A warm welcome to our Association

Whether you love listening to this fabulous instrument or enjoy playing it, we welcome you to join us, the Suffolk Organists' Association. Each year we publish a Journal. We offer opportunities to visit churches throughout the county and further afield, recitals and lectures.

We offer bursaries and advice to those of any age who would like to advance their abilities with the instrument. Please note that the deadline has been extended for this year from 30 April so we will welcome applications from you for funds that would aid you in advancing your expertise.

Our Association reached its 90th Anniversary on 10 February 2025 this year.

This is a milestone of which all members past and present can be most proud.

Programme of Events for 2025-2026

Please join us for as many of these events as you are able. We shall look forward to seeing you there.

Ipswich Minster Organ recitals Summer Series 2025

The Minster has a full programme of events during this summer but here are the organ recitals.The SOA is sponsoring this year, the Director of Music at St Edmundsbury Cathedral; Claudia Grinnell and Joshua Simões.

Tuesday 12 August 2025

We had the pleasure of Nicholas Freestone's programme. Three pieces were played: Prelude and Fugue in B minor J S Bach/ Messiaen / Reubke/ On a very hot day, the start of probably another heatwave, fortunately in the Minster it was favourably cool. Nicholas was in fine form. A number of members of SOA were present. Particularly, we were delighted to see Ann Smith, Life Member of the Association, who had come with her daughter. Nicholas's parents were there too. Also Andrew Leach, William Baldry, Organist of the Minster, the organiser of these excellent recitals and Andrew Garfath-Cox.

Here are all recitals to be held in this year held on a Tuesday lunchtime at 1.10pm and end before 2pm with a retiring collection.

27 May 2025 Joshua Simões
3 June 2025 James Davy
29 July 2025 Mark Blatchly
5 August 2025 Brass Quintet and William Baldry
12 August 2025 Nicholas Freestone
16 September 2025 Claudia Grinnell
30 September Colin Walsh

A travelogue of a trip to the USA by our member Barry Palmer Easter 2024.

At the SOA Annual lunch at The Fox in Newbourne, I sat next to Barry Palmer and he had told me about an amazing trip that he had taken with his wife to America. I was fascinated by the extent of his travels and his experiences whilst he was there. I asked him if he would be willing to share it with other members of the Association and the result was that he sent me this email and I hope you will enjoy learning about his excursion to the USA as much as I did. Read about it in News of Members

Andrew Garfath-Cox Hon. Web Administrator and a Past President

NEWS..news...

MASTERCLASS... MASTERCLASS...

Journal 122 published

We are most grateful to James Crowe for his production of this Journal which should now be in your hands. It records the life of the Association in the year 2016 when Andrew Garfath-Cox handed the baton on to Ann Little on 21 May 2016. You will enjoy reading this most comprehensive and well researched volume!

Journal 126 published

We are most grateful to Nicholas Jardine, President of SOA for producing this Journal which records this rather problematic period where all the events of 2020/2021 in his year of office had to be cancelled but fortunately Nicholas revived many of his planned activities and organised still more in his second year of tenure. We are most grateful to him for this valuable record.

Journal 127 published

Another excellent resumé of his presidential year 2022-2023 events has been prepared by immediate Past-President William Baldry. We thank him and his contributors for news of the vibrant life of the Association.

Journal 128 published

Immediate Past President Alan Loader has created a most interesting and informative summary of the many excellent events he organised during 2023-2024. We thank him and his contributors very much for these valuable insights into the activities of our Association.

Journal 129 published

You will have received recently from Immediate Past President Robert Waller his informative summary of the many excellent events he organised during his term of office 2024-2025. We thank him and his contributors very much.