2022 Programme

Saturday 14 May 2022

Accompaniment skills session with Tim Ravalde

10am–12pm at St George's Whyke

Tuesday 24 May 2022

Visit to Dorset

2pm: St Stephen's, Bournemouth

5.30pm: Christchurch Priory

Tuesday 21 June 2022

Visit to Salisbury Cathedral

5.30pm: Evensong

7.30pm: organ visit

Tuesday 13 September 2022

Day trip to the Isle of Wight

1) Quarr Abbey. A real rarity in the UK: a French organ. Built by Cavaille-Coll’s successor Mutin in 1912, ‘baroqueised’ according to ‘60s fashion by Mander, then partially restored to something like Mutin intended by Matthew Copley in 1995, with further restoration work completed by Andrew Cooper in 2011.

Members will have an opportunity to play, and we’ll then have lunch in the highly regarded Abbey Tea Shop.

2) Andrew Cooper’s organ workshops in Arreton. (Andrew also carried out the most recent restoration work at Holy Trinity, Gosport, which we visited a few years back).

3) Good Shepherd, Lake. A small 3 manual Walker organ built in 1901 in an unusual church building, and later given a bit more ‘sparkle’ by Henry Willis IV in 1987, with a very cohesive result.

4) All Saints, Ryde. The landmark building when surveying the Island from Portsmouth Harbour. A substantial Father Willis, altered by William Hill the year Father Willis retired, then restored by succeeding Willis generations to something like its original spec, though with the reeds on Hill’s increased pressure. A powerful East End instrument that led congregational singing in the West End car park outdoors during the pandemic!

Saturday 1 October 2022

Annual general meeting

with guest speaker and recitalist Simon William, Director, RCO East, South and South-West England

St Michael and All Angels, South Lancing

1pm: Buffet lunch

2pm: AGM

2:15: Talk

2:45pm: Recital (approx 45 mins) on the fine Peter Collins instrument