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This year's participatory choral evensong will take place at St Mary's church, Willesborough (on the edge of Ashford). The conductor is Janet Hughes. Nearer the time, the usual call will go out for those to form the choir and play an item on the organ. The time of the actual service is not yet fixed--watch this space.

We return to Canterbury, this time for a visit to St Peter's Methodist Church and St Dunstan's parish church, neither of which the Association has visited within the past 35 years, if ever. Tea and the AGM will be held at the latter, and it should be possible to wrap up proceedings in time for members or their guests to attend Cathedral evensong if they so wish or the 6.30 pm celebrity recital by Charles Francis at Wye parish church, not far away by train or car.

The timetable for the day is as follows:

14.00 St. Mary’s (Hillborough) Reculver -Reculver Lane, CT6 6SP 

 2 Manual Browne extension instrument 1955, with casework by Robert  Thompson of Kilburn, augmented with electronic stops in 2010. Short talk by organist, John Sinclair on the need to add more tone ‘colour’ to this instrument and the choice to use electronics.

15.30 Holy Cross Hoath, Church Road, Hoath CT3 4JT

Small Instrument by Thomas C Lewis 1874, in almost totally original condition. Talk & welcome by Warden, Clair Hopper, on the history of this beautiful rural Church.

Our next event will take place at 3.00 pm on 10th May with a visit to the parish church of St Peter & St Paul (TN8 5BD) in picturesque Edenbridge. Edenbridge parish church deserves a visit all to itself, because, as with Hythe, it contains two organs played from the same console. After an introduction to the church and the organ, members will be able to play the instrument until about 4.00.

We will aim to meet at the station (TN2 5QY) at 1.45 p.m. and to travel on the 2.00 p.m. diesel train from Tunbridge Wells West to Eridge (a 25 minute journey) and return on the 2.35 p.m. steam train, arriving back in Tunbridge Wells at 3.00 p.m. 

Unfortunately, it did not prove possible to book seats in advance without final numbers, so members are asked to book online, to avoid queues, using this website: 

Our next event will be an Improvisation Class led by our member Gerard Brooks at St Leonard's, Hythe (CT21 5DN) on Saturday 1st February 2025 at 2.30 p.m. Gerard is a specialist in the area, having been involved in classes for the RCO and tutored students at the RAM in London.

We can now confirm  a visit to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and both Cathedrals between the 10th and 13th March (N.B. amended dates) with  an invitation to visit Coventry Cathedral on the  return journey. Here is the provisional plan for our trip.

Monday 10th March A.M. Travel to Birmingham

Birmingham Town Hall - Organ recital by Thomas Trotter at 1.00p.m. Thomas has agreed to meet with us afterwards to discuss his long tenure as the City Organist.

Our Treasurer and Membership Secretary writes:

The visit will start at 1.00 pm. at St Botolph's, Lullingstone (DA4 0JA). If you wish to eat locally beforehand, the Malt Shovel serves food, and is conveniently located almost opposite the turning for Lullingstone from Eynsford; it is about 10 minutes' walk from Eynsford Station. If you are in need of a lift from Eynsford to Lullingstone (which is otherwise about half an hour's walk), please let me know when booking, so that I can make arrangements.