As in recent years, the Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside Organists' Association (ORTOA) invited us to join them in a coach trip. This year's destination was Leeds, visiting three large instruments. We were welcomed to Leeds R C Cathedral by director of music, David Pipe. He told us something of the history and then briefly demonstrated the organ Klais had rebuilt from the previous Hill Norman & Beard, creating a very individual instrument. The lowest two manuals control the Nave and Choral Great divisions and David assisted as we enjoyed exploring the features. Organ details are at E01605.
We
then re-boarded the coach for the short trip to Leeds Minster, for much of
its life known as Leeds Parish Church, with its associations with S S
Wesley, Edward Bairstow, Melville Cooke, Donald Hunt and Simon Lindley.
Today, Chris Newton was our host and after he had played Dupré's Cortege
et Litanie, members began to discover both the power, but also the more
subtle sounds of what remains essentially a Harrison & Harrison organ.
Minster staff had prepared a very welcome lunch which everyone enjoyed. Some more shy members used the lunch break as their chance to quietly explore an instrument very different from their usual one.
The NPOR listing for the Minster organ is N02793.
With time to spare, several members took advantage of having a second helping of this important organ, and also the lunch.
After lunch the coach took us to Armley on the south side of Leeds and St Bartholomew's, home to the much moved 1866 Schulze organ, whose first and brief home was a private residence in Meanwood, Leeds before being purchased and loaned to St Peter's in Harrogate before settling in Armley. The full details can be found at N02809.
Graham Barber provided an overview of the history, before giving a short recital, ending with the Ilkley Moor section of Noel Rawsthorne's Dance Suite. More drinks and biscuits were served and members needed no encouragement to limb to the organ loft and explore this landmark instrument of the UK organ scene.
The postponed AGM took place on Monday 3rd July at 7:30 pm at Ainsworth
Methodist Chapel,
BL2 5PQ with eight members present. Officers' reports included
observations about the number of members and the future viability of the
Association. We also noted the very recent death of long term committee
member and auditor, Arnold Tyson.
After the business meeting and a break for refreshments, secretary Mel Plumley delivered a talk "Curious Organs" examining some of the strange variants in which our instrument is found.
Ainsworth Chapel is home to the 1900 Alexander Young organ described at G00578 and it was also heard. 
The IAO held their AGM in Blackburn this year and it was a useful opportunity for BDOA members to meet those from other areas with links to the IAO. 23 people attended with 13 apologists. It was sad to learn that during the past year both the Cleveland and the Shrewsbury Associations have ceased to operate.
After the business matters, IAO President Robert Sharpe gave an excellent recital on the Walker/Wood organ.
We are extremely fortunate to have on our doorstep this venue which holds so many recitals and other music events. Details of the organ can be found on the NPOR at A00531.
The
evening
at St Bartholomew's, Westhoughton was intended to start withthe AGM in the
church meeting room and be followed by a recital in church by the resident
organist and BDOA former president, EdwardMcHale, on the 1995 Nicholson
organ. 
Unfortunately insufficient members were able to confirm attendance so this meeting did was postponed to a later date.
Many of us have known the Makin premises in Shaw for many years and for some years it has also been home to Church Organ World, featuring digital instrument brands of Johannus, Copeman Hart and Rodgers. They also have a very large stock of organ music to browse and purchase. Our visit will gives us change not only to explore some fascinating recent developments in digital instruments, but will also include lunch, courtesy of Church Organ World! The address is Sovereign House, 30 Manchester Road, Shaw, OL2 7DE.
We will also have the opportunity to visit nearby Holy Trinity Church to hear the Makin Thirlmere organ in a church context.
Nine members and eight others were welcomed by Rev Michael Taylor who
provided a brief history of the church and organ. It was interesting to
learn that much of its history as described in the NPOR is perhaps not
accurate. The organ is believed to be original to the church, first
installed in the 1840s in the west gallery. It has enjoyed several
relocations, first in 1880 to the north transept, then to an organ chamber
on the south of the chancel, then back to an elevated position in the
north transept. In the latest reordering, it leaves space beneath for a
drum booth, reflecting diverse musical styles. The organ is regularly used
and is kept in good order as demonstrated first by Rev Taylor, before
handing the clearly very Compton console over to the BDOA members who
explored the possibilites for everything from Giulio Caccini, via Bach to
a rambling Lenten improvisation. The console enjoys a modern multilevel
memory system as well as retaining the Compton Canceller system for those
who like to give themselves surprises. The casework and now dummy facade
came from the redundant St Matthews. The now doubted details of St
Peter's organ are at D08238.
