. Our
traditional and ever popular opener for a new year took place at the Holy
Trinity Church, Essex Street, Norwich, with a new Quizmaster at the helm. Our
President, Harry Macey very kindly supplied a goodly selection of brain-teasers
and a suitable local establishment provided the all important fish & chips. NOA
member Philip Luke has been organist at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church (235
Shaftesbury Avenue) for 25 years. In that time he has overseen the complete
rebuilding of the organ there and the establishment of a highly successful
regular recital series. Philip
invited us to join him for the 4pm recital given by our local favourite, David
Dunnett after which there was a light buffet. Following the buffet, NOA members
had the opportunity to play the organ for themselves for an hour or two. The
large 3 manual west gallery instrument is comprised mainly of ranks from two
redundant JJ Binns organs, the work being undertaken by BC Shepherd & Sons
who have added the 32ft Sackbut and 16ft Trombone in the pedal along with some
new pipes in the re-scaled mixture stops. Earlier
in the day at 2pm there was an opportunity to hear and play the brand new organ
by Späth Orgelbau (13 II/P) in the nearby Swiss Church (79 Endell St, Convent
Garden). Resident organist, Peter Yardley-Jones was on hand to welcome us and
demonstrate the instrument. In
place of our postponed trip
to Groningen we visited and played the organ in the church of the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Attleborough. The organ was rebuilt in
1962 by Arnold, Williamson & Hyatt and is a fine example of their work.
Restored in recent years it is a sizeable instrument spread across 3 manuals
and pedals. Brent
Palmer celebrated the work of the great Hungarian, the bi-centenary of whose
birth falls in 2011, at the Church Rooms in Brooke. The
recital took place at St. Margaret's Church, King's Lynn. Our
young recitalist this year was Matthew Searles, who was born in 1991 and lives
in Peterborough. A former chorister at the cathedral there, he now has lessons
with Andrew Reid, the organist at Peterborough Cathedral. He is also the Organ
Scholar at Doncaster Minster where he accompanies the choral services on the
celebrated 5 manual Schulze organ there. In September, having sat his exams for
the ARCO Diploma during the summer, he takes up the prestigious Organ
Scholarship at Royal Holloway, University of London. The
45 stop organ at St. Margaret's is famous for containing a significant amount
of Snetzler pipework within the fine, carved and gilded casework by the same
builder. Held
at St. Thomas' Church, Earlham Road, Norwich. Our
new President, Harry Macey organised a rich and fascinating programme exploring
aspects of J.S. Bach's creative genius. After
coffee and intros we viewed a DVD entitled 'J.S.Bach: Allein Gott in der Höhe
sei Ehr', then Dr. Nicholas Groves MA, BMus, PhD, FRHistS, gave a talk on
Lutheranism in the context of Bach's life and work. Following lunch in the
Church Hall, Harry gave a lecture/recital on the 'Eighteen Preludes' BWV
651-668. We
visited and played three small but very interesting and important organs, all
of which have been recorded for the HOSA project - All Saints, Hilborough
(Bevington, 1857, IIP, 14 stops), St. George's, Gooderstone (J.C.Bishop, 1835,
IP, 7 stops) and St. Leonard's, Mundford. Mundford
Church was transformed in the early 20th century by the work of Sir Ninian
Comper which included the erection of a spectacular rood screen. He also
designed the beautiful organ case which sits atop the screen. The instrument
itself is very unusual. Built by Harrison and Harrison in 1912 it has 3 manuals
and pedals but only 12 speaking stops. Anne
Page is Professor of Harmonium Studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
She used her own 19th century Alexandre Harmonium during her presentation about
this unjustly neglected instrument for which the likes of Franck, Widor,
Guilmant, Vierne, and Langlais wrote much fine music. The 19th French Harmonium
is a very different creature from the more familiar 'American' organ that
resided in so many English Victorian and Edwardian parlours. The event
concluded with the opportunity to take part in a masterclass. A
Rodgers Digital Organ Revealed. In recent years an impressive 3-manual and
pedal digital organ made by the American company, Rodgers has been installed at
St. George's RC church. Possessing a predominantly French stop-list it speaks
into a splendidly spacious acoustic. Resident
'titulaire', Paul Allen, was on hand to talk about the project and demonstrate
this highly interesting instrument before members had the chance to play it for
themselves. Following
his highly entertaining and illuminating talk on compositional 'sins' last
February, Ron Watson returned to bring enlightenment on the subject of rhythm
in music. The
annual Quiz and Chips evening took place at Holy
Trinity Church, Norwich. Martin Cottam posed the brain-teasers one
last time before handing the role of quizmaster to another in 2012. Held
at St. Andrew's Church, Eaton, Norwich. We
were enormously privileged to have Dr. Francis Jackson as our 'castaway' this
year. Now in his nineties, Dr. Jackson is a hugely respected figure in the
world of music. Formerly the Master of Music at York Minster he has received
considerable acclaim over many decades as a performer, teacher, and composer.
