At Gloucester cathedral, two figures on the organ case had lost their trumpets – goodness knows how long ago. No more! By April 8th Nicholsons had made replacements and fitted them. Shortly after, they were taken off again, for Michelle Pepper to gild them. With the scaffolding now down (I’m writing this on 3rd May) they can be seen from the cathedral floor, quietly gleaming.
10th & 11th April saw the 50th Anniversary BIOS Conference in Oxford, based at Wadham College (where our son, coincidentally, studied for his Masters). During a recital at The Queen’s College I photographed one of my favourite stained-glass windows, dating from 1625. This shows the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ – well, it shows his feet and sandals as he is assumed into heaven – surely the artist (Abraham van Linge) had a sense of humour?! The next photo is of Bruce Buchanan giving one of his elegantly written and presented lectures, in Wadham, this time about the late Robert Pennells, of Pennells & Sharpe and J.W. Walker. To the shock of the UK organ world, P&S (founded 1963) collapsed into administration a week later. The third photo is of the spectacular casework containing the sonorous new Eule in Magdalen College Chapel, where BIOS members joined Organ Club members to play the organ (after it had been adroitly demonstrated by Alex Pott) on the Saturday afternoon.
