I recently took on the role of Executive Editor of the Journal of the Institute of British Organ Studies (click here for more info on BIOS) and have edited JBIOS49, which is landing this week on the doormats of people interested in British organ history and culture across the world. Copies can be purchased here.

It includes my latest article ”Lessor orgaynes in the quyere’: Reassessing the Chair Organ in Seventeenth-Century English Contexts’ in which I discuss the role of small organs in the liturgy of the time, and discuss the relationship between these and the larger ‘double’ organs that emerged during the early seventeenth century. One particularly interesting finding of this latter aspect (which I wasn’t expecting and which contradicts the standard histories of the organ published hitherto) is that, in many cases, the two parts of the double organ (great and chair divisions) were quite seperate and independent instruments, each used individually for a specific set of liturgical roles. Even more surprisingly, perhaps, such arrangements persisted in some places well into the second half of the century.

I will also be looking after the next Journal, which celebrates 50 years of BIOS, whereafter we will return to the practice of inviting guest editors to take the helm. Interested contributors are welcome to contact me at any time with ideas for articles.