BIOS Reporter

The publication earlier this year of the Report of the Faculty Jurisdiction Commission (‘The Continuing Care of Churches and Cathedrals’) had been long looked forward to. The establishment of the Commission was, in part at least, an attempt to meet growing unease among the amenity societies, conservation groups, and individual architects and art historians, about […] read more

In the last issue of the Reporter I suggested that it was necessary to make full use of BIOS’ recently acquired charitable status to assist us in achieving financial stability, and so enabling us to extend our scope as a society. At the moment, the Council frequently feels frustrated by hand-to-mouth budgeting, which is the […] read more

It is no mistake that the word ‘Britain’ occurs in each of the four ‘Aims of BIOS’ which appear quarterly on the back page of this publication – “the Organ and its music in Britain”, “the history of the Organ in Britain”, “historic organs in Britain”, and so on. The appearance of the word ‘British’ […] read more

It is now two years since Michael Gillingham first indicated to members of BIOS that he felt the time to be approaching when he should retire from the Chairmanship of the society. The Council could only accept his decision with reluctance, but at the A.G.M. on Saturday, September 24th, a successor was duly elected. On […] read more

Why do musicians and the musical public still spurn the organ ? For spurn it, they (largely) do. There are, of course, exceptions. This summer, in the great tourist centres, there will be series of organ recitals which are very well attended: at Westminster Abbey, in the Oxford and Cambridge college chapels, and so on. […] read more

We recently received a letter from an organ builder, who, for reasons which will be apparent, had best remain anonymous. The salient paragraph of the letter went as follows: It is with some sadness that I note the mention in this month’s Reporter of the Hill organ from Leith. We have today received an invitation […] read more

‘Leave well alone’ is a motto which (translated into a suitably ancient language) a conservation society might be expected to make its own with enthusiasm. As a motto, there is, indeed, something to be said for it: it underlines the principal concern of all conservers – that what is good should be left alone, and […] read more

It seems inevitable that annual meetings are not the most popular events in the calendar of any society: BIOS is, in this respect, no exception. Add to this the fact that BIOS AGM’s normally happen in the course of the annual residential conference and this essential constitutional feature of our society’s life becomes remote from […] read more

When BIOS was founded, it was the intention that regular meetings of members would take place, usually in the form of day conferences. Not that these meetings were intended to be purely social: it was hoped that each event would have a theme, would give opportunity for discussion, and would have an educational object in […] read more

It is always encouraging for an editor to know that something he has written has evoked (or even provoked) a response among his readership. Consequently, when a little flood of material descended on me following an appeal last year for contributions to the Reporter I was delighted. (Please don’t recline on your laurels, though: we […] read more