BIOS Reporter – Volume 31, No.4 – October 2007

The relationship between the history of the organ, organ-builder, player and repertoire is the subject of perennial perusal; perhaps some of that attention needs to be transferred to the relationship of all four to the young organ student. Striking a balance between dealing with the organ and its repertoire in a scholarly, sober and weighty manner (akin to Bach’s gravititas) and the need to enthuse young minds is not necessarily straightforward. The current obsession with the achievement of pupils in state education, whether in music or otherwise, is not likely to help matters (particularly when politicians and some in education think ‘standard’ means ‘achievement’). Perhaps some consideration of past teaching methods might inform present thinking…