A dozen BDOA members as well as a couple of visitors gathered at St
Cuthbert's, Darwen to see an organ with a long history. It was built by
Father Bernard Smith (Schmidt) in 1702 for Holy Trinity, Kendal and the
Great chorus and some other parts, not least the case of that survives in
Darwen. A second manual got added in the 18th century and a third in the
early 19th. In the 1840s Samuel Renn rebuilt it and Jardines moved it to
Darwen in 1878, keeping a broadly similar three manual specification.
Alexander Young's company did work in 1908 and in 1958 Cowen of Liverpool
provided a detached console, electro-pneumatic action and changed the
pedal division. In 1985 Rushworth & Dreaper fitted new stop keys,
repaired the action and undertook a degree of restoration.
The evening began with an introduction from Parish Priest, organ builder
and no mean player, Fr Nicholas, before he had guest organist, James
Lonsdale, provide a very impressive three piece demonstration. Members
then explored the organ for themselves, all being assisted by hot drinks
and the church cut no corners laying on 'the good biscuits'. The evening
concluded with Fr Nicholas taking to the bench to demonstrate some of the
slightly hidden features not everyone had discovered. These included the
Great Tierce, the Zimbelstern and how convincing the instrument could be
in a theatre mode!
Details of the organ are at N01704 and with links to its earlier forms.
A committee member recommended the Ridgeway Arms in Blackrod, just 300 yards from Blackrod Station on the Bolton-Preston-Blackpool North line.
Circumstances meant only six members were able to gather but they enjoyed the food and company, the latter always being an important part of BDOA events.
It
carries the maker's plate of his wife Sarah Renn, though it seems possible
Kirtland & Jardine were involved in its building. This highly original
organ has obvious similarities to the well known examples at Gt Budworth
and St Philip's, Salford and there is little wonder it has been granted a
Grade I Historic Organ Certificate. It is important to note that this is
an organ awaiting a restoration project and the pedals are not presently
in operation.
After refreshments, Rev Michael Taylor told us something of the history of area, the building and its organ. Mel Plumley then talked briefly about how the Renn company emerged and its relation to other organ builders in the Manchester area before giving a demonstration of some of the sounds. She didn't confine herself to music for manuals and attempted several three stave items on manuals only! It is not at present an easy instrument to play but the sounds are gorgeous. Despite all players present being invited to explore them for themselves, only Michael Pain took up the challenge, discovering colours just right for English music for manuals.
Full details are at N10666.
Seven members gathered
yesterday on a very wet night at St Mary the Virgin in Leigh where David
Crompton is resident organist. He told us something of the history of what
is basically a 1911 Harrison & Harrison in a Paley & Austin case.
The east side of the case faces into a vestry and uses part of the case of
the church's 18th century organ by Samuel Green, pipes from which remain in
use. The organ has a Grade II* Historic Organ Listing.An unfortunate double booking of the building with a local history society meant we needed to be somewhat sotto voce for the first quarter hour, after which the historians retreated to another room leaving BDOA members to explore the organ in their usual fashion. We were provided with excellent hospitality, drinks, sandwiches and, most appropriately for a church with a Wigan postcode, miniature pies!
Full details can be found at N10997.
The church's reserve instrument is a three manual Viscount that has had the misfortune to have its external speakers removed and signals diverted into the church sound system. An adventurous member attempted an organ duel but the digital instrument was unable to achieve the necessary horsepower.
As in recent years, the Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside Organists' Association (ORTOA) invited us to join them in a coach trip. This year's destination was Merseyside, visiting two instruments and an organ works. First stop was the Grade 1 listed instrument at St Matthew & St James, in Mossley Hill, Liverpool. It was first built by Henry Willis in 1874 then revised by the Willis company during the early and mid 20th century. It had later updates by S Reeves and now has both a main three manual console and also a two manual one in the nave.
The NPOR listing is found at G00786.
After lunch the trip moved on to the organ works of Henry Willis &
Sons for a tour hosted by David Wylde.
Our thanks to N. Spooner for the photographs.
The school operates as two single sex institutions though they share several resources including our host Nigel Spooner who has the title 'Foundation Organist' as well as teaching chemistry. Ten members gathered to hear demonstrations first of the 3 manual organ in the Girls Hall by Marissa and Bing Yu who played music by Martini, Pachelbel and Walton. We then moved across to the boys division to hear Lucas and William demonstrate the 2 manual organ in their hall with music by Böhm, Bach, Demessieux and Langlais.
The girls' organ is a 1972 transplant by Hill Norman & Beard from Bridge Street Methodist Chapel of what was originally a Forster & Andrews built in 1885. In the move it got a radical remodelling and took on everything then regarded as desirable. It still provides the school with a very musical teaching instrument with some diverse tone colours. Details at R00728.