Prompted by Ron Watson's questions Dr. Jackson related stories about his long
life and achievements and shared his choice of music to sustain him during his
sojourn on the mythical island. The
event took place at the Old Meeting House, Colegate,
Norwich. For
many years the organ inside the Old Meeting House has presented something of an
enigma. The casework certainly dates from the 17th century, but who built it
and for where? When did it find its way into this venue and just what manner of
pipework lurks within? Is treasure to be found there? For
some time John Plunkett, as a labour of love and employing the lightest and
most sensitive of touches, has been returning the organ to playable condition,
carefully recording and documenting his findings each step of the way. He
shared with us what he has so far unearthed and members had the opportunity to
play the instrument and judge for themselves whether treasure has indeed been
unearthed in what John was happy to subtitle 'a Restoration Comedy'. The
event took place at St. Thomas' Church, Earlham Road, Norwich and
was led by Harry Macey, President Elect of the association, who presented a
lecture recital on this monumental collection "consisting of various
preludes on the Catechism and other hymns for the organ... [dedicated to] music
lovers and particularly for connoisseurs of such work for the recreation of the
spirit". The
recital took place at The Octagon Chapel, Colegate, Norwich. This
year's recitalist was William Warns who has just completed his first year as
Organ Scholar at Fitzwilliam College Cambridge and is no stranger to the organ
loft at the Octagon. The
dinner took place at The Ellingham Suite, Park Farm Hotel, Hethersett. View photo gallery. We
visited The Electric Picture Palace in Southwold. Here
we watched 'Martinikerk Rondeau', a fascinating and beautiful documentary by
Fugue State Films. The film investigates the spectacular organ heritage of the
Dutch city of Groningen and its surrounding province, arguably home to the
greatest concentration of historic organs in the world. Light
relief came in the form of an interval complete with suitably entertaining
accompaniment provided by our President on the cinema's own organ as we relaxed
and nibbled on our ice creams. We
visited organs in the parish churches at Blofield, South Walsham and Acle. View photo gallery. Our
Annual General Meeting was held at St. Thomas' Church, Earlham Road,
Norwich, followed a by buffet lunch and organ recital. Renowned
local composer, and editor of the Norfolk Organists’ Association’s quarterly
publication "The Journal", Ron Watson led an event entitled Tritones
and other musical sins. The
annual Quiz and Chips evening took place at Holy
Trinity Church, Norwich. David
Watson led an afternoon about Purcell’s life and music. The
day started with a visit to St. Agnes’ Church, Cawston
where the organ has recently been restored by Richard Bower. After
lunch we gathered at All Saints, Bawdeswell
where we were able to hear and play the new electronic instrument by Johannus.
This instrument has been built into the former pipe organ and was ably
demonstrated by James Lilwall, organist at the Church and a former President of
the association. The
day finished with refreshments at James’ house. Tim
Patient led a lecture/recital exploring J.S.Bach’s Orgelbüchlein. The
annual Young Organist Recital was given by student member of David Ballard. The
event was well attended and David is certainly a very talented player. The
President’s Day. View
photo gallery. This
started at Blythburgh Church where members were able to
play the organ recently built by Rodney Briscoe of Boggis and Co. Some members
had seen this instrument in the workshop while it was being built. After
lunch, the day moved to the Electric Picture Palace in
Southwold, where excerpts of DVDs were shown. There was an interval,
during which the President appeared through the stage floor, playing the
keyboard in true cinema organ style. The
final venue of the day was at St. Edmund’s Church, Southwold, where members
were able to play the Arnold, Williamson and Hyatt instrument of 1966. The
day started at Cley Church where there was a chance to play
the two-manual and pedal instrument rebuilt by Bower and Company in 2002. Following
lunch we re-convened at Wiveton Church to play the one-manual and
pedal instrument built by Holdich for the Great Exhibition of 1851. The
final venue was Blakeney Church, where the
two-manual and pedal instrument re-built by Hill, Norman and Beard was
available for people to play.
Saturday 3rd May 2025 at 2 p.m. - Desert Island Discs
Saturday 7th June 2025 at 3 p.m. - President’s Day 3: Afternoon Tea and Scones
Gressenhall Lodge, Longham Road, Gressenhall, Norfolk, NR19
2QJ
Our President and his wife are kindly hosting this event at
their home in Gressenhall. There is the opportunity to explore Adrian's
wonderful Hauptwerk organ, meet the Alpaca's and have a convivial social
occasion with fellow members. Refreshments will be provided.
