The British Institute of Organ Studies

Welcome to BIOS

 


       St Lawrence Whitchurch
            Edgware, Middlesex


             
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The British Institute of Organ Studies (BIOS) encourages and promotes the study of the pipe organ, including the history and design of the instrument and its music. It owns the National Pipe Organ Register and is the listing body for historic organs. BIOS is effectively the amenity society for the British organ.  It lobbies Government, Historic England and other national bodies on behalf of the instrument. BIOS is a registered charity No. 283936. 

A brief introduction to the organ, with information on ten significant instruments can be found on the ExploreChurches website (not currently operational). C

A Video Guide to the Organ was recorded at Holbrook School by Tom Bell and Richard Brasier. CLICK HERE to visit.

Playing the pedal keyboard -  Go tell it on the Mountain  -   CLICK HERE

A revised edition of the BIOS advice note Sound Advice - The Care of your Organ has been issued.   CLICK HERE to download.

BIOS News & Services

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All public events postponed during the Coronavirus pandemic 

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  • Nantes Cathedral The fire on Saturday 18 July destroyed the west end Grand orgue. The 4-manual 76 stop instrument was built as a two-manual by Jacques Girardet in 1619, rebuilt and enlarged by François-Henri Clicquot in 1784, with subsequent  changes up to 1971.                                                                                 
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  • The Historic Organ Sound Archive now includes some new video recordings accessible via YouTube. To see an introduction to the Historic Sound Archive CLICK HERE  To access the catalogue  CLICK HERE
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  • BIOS Journal 42 is now available. Edited by Andrew McRea. BIOS members receive free copies.  Non-members can purchase from the website CLICK HERE                                                                                             
  • The Andrew Freeman book In Search of Organs is now published. Edited by Katharine Pardee. Hardback 308 pages 234 full-page organ case photographs. Shop price 40 pounds    BIOS website price 35 pounds. CLICK HERE to buy. Individual photographs can be accessed from this website (CLICK HERE) or from the National Pipe Organ Register.

  • Organ Books Four titles pubished by 'At the Sign of the Pipe' are now available for online purchase via this website. They are: A Reluctant Convert - The Life and Times of George Maidweill Holdich, by Rodney Matthews; Six Centuries of Organ Building in Devon, by Nigel Browne; The Organ: A Most Elegant and Beautiful Instrument by Martin Renshaw, and Toccata and Fugue in D minor BVW 565  - a work by J.S.Bach ? by Rolf Dietrich Claus. For further information CLICK HERE

  • The Leffler Manuscript   REDUCED PRICE  A unique collection of stop-lists compiled around 1800 and attributed to Henry Leffler. The last few copies of the hardback facsimile edition are reduced to £25 plus postage - CLICK HERE                                                                                    

  • The Historic Organs at Risk Register singles out important organs under threat. For more information  CLICK HERE.

  • National Pipe Organ Register

The National Pipe Organ Register (NPOR) aims to list details of every organ in the country.  For more information about the NPOR CLICK HERE. For direct access to the NPOR CLICK HERE. BIOS welcomes updates and corrections which should be sent to npor@bios.org.uk The National Pipe Organ Register is free of charge to users but costs money to provide. Please make a Donation -  CLICK HERE  for an online donation or send a cheque, payable to BIOS, to Adrian Mumford, 63 Atbara Road, Teddington TW11 9PA

  • Historic Organ Listing

BIOS is responsible for the listing of historic organs. To see the listing criteria CLICK HERE.  To access details of listed organs, CLICK HERE    To see details of the latest Grade 1 listings CLICK HERE. For all the latest listings CLICK HERE.  Can you offer a suitable initial assessment of a new candidate for listing ?  For more details CLICK HERE   Nominations should be submitted to the co-ordinator at  hocs@bios.org.uk

  • The British Organ Archive (BOA) includes original order books and drawings, contemporary journals and publications and the Andrew Freeman photographic record. It is located at the University of Birmingham. For more information  CLICK HERE.   Enquiries should be sent to the Cadbury Research Library staff at special-collections@bham.ac.uk

  • The BIOS Webstore  For copies of BIOS Journal (including issues right back to No1), copies of 'In Search of Organs', the Leffler facsimile and the Historic Organ Sound Archive CD,  - CLICK HERE

    The full alphabetic index to BIOS Journal issues 16-25 is now available online  CLICK HERE   The alphabetic location  index to BIOS Journal issues 26-30 is now available online  CLICK HERE

  • Organ Music on-line is now available 24/7. Over 111,000 listeners in its first 12 months. Try it at www.orgelradio.eu  Thursday is Bach day !

Video clips of four of the organs on the Restoration Successes page are now available. CLICK HERE

Clips of two of the organs recently listed Grade 1 are now available. CLICK HERE

  • The European Parliament Directive on the use of 'hazardous substances' has been amended to specifically exclude pipe organs from a ban on the use of lead 'due to the lack of alternatives for substitution', 'significant cultural loss' and the potential Europe-wide annual loss of up to 65 million Euros.
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  • Grants for Organ Restoration  BIOS is unable to give grants from its own limited resources but a Guide to Grants can be downloaded  CLICK HERE
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  • 'Organ Transplants'  Details of secondhand organs for sale can be found on the IBO website  CLICK HERE to visit

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    The Aims of BIOS

    To promote objective, scholarly, research into the history of the organ and its music in all its aspects, and, in particular, into the organ and its music in Britain.

    To conserve the sources and materials for the history of the organ in Britain, and to make them accessible to scholars.

    To work for the preservation, and where necessary, the faithful restoration of historic organs in Britain.

    To encourage an exchange of scholarship with similar bodies and individuals abroad, and to promote, in Britain, a greater appreciation of historical overseas schools of organ-building.

     

    The Origins of BIOS

    The proposal to create an organisation dedicated to the study, preservation and promotion of the historic British organ arose from discussions between Nicholas Thistlethwaite, Nicholas Plumley and the late Michael Sayer in 1975.

    The following year others joined them, and a group of around thirty attended the inaugural conference and meeting in Queens' College, Cambridge, in July 1976

     

    Contact details for BIOS COUNCIL Officers can be found on the organisation page - CLICK HERE

     

    If you have any comments or suggestions for additional material on this website, please send them to webmaster@bios.org.uk

Significant Publications

Downloads

BIOS Brochure
A Guide to Grants
Gift Aid
The BIOS Constitution

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