The details are found at: R00675
The BDOA is very grateful to Bolton School, their organ students and Mr Spooner for facilitating a visit during a busy exam period which meant some of their more senior organ scholars were unavailable. We certainly hope to see them at future BDOA meetings. The school is located on Chorley New Road, Bolton, BL1 4PA.
Twelve members
attended our AGM after which there was a social time with food
provided by the church catering team.
A recital audience of 30 arrived for yet more sustenance with a recital from Marc Murray of music. The programme included music by Martin How, Cecilia McDowall, J S Bach, Alfred Hollins and two items that were recent winners in the composition competition recently run by our friends at Manchester Organists' Association. This was music by Robert Cockcroft and by John Wright.
The organ at St Stephen's is an 1893 Jardine & Co. with mechanical action. The basic specification is shown at D06438. The instrument has been enhanced with some of the 'prepared for' stops now added but not yet updated in the NPOR.
A
dozen members plus some parishioners and a visiting organist gathered to
hear Nigel Spooner welcome us to St Aidan's and later to St Leonard's. He
provided expert demonstrations of both the Phoenix at Bamber Bridge and
later the Gray & Davison at Walton-le-Dale.
The Phoenix digital was specified by Prof Ian Tracey to be used in the nave of Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral. When relocated to St Aidan's it was given updates by Phoenix. With digital instruments playing an increasing role in many places, it was good for the BDOA to reflect this, as well as pipe organs.
Around 15 members and friends gathered to learn ths history of the church's organs. The secretary gave a brief overview of the company, Alexander Young & Sons and her enthusiasm for this small organ was undisguised!
In 2018 the previous organ by Driver & Co of Burnley had become unusable. After a church fire added more dirt, replacement became more effective than repair and this 1894 instrument, previously in Haughton Green Methodist Church Denton, was installed. It is a fine example of a top quality small instrument and details of it are found in the NPOR at K01627 and from where a link can also be found to the earlier Driver organ.
The RC church of Holy Infant & St Anthony is on Baxandall Street,
Astley Bridge, Bolton, BL1 6QH.
It was a select group of around half the membership who met for a Christmas lunch, perhaps a reflection of the still uncertain times in which we are living.
As in earlier years, the Brewhouse on the north side of Bolton, between
Astley Bridge and Egerton, provided a warm welcome.
The conversation ranged widely, and well beyond the obvious organ related
topics.
It
was
good to once again have a meeting in our traditional format. Richard
Fairclough, Director of music, welcomed fourteen of us and
explained something of the history of the 1820 church, designed by
Charles Barry with the initial Samuel Renn west gallery organ. The
later changes by Jardine, moving it to the east end, and subsequently by
Smethurst leading to the Nicholson instrument there today were detailed.
Richard then provided a short demonstration including music by Whitlock
and Jongen before members began their own explorations whilst others took
refreshments. 
The
somewhat
delayed AGM took place with a good attendance for the organ concert
by BDOA President Edward McHale and BDOA secretary and St Paul's
resident organist, Melanie Plumley. The organ is
an 1873 Hill organ that can still sound very adequate despite its
1960s changes by Cowin. It is described here in the NPOR at H01003.
We were pleased to welcome Thomas Jones to the committee as he takes on the role of President Elect.
This
was
our first gathering in far too long and we joined with the Rochdale
Association (ORTOA) for a coach trip to Derby. First call was the
cathedral where Alexander Binns welcomed us and provided a
demonstration of the 1939 Compton organ, and its 1992 changes
by Rushworth & Dreaper. Failed incandescent bulbs providing
stop lens illumination can make for challenges in knowing what is
drawn but it is good to see this historic feature still in use.
Seven members and three guests, including two from New
Wine who are now custodians of the church, gathered to hear and explore this
superb example of a middle period English organ. Built by Renn and
Boston in 1829, it enjoyed a sensitive restoration by Noel Mander in 1963.
More history and the specification is at N06094.
This
was an informal Saturday lunchtime gathering with eleven members
booked to attend to aid our recovery from the stresses of the Christmas
period! This year, we dined at the Brewhouse on the north side of Bolton,
between Astley Bridge and Egerton.
This meeting also incorporated an EGM at which the BDOA
Constitution was brought in-line with present needs.
At
the invitation of the Preston Organists' Association, members of the
BDOA joined 28 others to make a good audience to hear a talk and
recital by John Robinson, the recently arrived Director of Music at
Blackburn Cathedral. Blackburn MD of a few years ago, John Bertalot,
introduced the evening after which Mr Robinson interspersed a fascinating
career history to date, that includes Hereford Cathedral, St John's
College Cambridge, Carlisle Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral and most
recently St. Paul's Choir School in Cambridge Massachusets with music on
the Cathedral's organ.