Saturday 2nd August 2025 from 10 a.m. - Young Organists’ Platform Concert
Saturday 13th September 2025 at 2 p.m. - The One Man Band -
An illustrated talk by Philip Norman
Wednesday 26th November 2025 at 5:30 p.m. - Choral Evensong at Norwich Cathedral
Once
again there will be the opportunity for members to play the Cathedral organ
after the service, courtesy of Ashley Grote, Master of Music.
Saturday 10th January 2026 at 7 p.m. - Quiz and Chips
Past Events
Saturday 15th March 2025 at 11 a.m. - A.G.M. at St. Peter's Church, Sheringham NR26 8QS
Saturday 11th January 2025 at 7 p.m. - Quiz and Chips
Thursday 21st.November 2024 at 5:30 p.m. - Choral Evensong at Norwich Cathedral
Once
again there will be the opportunity for members to play the Cathedral organ
after the service.
Monday 28th October to Friday 1st November
2024 - Organ Tour Of The Basque Country, Northern Spain
Saturday
12th. October 2024 - Master Class by Anne Page
Saturday
21st September 2024, at 2.pm. - Fred Pratt Green
Saturday
3rd August 2024 at 11 a.m. - Young Organists’ Platform Concert
Saturday
29th June 2024 at 3 p.m. - President’s Day 2 2024
Gressenhall Lodge, Longham Road, Gressenhall, Norfolk, NR19
2QJ
Our President and his wife are kindly hosting this event at
their home in Gressenhall. There is the opportunity to explore Adrian's
wonderful Hauptwerk organ, meet the Alpaca's and have a convivial social
occasion with fellow members. Refreshments will be provided.
Saturday
18th May 2024 at 2 p.m. - Desert Island Discs
Saturday
6th April 2024 at 11 a.m. A.G.M. and Visit to Happisburgh Church
Saturday
23rd March 2024 at 11 a.m. - Visit to Eye Parish Church, Suffolk
Saturday
6th January 2024 at 7 p.m. - Quiz and Chips
Wednesday
22nd November - Evensong at Norwich Cathedral
Sunday
22nd to Friday 27th October 2023 - Visit to Groningen, Holland &
Ostfriesland, Germany
Saturday
5th August 2023 - Young Organists’ Platform Concert
Saturday
8th July 2023 - President’s Day 1 2023
Saturday
27th May 2023 - I.A.O. East of England Organ Day. French Organ Music for the
Liturgy and Chant.
Saturday
13th May 2023 - Desert Island Discs
Saturday
25th March 2023 - A.G.M. and Visit to Heydon Church
Saturday
7th January 2023 at 7 p.m. - Quiz and Chips
Tuesday
22nd November 2022 - Evensong at Norwich Cathedral
Saturday
22nd October 2022 - Master Class by Anne Page
Saturday
23th April 2022 - Desert Island Discs
Saturday
19th March 2022 - AGM
Saturday
8th January 2022 - Quiz and Chips
Wednesday
24th November 2021, 17:30 - Norwich Cathedral
Saturday
23rd October 2021, 14:00 - St Andrew's Eaton
Saturday
18th September 2021, 14:00 - St. Cuthbert's Church Hall, Sprowston
Saturday
7th August 2021, 12:15 - Aylsham Parish Church
Saturday
26th June 2021, 14:00 - Visit to Orford Church, Suffolk
2018
- 2020
Saturday
17th March 2018 - AGM, Buffet Lunch, and Recital
Saturday
17th February 2018 - Desert Island Discs
Saturday
13th January 2018 - Quiz & Chips
Wednesday
22nd November 2017 - Choral Evensong
Saturday
14th October 2017 - "Reminiscences of Francis Jackson: His Life and
Music"
Held at Princes Street URC, Norwich.
Saturday
16th September 2017 - Organ DVD Show
Saturday
22nd July 2017 - President's Day
Saturday
29th July 2017 - Young Organist's Recital
Thursday
13th July 2017 - Organ Recital: Paul Hale
Thursday
22nd June 2017 - Organ Recital: David Dunnett
Saturday
17th June 2017 - Aylsham Organ Day
Saturday
13th May 2017 - A Barn Full of Organs
Thursday
11th May 2017 - Organ Recital: Henry Macey
Tuesday
11th April 2017 - Organ Visit
Saturday
18th March 2017 - AGM, Buffet Lunch, and Recital
Saturday
18th February 2017 - Desert Island Discs
Saturday
14th January 2017 - Quiz & Chips
Wednesday
23rd November 2016 - Choral Evensong and Organ Visit
Monday
24th October - Friday 28th October 2016 - Return to to Groningen
Saturday
24th September 2016 - Organ Visits
Saturday
20th August 2016 - Young Organist's Recital
Saturday
16th July 2016 - Coach Outing to Hampton Court Palace
Saturday
18th June 2016 - President's Dinner
Saturday
14th May 2016 - Organ Factory Visit
Saturday
16th April 2016 - Organ Visits
Saturday
19th March 2016 - AGM, Buffet Lunch, and Recital
Saturday
27th February 2016 - Raise Your Game
Saturday
20th February 2016 - Desert Island Discs
Saturday
16th January 2016 - Quiz & Chips
Tuesday
24th November 2015 - Choral Evensong and Organ Visit
Saturday
17th October 2015 - An Illustrated History of Norman & Beard
Saturday
19th September 2015 - Organ Visit to Wymondham Abbey
Thursday
27th August 2015 - Young Organists' Recital
Monday
27th July to Saturday 1st August 2015 - IAO Congress
Saturday
6th June 2015 - Organ Visit to Soham Parish Church and Ely Cathedral
Saturday
9th May 2015 - The East of England Organ Day: A Parisian Extravaganza!
