This year’s SFO Annual Conference takes place in the stunning locations of Abbotsford and Melrose in the Scottish Borders. The Borders Guild of Organists are hosting the event and has prepared and exciting and varied programme on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th of May.
On Friday there is a guided tour and walk around Abbotsford House, the ancestral home of Sir Walter Scott. There is an illustrated talk about Mendelssohn and live performance by the vocal ensemble Cantica Alba. The day is rounded off with a champagne reception and 3-course dinner in the Ochiltree restaurant in the grounds of Abbotsford.
Saturday’s programme is held at the Melrose Parish Church and filled with a variety of presentation and performances. Amongst many things included is a presentation on Romantic music, a vocal workshop with Frances Cooper, Chorus singing, Organ Recital, and preparation of the new Conference Anthem.
The price for the event is £45 for the Friday and £40 for the Saturday. Payment details can be found in the link below. Please make sure you book early though as places are limited for the Friday evening dinner.
For more information on the venues, the programme and a booking form for the two days click here.
ABBOTSFORD HOUSE, the ancestral home of Sir Walter Scott, the 19th century novelist and poet of “Waverley”, “Ivanhoe”, and “Lady of the Lake”. Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford remains today as one of the most famous houses in the world, it reflects, almost as no other place, the mind, enthusiasms and preoccupations of the man who built it. Constructed on the ample proceeds of a literary career without parallel, it is an enduring monument to the tastes, talents and achievements of its begetter. The stones of Abbotsford speak eloquently both of triumph and disaster.
MELROSE, perhaps the most picturesque town in the Scottish Borders, is easily accessible. Edinburgh (approx. 35 miles), Glasgow and Newcastle (approx. 70 miles) are all within striking distance. The three shapely summits of the Eildon Hills are perhaps the best known landmark in the Borders region. They make for a fine half-day hill walk from the attractive town of Melrose.
I have had a passion for church organs since the tender age of 12. I own and run Viscount Organs with a close attention to the detail that musicians appreciate; and a clear understanding of the benefits of digital technology and keeping to the traditional and emotional elements of organ playing.