A total
of 23 members of the Association and the Parish gathered to hear
from Rosemary Artley, resident organist, a little of the history
of organs at Emmanuel. This was amusingly illustrated with a monologue
written by her father Philip France and read by her brother Richard. Mel
Plumley then provided a short talk on the concepts and history
of extension organs and a brief demonstration. All were then
entertained by members' exploration of what is
possible with the church's 1979 Sixsmith organ.
Details of the organ are at D05696.
The evening had an
early start with the starting at 6:30 pm. This was followed by a
recital by resident organist and BDOA president, Edward McHale for
which members of the public also joined us. The evening concluded
refreshments from around 8:30. 
Resident organist
Gordon Viney welcomed a small group of six members and two guests to a
lovely warm church. He gave a thumbnail history of the organ by Benson,
which was expanded to three manuals and the subject of reworks by
Harrison & Harrison and in 1955, by J W Walker.
The damp misty evening
provided a dramatic approach to St Anne's, Turton for the seventeen members
of the Bolton Organists' Association who visited this evening. We were
welcomed by resident organist David Smith. Melanie Plumley who played here
under an earlier name in the early 1970s provided a brief description of the
1891 Father Willis organ before various members demonstrated its
capabilities. 
This evening's
visit was to the 1883 Hill organ of Christ Church where we were welcomed by
resident organist, Geoff Stokes. The organ's unusual features include the
five rank swell tierce mixture (Cornet) and a generous provision of 16 foot
stops in the Great and Pedal. Having the pedal stops at the top of the RH
jamb can catch out the unwary!
Ten members gathered
to hear resident Director of Music, Gary Hulme describe the history of the
building and the organs it had contained. A demonstration of the Walker
organ, restored in 2006 by Principal Pipe Organs of York followed using
music by Bridge, J S Bach and Flor Peeters. Members then began their own
explorations with a cheeky one reprising one of Gary's demonstration pieces
to prove they couldn't play it well as him! 
At this afternoon's visit to
around a dozen members and friends were welcomed by resident music director,
David Thornton. He gave us a comprehensive overview of the history of the
Binns organ through its various transformations. The present organ is a 2008
rebuild by Principal Pipe Organs of a several times reworked instrument,
originally a 3 manual Binns from 1913.
This
Saturday afternoon meeting saw around ten members gathered at St Paul's in
Royton to listen to and play the rebuilt organ. Originally by Benson with
later work by Wadsworth, it had a remodelling in the 1950s by Harrison and
Harrison. The Willis company have recently completed a project to update the
console and reverse some of the 1950s tonal modifications. At the time of
posting this, the NPOR listing at G00125 does not reflect the latest work.
Saturday 30th September 2017 - St Silas, Blackburn
Saturday 8th July 2017 - Visit to Kendal & Cartmel
Saturday 20th May 2017 - AGM and organ music at St Mary's,
Hawkshaw
Monday 24th April 2017 - Christ Church, Walshaw
Monday 27th March 2017 - Spotland Methodist, Rochdale
Monday 20th February 2017 - St Mary's (Bury Parish Church)
Monday 19th December 2016 - Christmas Social at The Triangle,
Bolton
Monday 28th November 2016 - St James, Haslingden
Monday 24th October 2016 - Edenfield Parish Church
Saturday 24th September 2016 - Tarleton Methodist Chapel &
Charleton Parish Church
Saturday 14th May 2016 - AGM, Christ Church, Heaton
Saturday 16th April 2016 - Ormskirk Parish, Croston Parish
& Tarleton Parish Churches
Monday 21st March 2016 - Wigan Parish Church
Monday 16th November 2015 - St Mary the Virgin, Leigh
Monday 26th October 2015 - Christ Church, Harwood
Monday 21st September 2015 - St Margaret's, Prestwich
Monday 16th May 2015 - St Stephen's, Elton
Monday 20th April 2015 - St Mary the Virgin, Leigh
Monday 16th March 2015 - St Stephen, Kearsley Moor
Monday 14th February 2015 - Standish Parish Church
Monday 15th December 2014 - Christmas Social at Central
Baptist, Bolton
Monday 17th November 2014 - Bolton Road Methodist, Bury
Monday 20th October 2014 - St John's, Wingates
Friday 26th September 2014 - St James, Hebdon Bridge
& Heptonstall Methodist & St Thomas
Saturday 17th May 2014 - AGM & Recital at St Mary
Hawkshaw
Monday 28th April 2014 - Oldham Parish Church
Tuesday 18th March 2014 - St Aiden's Sudden, Rochdale
Saturday 15th February 2014 - Albion URC, Ashton
under Lyne
