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News Archives 2014

22/11/2014

MATTHEW OWENS PLAYS “WIND & WAVE” RECITAL AT KINGSBURY EPISCOPI

(From right) Recitalist Matthew Owens, host organist Jess Bromfield, and the Revd David Gent, Vicar of St Martin’s

(Click on photo to enlarge)

Kingsbury Episcopi was a fitting choice for the last recital in our “Wind & Wave” series for 2014, being next door to Muchelney, the village which was famously cut off for months on end during the flooding of the Somerset Levels. So it was doubly appropriate that the recitalist on this occasion should be Matthew Owens, Organist & Master of the Choristers at Wells Cathedral, and SOCA’s honorary president. Matthew’s programme, which was purely baroque with the exception of a delightful new work of his own, ran as follows: J S Bach, completed by Wolfgang Stockmeier Fantasia in C, BWV 573; J G Walther Concerto after Albinoni; Matthew Owens Prelude on ‘Wessex’; Johann Pachelbel Choral with 9 variations: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan; J S Bach Prelude and Fugue in E flat, BWV 552.

The appreciative audience of some 50 people, young and old, were afterwards regaled with a magnificent spread of homemade cakes and other refreshments, courtesy of St Martin’s team of helpers. Thanks to their generosity, the sum of £262 was donated to Somerset Flood Relief, which will further benefit from gift aid on a proportion of the total. This brings the overall total raised for Somerset Community Foundation’s flood relief fund by this year’s series of 18 organ recitals & concerts to £4,752.61. We are hugely grateful to all the organists and other musicians who took part during the year, as well as to those church communities across Somerset who played such a vital role in ho

sting all the “Wind & Wave” events. Well done everyone concerned!

01/11/2014

SOCA AGM WELCOMES GUEST SPEAKER PAUL HALE

(From right) Geoffrey Bond, outgoing SOCA chairman Brendan Chandler, new SOCA chairman Ray Willis, guest speaker Paul Hale, Mrs Anne Hale, Mrs Jane Woolrich

26 SOCA members & guests sit down to the 2014 Annual Lunch at the Ring O’Bells, Ashcott

One of the two very well-behaved dogs who also attended this year’s AGM & Lunch

Friday 31 October 2014

SOCA WEBSITE REACHES FIRST 10K HITS MILESTONE

Our website’s Statistics page at 8.01am this morning, showing 10K hits 

 

Thursday 9 September 2014

SIMON WILLIAMS GIVES RECITAL AT WELLS CATHEDRAL

Simon Williams (left) with Jonathan Vaughn, Assistant Organist at Wells (centre), and composer Brian Kelly (right)

Thursday 25 September 2014: “WIND & WAVE” MAKES A SPLASH AT WELLS

Saturday 23 August 2014:

ILMINSTER “WIND & WAVE” RECITAL WITH IAN HEAVISIDES

Ilminster organist Ian Heavisides (right) with fellow organist Stephen Bell, another veteran of the “Wind & Wave” series

Thursday 14 August 2014:

CATHEDRAL CAT SLEEPS THROUGH LANQUETUIT TOCCATA

Matthew Redman (3rd from left) with members of Wells Cathedral Voluntary Choir: Nerissa Faulkner, Andrea Green, Chris Willoughby, Rob Willoughby, and Catherine Greenwell

Saturday 2 August 2014:

REV. JOHN GUTTRIDGE’S RECITAL AT ST JOHN’S PAWLETT

(From left) Rev. Doris Goddard, Rev. John Guttridge, Dr. Mike Stewardson

Saturday 20 July 2014:

CONCERT FOR ORGAN, CLARINET & SOPRANO AT ST GEORGE’S WEMBDON

(From left) Rev. Ed Moll, Ellen Tiso, Hannah Deason-Barrow, Jenny Bodiley, John Bodiley

Saturday 12 July 2014:

DOUBLE ORGANS & TRUMPET BLAST ST MARY MAGDALENE’S, TAUNTON

(From left) Miles Quick, Gregory Steward, John Bodiley

Wednesday 9 July 2014:

JOHN BELCHER RECITAL AT ST MARY’S MOORLINCH

John Belcher at the Moorlinch organ

Wednesday 18 June 2014:

ORGAN, CELLO & VOICES IN YEOVIL “WIND & WAVE” CONCERT

(From left) Fiona Donaldson (Head of Sixth Form BSG), Matt Dury (Director of Music BSG), Flora McLaren, Monique Sang, Eva Cowlishaw, Maggie Kasprzak, Julia Robbins, Rachel Robbins (Deputy Head BSG), Ray Willis (Organist at St John’s & Keyboard Tutor BSG)

Saturday 14 June 2014:

ST JOHN’S GLASTONBURY LUNCHTIME RECITAL

(From left) Ben Hecks, Organ Scholar at St John’s, Derek Dorey, Organist of St John’s, and the Revd David MacGeoch, Vicar of St John’s (note the keyboard shirt!)