BIOS News & Events

BIOS launched the new website almost a year ago and it included an area for additional content accessible only to members. The first member-only material is images of the Holdich Notebook. To be recognised online as a member go to the login page and enter your membership number or the email address BIOS has on […] read more

Newly published: The new 417 page hardback book ‘Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, Organ Builder of Paris: The British Connections’ is now published by BIOS. It has been written by Gerald Sumner and pre-orders are now being despatched. It can be ordered for posted despatch at this page which also has links to order the many other publications […] read more

29th November 12:00 for 12:30 at the Grosvenor Chapel, 24 South Audley Street, London W1K 2PA. As we look forward towards marking the first fifty years of BIOS in 2026 all members, wives, husbands, partners and friends are invited to gather and begin the celebrations! Cost will be £50 for a three course lunch, including […] read more

BIOS, the RCO, the Society of Women Organists, the IBO, the IAO, and others will be supporting the Heritage Open Day at Reading Town Hall on Saturday 13th September. William McVicker, Andrew Scott, Bruce Buchanan, Nicholas Thistlethwaite and Tom Bell will all make varied contributions. There will be a masterclass, and also an opportunity for […] read more

The June meeting of the BIOS Council approved five new Historic Organ Listings. Morville, St Gregory, c 1855 Holdich [N04753]: Grade II An organ by Holdich from c 1855 that contains historic pipework and includes a rare, intact example of a Holdich Diaocton. Grade, Cornwall, St Grada & Holy Cross, 1885 Brewer & Co [D00797]: Grade […] read more

BIOS will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026 with a residential conference in Oxford from 9-11 April. The topic of the conference will be “The Global British Organ”. We warmly invite proposals for individual papers and themed round-table discussions, as well as other types of presentation (including 30-minute lecture-recitals, venue permitting), on any relevant topic. read more

St John’s Church, 12 St John’s Street, Chichester PO19 1UU Saturday 7th June: Opened in 1813, St John’s Chapel is a rare surviving example of a Georgian proprietary chapel retaining most of its original early nineteenth century features. Proprietary chapels were a solution to the problem of insufficient capacity within existing parish churches to meet […] read more

Saturday April 12th 2025 – 10.30 for 11.00 The morning featured talks entitled ‘Wills, Willis and St Monica’s Care Home, Westbury-on-Trym’ with William McVicker and Owen Woods charting the history and technical detail of what was the Wills family house organ. In addition Ds Bertjan van de Lagemaat, Minister of the Dutch Church, provided a […] read more

The BIOS Historic Organ Sound Archive (HOSA) continues to grow. The latest addition to the YouTube collection is the 1755 Snetzler organ now at Clare College in Cambridge and restored by the William Drake company. (NPOR A01068). Dr Anna Steppler plays music by Eliza Turner, Maurice Greene, Ignatius Sancho, Elisabetta de Gambarini and G F […] read more