Society of Women Organists (SWO)

Regardless of your gender, sexual orientation, background or experience, you can be a member of SWO and join our project. #womenorganists #femalemusicians societyofwomenorganists.co.uk/join

This composite image by Marsha Burke shows something of the day members had at the Glasgow SWOcial on 7th March. The next SWOcial will be in Durham on 2nd May and members wishing to go should notify Susan Gadd (susangadd@hotmail.com)

Just a few images from last weekend's SWO organ playing marathon to mark International Women's Day on the PipeUpForPipeOrgans instrument at London Bridge Station. Pictures Hannah Gill. #pipeupforpipeorgans

Saturday is the day for the SWOs' annual marathon playing session on the open access organ at London Bridge Station from 12.00-18.00.

This Sunday is Woman Composer Sunday. If you'd like to hear a service with a predominance of music by women, this week's BBC Choral Evensong from Sidney Sussex College in Cambridge offered just that. If you're in the UK you can catch it at bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0….

In recent years the SWO has marked International Women's Day by having a marathon playing session on the open access organ at London Bridge Station and it will happen again next Saturday, 7th March from 12.00-18.00. Here is a taste of last year's event youtu.be/juuVjyXUYcQ.

'SWOcials' are an important part of the fabric of the Society of Women Organists. In this latest Spotlight feature, Susan Gadd explains the background and career that brought her to this important work. tinyurl.com/2sczzfpj

7 Mar 09:00–13:00 Magdalene College Chapel, Cambridge CB3 0AG will be the venue for music by women composers. Beginning in Magdalene, the event will move to other college chapels culminating in a 13:00 recital in Trinity Chapel Cambridge CB2 1TQ.

On 21 Feb Elli-Mae McGlone will lead a free workshop at St Peter's Church, Wolverhampton WV1 1TY. She will guide participants in their own music-making. Free tickets can be booked at bit.ly/WolvesOrgan2026. 10:30am: 7-14 years; 11:30am(18+); 1:30pm: 11-18 years.

The Women Composers Repertoire List for the Feast Days from Lent to Corpus Christi has recently been updated. It and several other helpful listings of music by women composers are found at societyofwomenorganists.co.uk/women-composers The direct link to the Lent list is tinyurl.com/46ph836s

Jeanne Demessieux would have had her 105th birthday today. Here she plays her 'Te Deum' Op.11 on the Cavaillé-Coll organ at la Madeleine in Paris. youtube.com/watch?v=k0vwm9…

SWO will again mark International Women's Day with a marathon playing session at London Bridge Station. It will be on Sat 7 Mar and there are only a few playing slots left. To play email annemarsdenthomasswo@gmail.com. Here is a taste of last year's event.m.youtube.com/watch?v=juuVjy…

Today's recitalist at 12:15 at Blackburn Cathedral (BB1 5AA) is SWO member Andreana Chan, currently assistant at St Mary Magdalene, Richmond (London).

Peterborough Cathedral is seeking an Assistant Director of Music from September 2026. Full details can be found: peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/community/care…

Vibeke Astner gives a concert on Wednesday 4th February at Sankt Lucas Kirkeplads 1, 8000 Aarhus in Denmark. It will include music for soprano, trumpet and organ by Handel, Bach (BWV 51), Marcello and Stanley.

Woman Composer Sunday will be on the 8th March and you may find it useful to review the suggested list of works. It is available at tinyurl.com/4x9rxvkb and provides four pages of ideas, some with links to downloadable music.

SWO patron, Katherine Dienes-Williams, is relinquishing her post at Guildford Cathedral to become Director of Music at Winchester in July.

17 Jan 1941 was the birth in New Zealand of Dame Gillian Weir. She came to England and studied with Ralph Downs, in 1964 winning the St. Albans International Organ Competition. A recent episode of the 'Pipedreams' programme highlighted her recordings. pipedreams.org/episode/2026/0…

Agnes Ikuyo Nakajima is a rarity, an organist in Japan with a special focus on liturgical music. She features in the most recent Spotlight feature at tinyurl.com/32enscd8

The Galpin Society for the study of musical instruments has issued a call for papers for its biennial conference in Newcastle. The closing date for paper proposals is 18th January and the event is 17-19th June 2026. soundstories2026.wordpress.com

New Year's day 1913 saw the birth of Matilde Capuis, the Italian organist and composer. After study in Venice and Florence she taught in Turin. She died aged 104. Her Prelude from Preludio-Allegro-Fantasia for Organ is played by Francesca Ajossa at youtube.com/watch?v=DwRiqS….