Hull and East Riding Organ Group

From Our Archives – 2010

2010 – HEROG’s first visit was to the organ in the Michael Phipps Concert Hall in the University of Huddersfield. Pictured (L) Philip Wood, Organ Builder of Huddersfield; (R) Michael Phipps, the donor of the instrument.

This organ is now in St Wilfred’s Church, Ripon, North Yorkshire.

2010 Visit to University of Huddersfield; Dr. Alan Spedding (Organist Emeritus, Beverley Minster) during his recital on the Walker organ.

The case of the Walker organ in the Michael Phipps Concert Hall, University of Huddersfield 2010 during an informal moment.

During our first year we were visited by the Newcastle and District Organists’ Association (photograph taken at Wolds Village, Bainton, North Yorkshire)

During the Inaugural Meeting in 2010, Dr Alan Spedding (recently retired) spoke about his life and work as Director of Music at Beverley Minster. The meeting took place at Tower Hill Methodist Church, Hessle, East Riding of Yorkshire.

From Our Archives 2011 – Our Second Year

At our first Annual Dinner, the President of HEROG, Dr Alan Spedding (Organist Emeritus, Beverley Minster) introduced Dr Francis Jackson (Organist Emeritus York Minster) as our Vice-President.

Dr Jackson took a keen interest in all the activities of HEROG and was an enthusiastic and benevolent supporter of the group. Dr Jackson maintained his interest right up to his passing in 2022.

During 2011 HEROG members visited Rudston, a village not too far distant from Bridlington. The parish church dates back to the 13th century and contains a fine three manual organ, built in 1888 by Wordsworth & Co., Leeds. This is an exterior view of the church. The organ was a gift of Sir Alexander MacDonald of the Isles, who himself was organist of the church for over forty years.

As can be seen in this interior view of Rudston Church, East Riding of Yorkshire, the organ has a fine case and occupies the entire west end of the church. The picture below shows the particularly fine details of the case.

The console of the organ at All Saints’, Rudston. The console is situated at the east end of the church, behind the Curate’s stall. The picture above shows some of our members enjoying the open console session.

2011 – Visit to Bridlington Priory. The Priory occupies a site high up above the town. The organ was built in 1889 by Anneessens of Belgium. In 1949 the organ was restored and added to by The John Compton & Co., London and again in 1968 by Laycock and Bannister of Cross Hills, near Keighley, who enlarged the instrument to incorporate a fourth manual. Extensive maintenance work was also carried out by this firm. In 2006, Nicholson’s of Malvern gave the organ its most extensive rebuild since 1889, when the organ layout and building frame and all slider soundboards were made new. Nicholson also incorporated tonal modifications at this time, which produced the very fine instrument that we know and love today.

2011 – HEROG member Adrian Crawford demonstrated a Hauptwerk system to good effect. This lecture explained in detail the fascinating aspects of digital organ tone generation in this system. This was a most interesting session leading to a lively and valuable discussion which was enjoyed by all.

2012 – A visit to St Martin-on-the-Hill, Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The 1890 Father Willis organ of three manuals was installed in the existing Bodley case of 1869. The Father WIllis organ replaced the previous instrument. Extensive rnovations were carried out by Principal Pipe Organs of York in 2000.

In November 2012, HEROG celebrated the 90th birthday of longstanding organist and organ enthusiast, Wilf Jones, of Hull. A popular figure within the organ world and community in the City of Hull, Wilf had been a founder member of HEROG and supported every meeting.

2013 – HEROG visits St. Columba’s United Reformed Church in the city of York. This organ was built by T C Lewis in 1907 and was restored in 2008 by Andrew Carter of Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

2014 – HEROG made a visit to the organ at Sledmere House, East Yorkshire. The organ is of three manuals and was built by Fitton and Haley originally for a ducal residence in Scotland and installed at Sledmere House in 1947 by Binns, Fitton and Haley. Pictured left is Dr Peter Chatfield, sometime General Secretary of the IAO (Incorporated Association of Organists), a member of The Newcastle and District Organists’ Association.