It was my pleasure to organise an Organ Club 5-day tour of 15 organs (plus Osborne House) on the Isle of Wight, ending up at Quarr Abbey before returning to Portsmouth for a session on the cathedral organ, where we were warmly welcomed by Dr David Price. The Island has a wide range of organs – some of them fine musical instruments as well as ‘interesting’.
Island organ-builder Andrew Cooper made most of the arrangements (what a help that was!) and accompanied us on our travels. At Quarr, the beautiful Mutin Cavaillé-Coll (excellently restored by Andrew Cooper) stole members’ hearts; the truly imperial Fr. Willis at All Saints Ryde thrilled them in equal measure. A very sociable – sunny – and successful tour.
