A Message from the Chairman!

We find ourselves once again at the end of another year, and as I write, I am sure many of you will be up to the eyes in Christmas tunings.

Network Rail spent the majority of the past year derailing some of our planned events, As a result, our AGM/OGM at Chelsea Old Church had to be moved online, and some of you had difficulty getting to and from Canterbury for our weekend residency. Hopefully the Polar Express will still run in time for Christmas and our 2023 events will be on track.

A quick summary of the year’s events would go something like this:

• Our first in-person day meeting for two years took place in March at Waltham Abbey and St Mary’s Ponsbourne

 

• In conjunction with the Building Crafts College in Stratford, London, we hosted an open day at the college to launch the IBO Apprenticeship Scheme in April.

 

• Our June gathering in Oxford was unfortunately postponed, but we are hoping to advise of a date for a rematch in the Spring. In its place we were received an online presentation by Flentrop Orgelbouw.

 

• The AGM & OGM were held online in July.

 

• Our Autumn residency was held in Canterbury.*

 

• Our final event of the year was the long-awaited training course on ‘wirework’, held at Goetze & Gwynn.*

 

* The Canterbury residency and wirework course are both written up later in the December newsletter.

 

One of the things I have mentioned in previous newsletters is my sense of the IBO not being as engaged as it could, and should, be with the organ building culture beyond our own shores. I have also commented in past IBO newsletter articles about the International Society of Organbuilders (ISO) bi-annual congresses, and the consistently disappointing turn-out from the British contingent. Next year sees the long awaited, deferred ISO congress in Strasbourg, France, 20-26 August. I renew a previous invitation to you, and it would be good to see more British organ builders represented next year. I can assure you that amongst a wealth of organs, there will be just as much camaraderie as found at our own events. Details of the 2023 congress can be found here:

https://www.international-organbuilders.com/congress/detail/MTU=

 

Much like issues we have faced with late submission of census returns, sadly, our journal is once again running behind schedule. This is not the fault of the editorial team, but rather the authors of the commissioned articles who are not supplying copy for the dates promised. I can only apologise for this delay, and at present we are forecasting a March publication date.

We have much to look forward to in 2023, with the calendar of events and plans to include:

• Spring Chelsea Old Church (William Drake 2019)

 

• June AGM / OGM (to be held online).

 

• Summer Rescheduled Oxford visit: including St Peter, Wolvercote (Jennings Organs 2016), Radley College (Nicholson & Co. 2021) & St Birinus, Dorchester on Thames (Bernard Aubertin 2021).

 

• September First cohort of apprentices start the IBO apprentice

 

• Autumn Cavaillé-Coll flue voicing workshop with James Atherton at Nicholson & Co.

 

• Autumn Weekend residency in Liverpool.

 

Unfortunately, we don’t have any definitive dates yet, but we will publish these as soon as we can. We are also moving forward towards fielding the first cohort of apprentices. It is hoped that we will have sufficient to start the course in September. If you have not yet registered your apprentice(s), please do so here: https://www.thebcc.ac.uk/all-courses/musical-instrument-making/organ-building/

Finally, thank you to everyone who made IBO events in 2022 possible. Thank you also to those who work behind the scenes: administrational, board of trustees, editorial, accreditation, training - thank you all!

All that is left for me to say, on behalf of myself and the board of trustees, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

In dulci jubilo! https://www.dropbox.com/s/rjcv8qtjb6m6tyt/In%20Dulci%20Jubilo.mp4?dl=0

Andy chair@ibo.co.uk