Aims
of the Association
We
presently have about 60 members. It must be emphasised that they
consist of performers (absolute beginners to professionals) as well
as non-players and singers who simply enjoy organ and choral music.
The annual subscription (2008-09) is £15 (£5 for students).
The aims of the Association can be summarised as follows:
To
promote and encourage the art of playing the classical organ (pipe
or digital)
To
promote and encourage choral singing, secular and religious.
To
foster enthusiasm for organ music and choral singing whether or not
members are organists or choristers.
To
encourage a love of the classical organ and choral music among the public.
To
enable organists, choirmasters and choir members to meet each other.
In order to achieve the above mentioned aims, the Association holds regular monthly events: organ recitals, choral performances, talks and demonstrations and visits to organs in the former Cleveland County and beyond.
Some
of the advantages of joining the Association are as follows:
Free
or reduced admission charge to certain events where a charge is made
for the public.
There
is a regular newsletter giving information about forthcoming events
organised by the Association, and occasionally about other events
which might interest members.
Members
have the opportunity to liaise and support each other.
Affiliation
to the Incorporated Association of Organists.
How
C.O.& C.A got its title:
By the 27th. August, 1946, the Middlesbrough and District Organists'
and Choirmasters' Association had been formed, and it had become
affiliated to the Incorporated Association of Organists. However, on
January 24th. 1948 a combined general meeting with the Stockton
Association, which was formed in 1945, took place at St. George's
Hall (Choir Room), Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough under the
chairmanship of a Mr. Tomkiss. It was proposed, and carried
unanimously, that the two Associations amalgamate, the name of the
new Association was to be "The Teeside (sic)
Organists
and Choirmasters Association. (Teesside
is still spelt wrongly to this day!). Interestingly,
it was also proposed that the Presidency should alternate annually
between North and South of the Tees, although not to be adhered to
too rigidly. It was agreed that the annual subscription be seven
shillings and sixpence, (7/6). The re-formed Association was
affiliated to the IAO on 13th March 1948. A copy of the 1948 minutes
as well as the planned events for that year can be
downloaded/accessed HERE.
(the document is about 8Mb).
In 1974, Teesside ceased to be part of North Yorkshire when the
county of Cleveland was created. This new county incorporated part of
south Durham and part of North Yorkshire. Consequently, at the AGM on
the 18th may 1975, the name of the Association was changed to the
"Cleveland County Organists and Choirmasters Association".
However, on 1st. April 1996, due to local government reorganisation,
Cleveland, as a county, was abolished, being replaced by the four
unitary authorities of Middlesbrough, Stockton, Redcar &
Cleveland and Hartlepool. Since Cleveland no longer existed as a
county the name of the association was amended to "The Cleveland
Organists and Choirmasters Association".