What were BOA members up to in 2016?
A return visit to the private function room of Mick Perrier's Golf Club. Our guest after-dinner speaker was to have been Paul Hale, but due to his illness we were grateful that our own member and IAO Vice-President DAVID SAINT was able to take over at short notice.
This year's service was a Choral Evensong directed by JOE COOPER, a former Birmingham Conservatoire student. A choir of girls' and men's voices led the singing, which included Herbert Howells' Collegium Regale setting.
BOA had a good representation here. The event started in the Albert Hall, which houses a large Binns organ, and included watching organ videos and a presentation by Andrew Caskie of Nicholson & Co. The afternoon session involved visits to the adjacent St Barnabas RC Cathedral and a hybrid organ at St Peter's Church.
A two-hour visit to David Wells Organ Builders Ltd was followed by an afternoon of Willis organs: Henry Willis II at St Anne's Church and a very fine "Father" Willis at Mossley Hill Parish Church. Many thanks to David Wells and to Liverpool OA colleagues Colin Porter & Joe Wakefield.
An evening to celebrate the music of Max Reger (d 11 May 1916) and Birmingham-based composers, devised by DAVID GRIFFITHS and MICHAEL JONES, and played by association members. The Birmingham composers represented included Cyril Christopher, Christopher Edmunds, Andrew Fletcher, Barnavas Gunn, John Joubert, George Miles & Herbert Wareing. Over £200 was raised for our Leonard Gibbons Fund.
A necessarily small group of members accepted an invitation to visit the archival facilities of the Royal College of Organists, housed on the Perry Barr campus of Birmingham City University. We were able to see the Library's specialist holdings of books, recordings and organ & choral music, with help from Librarian FRANCES POND and RCO Director of Academic Development, ANDREW McCREA.
DAVID GRIFFITHS and JONATHAN THORNE were elected to serve three-year terms on Council. After the AGM and lunch, we were joined by members of Worcestershire Organists' Association for a recital by director of music at St Chad's Cathedral (and IAO vice-president) PROFESSOR DAVID SAINT, which included music by Bach, Duruflé, Howells and Reger.
Members of the Council had each chosen a piece of organ music suitable for solemn occasions such as funeral/memorial services or during Lent. The full list, together with names of publishers, can be viewed here.