Category Archives: News and Views

This category is for news about HOA events or individuals associated with the HOA and other related news items.

Coffee House Concerts

 

 

 

 

Organ Recitals 2014

Wednesdays at 6:30

 

30 July

John Scott Whiteley – Bach’s Orgelbüchlein & not…

 

13 August

Maximillian Elliott – Cathedral Organists of Yesteryear

 

27 August

Gordon Stewart, John Pemberton & John Scott Whiteley

In Memoriam Alan Spedding, MBE

 

10 September

John Scott Whiteley – Music associated with World War I

 

AT

The Coffee House, Everingham

YO42 4JD

Free admission & champagne!   Each recital will last c40 minutes

 

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Goetze & Gwynn launch new website

Organ builders Goetze & Gwynn have launched a new website at http://www.goetzegwynn.co.uk , with the same features
as the old website, but with downloadable reports, soundfiles and blogs. The website includes
pictures and details of most of the 100 projects they have completed in the third of a century they
have been in business, making and restoring classical pipe organs.

In that time they have contributed to the revival of the historic English classical organ, restoring
important organs like St Botolph Aldgate London ca1704, St Helen Bishopsgate London 1743, and
St James Bermondsey London 1829, many with the substantial financial assistance of the Heritage
Lottery Fund. They have just completed the restoration of the 1821 H.C.Lincon organ at Thaxted in
Essex, and are starting the partial restoration of the 1969 Grant, Degens and Bradbeer organ at New
College Oxford.

Of the 100 projects, 65 are restorations of historic organs and most of these have a picture, a short
history and specifications. There are historical monographs of individual organs and restoration
reports available for free download.

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Choir Director wanted at Leathley, North Yorkshire

A new conductor is needed for the benefice choir based at Leathley Church. The choir only performs at major festivals, and rehearses for five or six weeks beforehand each time.

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Mentioned in Dispatches

Good to read about the Halifax Organ Academy in the latest issue of the Institute of British Organ Building Newsletter (issue 74, June 2o14) about the ‘growing number of organ academies which are being established around the country, with the aim of providing teaching and experience of the instrument for anybody who is interested’. Thus writes Chris Batchelor, current President of the IBO and an accomplished layer and senior administrator himself.  ‘The emergence of more people who are passionate about the organ has to be good for all of us’, he continues.

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Sam Barber

Sam Barber will be giving an organ and trombone recital at Halifax Minster on Thursday, 10 July, starting at 1.00pm. Sam has won a scholarship to  study trombone at the Guildhall School of Music in London, starting in September, 2014. His programme at Halifax includes works by Bach, Handel, Holst and Proulx.

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Organ Scholar at Leeds Cathedral

Congratulations to George Ford, who has been appointed Organ Scholar at Leeds Cathedral. George is currently a music student at Huddersfield University.

George will be giving a recital at Halifax Minster at 1.00pm on 14 August.

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St Mary’s, Luddenden

Congratulations to Helen Austwick, who has been appointed to the post of Organist and Choirmaster at Luddenden, near Halifax

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Organist and Choir Master required at Luddenden Church

Organist and Choir Master: St Mary’s, Luddenden with Luddendenfoot

 

We have a Viscount Physis Digital Organ (installed 2011)

and a small committed SATB choir which is affiliated to the RSCM.

 

Duties currently include:

Weekly – Sunday morning sung Eucharist at 10am and Wednesday choir practice 8pm – 9.15pm

Additional services on Christmas Eve (midnight) Christmas Day (10am), also 9 Lessons and Carols (Sunday before Christmas at 6.30pm) and Good Friday service (7.30pm) with hymns and choir anthems. In addition, one Choral Evensong at 4pm usually for the Patronal Festival in August.

 

Honorarium:

£2,000 p.a. (Holidays – 4 Sundays per year)

 

Weddings (between 5 & 15 per year – sometimes with choir) – £90

Funerals (about 10 per year) – £75

 

The organ is available outside service times for private music tuition.

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Halifax Organ Academy – Calderdale Methodist Circuit

The Halifax Organ Academy (HOA) and the Calderdale Methodist Circuit wish to appoint an Organ Scholar.

The Scholar will play the organ at different churches – all with pipe organs – within Calderdale Methodist Circuit. The churches – each within easy travelling distance of central Halifax – are:

Southgate Methodist Church, Elland

St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Halifax

Highgate Methodist Church, Halifax

The Scholar will be expected to play for six Sunday services each quarter. The schedule will be agreed by negotiation.

