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 those who wish to apply for funding for the next academic year will do so in good time during the summer.

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.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 3pm 16 May 2026

We hope that all members will aattend this meeting but please note that there has been a change of venue. The meeting will be held in Museum Street Methodist Church. Tea and refreshments will be available at the close of the meeting. We shall thank our current President, Stephen Hogger and welcome our new President, Hugh Singleton and elect members of the Council

Programme of Events for 2026-2027

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

Allen Organ (2 manuals) for sale

I have had a message from Graham Thorpe, Master of Music at Norwich Cathedral who has an Allen Protégé two manual instrument for sale as is described here. This would be a very useful home practice instrument where a church organ is unavailable, distant or just too cold to play in the winter!

A recital in Norwich 21 May 2026

We have received a notification of a recital which is part of this year's Norfolk and Norwich Festival which may be of interest to members. James McVinnie is one of the resident musicians this year and will be playing Bach’s Clavier-Übung III at St Peter Mancroft. Click here for further info.

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

At the SOA Annual lunch 2024 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.