This is an archive of news articles from June 2005. Current news articles can be found here and an archive index can be found here. Information in this archive may no longer be valid.

• OHS launches online register of North American organs
  The Organ Historical Society has recently launched a searchable web-based version of its detailed records of North American organs, which currently cover Canada and the United States. As much of the information goes back many decades, users are encouraged to make corrections or submit missing organs. Suggestions for improving the site are also welcome. Visit the site at: organsociety.bsc.edu (note - site occasionally unavailable due to server maintenance).
  
  
• land Organ Festival
  The land Organ Festival celebrates thirty years since its founding in 1975. Details of this year's programme and photographs from the 2004 festival can be found here, although the site is mainly in Swedish. In case you can't find it, an English version of the 2005 programme can be found here in PDF format.
  
  
• More pictures from Catford Broadway
  HWS Associates have sent us more pictures from their ongoing restoration of the Compton theatre/concert organ (see April's web news for more details). Pictured below are the console with its lid removed, the restored sleighbells and train whistles, and the Tibia basses, which can each speak two notes a semitone apart (note the additional air tube to control this). Click on any picture for a bigger version, and please remember that all photographs are © HWS Associates.

  

  
  
  
• Historic Organ Sound Archive launched by BIOS
  The excellent NPOR (National Pipe Organ Register) has now been joined by HOSA - the Historic Organ Sound Archive. The first recordings of instruments from the East Anglia region are now available online. See npor.emma.cam.ac.uk for more details.
  
  
• News from Christ Church URC, Port Sunlight
  Featured in The Organ issue 330, the Willis II four manual instrument at Christ Church has now had Heritage Lottery funding for a complete restoration declined, so the work will have to be split into three phases as funding permits. The first phase which will begin shortly will deal with the wind supply. Later phases will address the action and give the organ a complete clean and overhaul. Meanwhile two pictures of the organ as featured in The Organ are now available to visitors as postcards from the church.
  
  
• New IBO president
  Congratulations to Katherine Venning, elected as president of the Institute of British Organbuilding at their recent AGM in Lichfield. For the benefit of readers not familiar with Katherine's name, her husband Mark is Managing Director of Harrison & Harrison.
  
  
• Website updates
  John Henderson has updated his lists of organ music publishers, linked from halfway down his website. He warns that visiting those sites might be bad for your wallet! Meanwhile Stephen Smith has added lots more regional venues to www.organrecitals.com.