Some 30 students and teachers attended the inaugural event of the Halifax Organ Academy (HOA) in Halifax Minster on Saturday 10 September, 2011. The day was led by Anne Marsden Thomas, Director of the St Giles International Organ School, on which the HOA is modelled and from which it takes considerable inspiration. Students came from all over West Yorkshire and had a wide variety of backgrounds; the ages ranged from 9 to 83!

The day began with registration (ably organised by Christine Moorhouse of the Halifax and District Organists’ Association – HDOA for short) and a welcome from the Reverend Canon Hilary Barber, Vicar of Halifax. A handbook for the day was issued, containing timetable, handouts from Anne containing many useful hints and details of the two Early English Organ Project (EEOP) instruments, which are in the Minster until summer 2012.

The day focussed on the four-manual instrument built by Harrison & Harrison in 1928/9. The action is tubular-pneumatic apart from the manual to pedal couplers, which are mechanical. Full details of the organ are on the NPOR at http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N07207. It was awarded an Historic Organ Certificate, grade II in 2011. Sadly, the instrument is now showing signs of its age and the Minster authorities have started fund-raising for a complete restoration. In order to ensure as good a view of the console as possible, a camera was trained onto the console and the result projected onto a large screen in the chancel, where most of the ‘action’ took place. There was shop in the Rokeby Chapel selling CDs (including two of the Wingfield and Wetheringsett organs), David Baker’s book on the organ (Shire Publications) and information about membership of the Halifax and District Organists’ Association.

During the course of the day, three students – Maggie McClean, Jack Spencer and Linda Skelton - offered themselves up for demonstration lessons, which focussed in turn on learning how to pedal, style and technique and hymn playing. All found these lessons valuable, and not least the teachers, for Anne gave some excellent tuition and advice on how to teach. Anne also gave talks on repertoire for the student organist, with practice tips and how to practise. In the afternoon, Alexander Binns, now at the Royal College of Music, gave us a taste of his experiences learning the organ. During the lunch break, there was ample opportunity to mingle and also to ask Anne questions on a 1-2-1 basis, as well as try the three organs in the Minster. A vote of thanks was given at the end of the day by Wilf O’Neill, MBE, President of the HOA and patron of the HOA along with the Bishop of Wakefield and Dr Simon Lindley, Organist of Leeds Parish Church.

The event was sponsored by Hymns Ancient and Modern Trust, Wakefield Diocese, the RSCM and private individuals. This meant that the admission charge could be kept low and all costs covered. Evaluation sheets were handed out at the end of the day. The feedback was very positive – with Anne universally acclaimed as ‘a great teacher’. A number of suggestions for other sessions and improvements in delivery and administration were made and these will be used to help plan the future programme, which is now being planned.

Subsequent to the event, the HOA was featured on BBC Look North and also on (national) BBC breakfast television as well as in a number of magazine articles. A good many people have contacted the HOA over the last few months with a view to having some sample lessons. The HOA is now being set up as a trust.

For more information on the HOA visit halifaxorganacademy.org.uk