Author: socawebmaster

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SOCA AGM and Annual Lunch, Saturday 4th November 2017

agmnov17-peter-cox-soca-secretary-173[1]SOCA AGM and Annual Lunch at the Ring of Bells, Ashcott, Saturday 4th November 2017

Peter Cox (right), retiring Secretary of SOCA, receiving a gift from our Chairman Ray Willis on behalf of all members, thanking him for his tireless and splendid work in communication, fixing, galvanising and keeping us all in touch.  Peter has also been the enterprising Music Director at Creech St Michael Parish Church.  Thank you, Peter – we will greatly miss you, and we wish you, Judith and Megan all the very best in Stratford-on-Avon! Continue reading →

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Practice makes Perfect – or does it? Talk by Hilary Shaw

Talk by Hilary Shaw at St Mary the Virgin, Cheddon Fitzpaine
 Tuesday 9th May 2017

Hilary Shaw (SOCA committee member) gave a presentation about this aspect of an organist’s creative life. The attractively situated church at Cheddon Fitzpaine is worth a visit in its own right, and it was made to feel warm and welcoming for the occasion, with refreshments in an interval. The organ is a two manual tracker by Osmond of Taunton dating from about 1900, with a concave straight pedal board and a ratchet swell pedal – a bit of a challenge in other words! Continue reading →

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Visit to Wiltshire – Saturday 25 February 2017

Visit to Wiltshire – Saturday 25 February 2017

soca-wiltshire-1-171Six organists from SOCA visited 3 organs in central Wiltshire.

We started at St Andrews just off the Market Place in central Chippenham and were welcomed by the former organist David Dewar and the President of the Wiltshire and Bath Organist’s Association, Geoff Oldnall. David gave us a short talk on the organ and played a piece by Weelkes, and a Psalm Prelude by Howells to demonstrate the three manual instrument. The organ boasts a range of interesting colours and members were able to enjoy playing it. Continue reading →

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Chairman’s New Year Message – January 2017

A New Year Message for 2017

ChairmanThe organ is the overall principal liturgical instrument. In its earlier forms, the organ took its place in Western Christian worship somewhere between the 10th to 12th centuries. Far from being ‘old instruments’ used in liturgy as museum pieces from the past, organs have their place in all contemporary music, liturgical or otherwise, in the same way as other instruments, classical or contemporary. Continue reading →

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Chairman’s Report – November 2016

Chairman2015/2016 has been a mixed year for SOCA. The support for our chosen charity has been considerably down from previous years. This could be attributed to some of our membership feeling unable to support music therapy and rehabilitation for the prison service. The total raised is only £753-95 plus an additional £25 in gift aid. Putting on concerts or other events in support of a chosen charity gives the association a sense of purpose which unites our enthusiasm to work together towards a common goal, and I sincerely hope that we can continue with this in future years. Continue reading →