Bolton and District Organists' Association

17/02/2026

Organists in the Bolton area may recall the instruments built by and other works of the late Peter Pemrick. His funeral featured music from the choir and organists of Bolton Parish Church and had a large congregation.

04/02/2026

Today's recitalist at 12:15 at Blackburn Cathedral (BB1 5AA) is Andreana Chan, currently assistant at St Mary Magdalene, Richmond (London).

14/01/2026

Booking is now open for the BIOS Bernard Edmonds Research Conference. It will take place at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, 200, Jennens Road, Birmingham B4 7XR on Saturday 21st February 2026. We are grateful to Daniel Moult, Head of Organ Studies and his colleagues for hosting this event once again. The programme will include papers on the following topics:
• Andrew Freeman (1876 – 1947), to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth – Paul Tindall
• The appropriate organ pitch for the Fantasies of Orlando Gibbons? – Christopher Stembridge
• Investigating the Perception, Role and Future of the Pipe Organ in the Contemporary Culture of Young People in the UK – Joseph Thornber
• Railway engineers and organ builders of the Empire: Lewis Conway-Gordon and Frederick Ewart Robertson – David Shuker
• A ‘Bach’ Organ for Kegworth: Roger Yates’ Singular Vision in Mid- 20th Century British Organ Design – Alastair Johnston
• ‘On a Positive Note’. Three revived ‘redundant’ organs showing that small works are beautiful – Melanie Plumley & Andrea Testa
• ‘Mr Stanley, I presume!’ – Andrew Benson-Wilson
Bookings should be made no later than Monday 16th February either using the on-line booking system through the website page https://bios.org.uk/bernard-edmonds-research-conference-2026-2/ with card payments, or by downloading the form athttps://bios.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/BookingEdmonds2026.pdf, printing and completing it before sending to:
Meetings Officer, Richard Hobson, 52 Dickinson Square, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth WD3 3EY
tel 01923 718870 email [email protected]

06/01/2026

The winter 2026 series of Wednesday recitals starts this week with Nigel Spooner still providing some Christmas season content in his programme.

21/12/2025

Our friends in the Oldham Rochdale & Tameside Association have published the list of recitalists for their 2026 series of concerts.

15/12/2025

St Edmund's, Falinge are having one of their regular open afternoons on Saturdays this coming weekend (20th Dec). The church has Christmas decorations and Mel Plumley will be playing some Christmassy themed stuff on the Great & Pedals (the working parts) of the 1873 Hill organ. If any local organists would like to take a turn on this bench, they'll be most welcome. If you haven't yet heard this amazing surviving specimen of Hill's work, come along. The church is at Clement Royds St, Rochdale OL12 6PL.

08/12/2025

Derek Sharples of The Albion URC (OL6 6QQ) has asked us to bring this to your attention.

27/11/2025

The third BDOA event of the Autumn season was on Tuesday 18th November at 19:30 when we met at Bolton Road Methodist Church in Bury. After an introduction to the modern building and its history, seven members and two visitors settled in for a listening session. Several members took to the bench of the fine 2001 Copeman Hart. It has one of their typically high quality drawstop consoles and the Musicom tone generation system provides a great legacy from the late Ernest Hart. (The coat hooks may be an aftermarket addition!)

19/11/2025

All of the BIOS Journals from Volume 1 (1977) to Volume 49 (2025), over 9000 pages, are now available for free viewing and download by members of BIOS. A new page has been added to the website showing the front covers and contents pages. Clicking on the cover image opens the volume. Joining BIOS now, even with deferment until the new membership year starts on January 1st, will give immediate access to these important volumes of knowledge.
Visiting the Journal Archive link as a non member will take you to the joining page. https://bios.org.uk/journal-archive/

15/11/2025

Saturday 22nd is the day the Royal School of Church Music invites organists everywhere to join in playing the Largo from Handel’s Xerxes (Ombra mai fui) at 2pm. As such Edward McHale will make it part of his recital marking the 30th birthday of the Nicholson organ.

12/11/2025

The BDOA November newsletter recently went to members. It mentions our October meeting at Trinity Methodist in Bolton revealing a most enjoyable organ by James Higginson of Bolton.
In November we continue our season with another Methodist church visit, this time to Bolton Road Methodist Church in Bury. It is found at Bolton Road, Bury BL8 2NZ and is home to a Copeman Hart organ, built during the peak of the company when it was overseen by Ernest C Hart himself. It has a very proper looking and feeling draw-stop console as shown here, and is amongst the best sounding examples of its type.
This November meeting is not on our usual Monday evening but on Tuesday 18th at the usual 7:30 pm.

05/11/2025

This week's Wednesday recitalist is Eleni Keventsidou.

Wednesday 5th lunchtime (12:15) recital at Blackburn Cathedral (Cathedral Close, BB1 5AA) is given by Eleni Keventsidou. Eleni studied with Nicolas Kynaston and David Titterington and has performed in Greece, Cyprus, Romania, UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Norway, Finland, Poland and the USA. She teaches at Rugby School, East London Piano Service and is Organ Professor at London Performing Academy of Music.