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 some significant instruments plus sound files of the instruments in Tewkesbury Abbey and Liverpool Cathedral, can be found on the explorechurches website. CLICK HERE
A Video Guide to the Organ was recorded at Holbrook School by Tom Bell and Richard Brasier. CLICK HERE to visit. A more extensive guide was recorded at Gloucester Catherdral by Jonathan Hope. CLICK HERE to visit
Playing the pedal keyboard - Go tell it on the Mountain - CLICK HERE
Twelfth-century pipes discovered in the Holy Land To find out more CLICK HERE
A revised edition of the BIOS advice note Sound Advice - The Care of your Organ has been issued. CLICK HERE to download.
All events postponed during the Coronavirus pandemic
The Making of an English Organ Builder: John Nicholson of Worcester Richard Nicholson (1788-1861) sent his oldest son John (1815-95) to Worcester, where he founded a business whose output represents some of the finest and, at times, the most adventurous of Victorian organ-building. By James Berrow. Hardback 464 pages. Website price £29.20 incl UK p&p. To place an order CLICK HERE
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 Historic Organs at Risk Register singles out important organs under threat. For more information CLICK HERE.
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 The British Institute of Organ Studies, to Adrian Mumford, 63 Atbara Road, Teddington TW11 9PA
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 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 listed Grade 1 are now available. CLICK HERE
BIOS News & Services