The main benefits of the scholarship are:

  • £500 per annum depending on duties undertaken, plus possibility of occasional fees/travel expenses
  • £500 bursary for lessons and music purchase
  • Free organ lessons at Halifax Minster, and guidance in all areas of the role
  • 4 manual Harrison & Harrison at the Minster and good pipe organs at the designated churches within the circuit
  • Recital and conducting opportunities
  • Opportunities for the right candidate to be involved with planning music and choir training

This appointment would suit a candidate preparing for an Oxbridge scholarship, a gap year student or an undergraduate/postgraduate student who wishes to develop skills in church music. The scholarship is also open to young professionals wishing to develop their careers.

The post is subject to DBS checks.

The Organ Scholar will:

  • Be fully engaged with the musical activities of the Calderdale Methodist Circuit and the Halifax Organ Academy under the direction of the Organist of Southgate Methodist Church.
  • Play for up to six Sunday services per quarter. The schedule of the Organ Scholar will be planned in consultation with nominated representatives of the churches.
  • Be available to play for weddings and funerals across the Circuit as required
  • Attend Halifax Organ Academy events, as advised
  • Take regular organ lessons, as advised

Priority will be given to candidates who:

  • Play the organ to grade 8 standard
  • Have experience in playing for congregational singing and accompanying choirs on the organ
  • For further information or to discuss the post informally, please contact…

For further information or to discuss the post informally, please contact Professor David Baker.

E-mail d.baker152@btinternet.com

Telephone 01422-884655

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RCO (and HOA) Classes

RCO Summer Classes (May to September) are now advertised at https://www.rco.org.uk/organ_school.php and you can book very easily on line.   
Anne Marsden Thomas (Head of RCO Academy Organ School) writes:
This year we are introducing a ‘Concert Class’,  which we are repeating in different locations and at different standards.  There is therefore a Concert Class for everyone in the Organ School and I urge each of our students to take advantage of this opportunity to develop all-important performance experience.   Concert Classes (based on our popular Summer Concert Parties, but with only six students to allow lots of teaching time) offer you a chance to share a performance, not just with fellow students, but also with your friends and family, so do tell them about it as soon as you have booked!  Another new class is Frederick Stocken’s ‘Arrange and Compose’ (13th Sept).  This class is not just for budding composers, but also for those who need to arrange music (e.g. reharmonising a tune, or providing a descant or a part for an instrumentalist).  Frederick will give clear guidelines plus focused one-to-one help, whatever your need.

A

Saturday 10th May 2014 (14:00-17:00)

Spring Concert Class (all standards)

Old St Martin, Cornmarket, Worcester 
Gerdi Troskie

B

Saturday 17th May 2014 (16:00 – 19:00)

Aural Training for Grade 6+

St Giles Cripplegate, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DA
Marilyn Harper

C

Saturday 31st May 2014 (11:00 – 14:00)

Spring Concert Class (Grades 5 to 8)

St Giles Cripplegate, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DA
Gabriele Damiani

D

Saturday 7th June 2014 (14:00 – 17:00)

Summer Concert Class (all standards)

St Michael the Archangel, Lyme Regis
Richard Godfrey

E

Saturday 14th June 2014 (10:00 – 13:00)

Summer Concert Class (Grade 8 to diploma standard)

St George, Hanover Square, London W1S 1FX
Simon Williams

F

Saturday 21st June 2014 (14:00 – 17:00)

Organ Repertoire in the UK, 1890–1945

Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, London WC2H 8EP
Gerard Brooks

G

Saturday 5th July 2014 (14:00 – 17:00)

Summer Concert Class (all standards)

St John, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead
Roger Carter

H

Saturday 12th July 2014 (11:00 – 14:00)

Early Music – stylistic tips

St Giles Cripplegate, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DA
Daniel Moult

J

Saturday 13th September 2014 (11:00 – 14:00)

Arrange and compose for organ

SS Mary and Joseph, Poplar, London E14 6EZ
Frederick Stocken

Dates for your diary:

Sept 20th, 1100 – 1400 St. Giles Cripplegate, London, ‘Play Franck’ with Andrew Cantrill (Grades 4-8+)

Sept 27th, 1400 – 1700 Merton College, Oxford, Concert Class with Nicholas Prozzillo (all standards)

Oct 4th, 1400 – 1700 St. Giles-in-the-Fields, London, Concert Class with Jonathan Bunney (Grades 1-4)

Oct 18th, 1400 – 1700 St. Michael’s Chester Square, London, Concert Class with Tom Bell (Grades 8/Diploma)

Oct 25th, 1400 – 1700 St. Michael’s Mythmolroyd, Yorkshire, Concert Class with David Baker (all standards)

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