Saturday
25th April 2015 - The Preludes & Fugues of J.S. Bach
Saturday
21st March 2015 - AGM, Buffet Lunch, and Recital
Saturday
10th January 2015 - Quiz and Chips
Saturday
7th February 2015 - Desert Island Discs
Wednesday
19th November 2014 - Choral Evensong and Organ Visit
Saturday
25th October 2014 - The Development of the Organ and its Music
Saturday
4th October 2014 - Organ visit to Westleton, Snape, and Framlingham, Suffolk
Saturday
9th August 2014 - Young Organists' Platform Concert
Sunday
27th July 2014 - Friday 1st August 2014 - Organ Tour to Groningen
Saturday
28th June 2014 - A Barn Full of Organs
Saturday
17th May 2014 - The French Classical Organ and its Repertoire
Saturday
26th April 2014 - Organ Visit to the Royal Hospital, School, Holbrook (near
Ipswich)
Saturday
15th March 2014 - AGM, Buffet Lunch & Recital
Saturday
1st February 2014 - Desert Island Discs
Saturday
11th January 2014 - Quiz & Chips
Wednesday
27th November 2013 - Evensong (with Full Choir) at Norwich Cathedral
Saturday
19th October 2013 - Organ Visit to St. Edmund's Church, Downham Market
Saturday
21st September 2013 - An afternoon with Ron Watson
Saturday
17th August 2013 - Young Organist's Recital
Saturday
20th July 2013 - President's Day Outing to London
Saturday
22nd June 2013 - Overstrand and Cromer
Saturday
11th May 2013 - An Afternoon with Dr. June Nixon
Saturday
13th April 2013 - Organ Visit Cancelled
Saturday
23rd March 2013 - AGM, Buffet Lunch, and Organ Recital
Saturday
16th February 2013 - Desert Island Discs
Saturday
12th January 2013 - Quiz & Chips
Saturday
17th November 2012 - Desert Island Discs with Rev. Canon Jeremy Haselock
Tuesday
23rd October 2012 - Choral Evensong at Norwich Cathedral
Saturday
29th September 2012 - Church Room, Brooke
Saturday
11th August 2012, St Nicholas, North Walsham
Saturday
21st July 2012, President's Dinner
Saturday
23rd June 2012, Organ Tour to King's Lynn
Saturday
12th May 2012 - St Margaret's Church, Lowestoft
Tuesday 10th - Friday 13th April 2012 - Organ
Tour to Groningen, Holland
Saturday
31st March 2012 - AGM, Buffet Lunch, and Recital at Aylsham Church
Saturday
25th February 2012 - Desert Island Discs
Saturday
14th January 2012 - Quiz and Chips
Saturday
26th November 2011 - Outing to Central London
Saturday
15th October 2011 - Attleborough Church
Saturday
17th September 2011 - Liszt, Composer and Transcriber
Tuesday
16th August 2011 - Young Organist's Recital
Saturday
23rd July 2011 - President's Day
Saturday
18th June 2011 - Outing to Breckland
Saturday
21st May 2011, St. George's Colegate, Norwich - 'L'Orgue Expressif'
Saturday
16th April 2011, St. George's RC Church, Sprowston Rd, Norwich
Saturday
26th March 2011, URC Princes St, Norwich at 11.30am - AGM, Buffet, and Recital
Saturday
19th February 2011, Brooke Church Rooms at 2.30pm - The Heart of the Matter
Saturday
15th January 2011 - Quiz and Chips
Saturday
13th November 2010 - "Desert Island Discs"
Saturday
9th October 2010 - "A Treasure Chest Unlocked?"
Saturday
18th September 2010 - Lecture/recital on J.S.Bach's Clavierübung Part 3
Saturday
7th August 2010 - Young Organist's Recital
Saturday
17th July 2010 - President's Dinner
Saturday
19th June 2010
Saturday
17th April 2010
Saturday
27th March 2010
Saturday
20th February 2010
>Saturday
16th January 2010
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