2026

Saturday 21st February, 11am

OMSA Annual Recital and Lunch

Westbourne Park Uniting Church

Recitalist: Gina Dutschke

This 45 minute recital by Gina Dutschke, the first OMSA event of 2026, will start at 11a.m.  Because 2026 marks the 30thanniversary of the installation of the Roger Pogson organ, the event will be shared with members of the church.  After the recital there will be a brief break during which a demonstration of a new type of tremulant suitable for the organ will be given for those who are interested.  The lunch will be catered for at the church, so there will be no need to move between venues.  Drinks (including alcoholic beverages if so wished) will be BYO. 

February and March

Adelaide has a number or organ events during February and March and, rather than adding more competing events, we encourage you to enjoy some of these other opportunities. St Francis Xavier Cathedral has a programme of Fringe Festival events in late February/March, and Martin Setchell, concert organist from Christchurch, New Zealand is making his 4th visit to Adelaide, sister city of Christchurch, at the end of March.

St Francis Xavier Cathedral:  Lunchtime Series (1 pm – about 30 mins duration)

Wednesday, 25th February Christopher Trikilis (Brisbane)

Wednesday, 4th March Jacinta Jacovcevic (Geraldton)

Wednesday, 11th March Amir Robin-Karas (Adelaide)

Wednesday, 18th March Val Estrella (Adelaide)

Sunday 22nd March, 1pm, Various Young Organists (Adelaide) – 60 mins duration

Martin Setchell

Thursday 26th March, 12.30pm, Adelaide Town Hall

Sunday 29th March 2.30pm, Pilgrim Uniting Church Sunday
(1st concert in Pilgrim’s 2026 International Organist series)

Sunday May 31st, 6pm Evensong at St Peter’s Cathedral

This special Choral Evensong marks the 50th anniversary of OMSA’s Constitution coming into being. Various members of OMSA will be taking part in different ways, and all are very welcome to join in this service which will include excellent and appropriate music.

Sunday June 14th, 3pm Concert at St David’s Church

Glynburn Road, Burnside, recognising Ray Booth

Continuing in the tradition we have developed over recent years, OMSA will be recognising the many years of faithful service by Ray Booth to the church and organ music in Adelaide. This will take the form of a concert presented by Ray himself at the organ, including contributions by Graham Bell and others. A special afternoon tea will follow. Following Ray’s move from his native New Zealand to Adelaide in the late 1960s to become one of the first lecturers in Mathematics at the new Flinders University, Ray has devotedly pursued his other life-long passions in organ and church music. After some years spent at Clayton Wesley Uniting Church at Norwood, Ray was Music Director at St David’s, Burnside, for several decades, where he organised a very busy series of concerts and special choral events. Ray has also been one of the most regular and active members of this Society for many years. As with us all, the years take their toll. It will be good to express our appreciation whilst Ray is still able to take an active part in the event.

Monday July 6th, 7.30pm Come & Play visit to St Raphael’s Church,

Young Street, Parkside 

This beautiful church, opened in 1905, has a JE Dodd organ installed in 1917 and completely overhauled in 2001-2 by George Stephens. (see https://ohta.org.au/organs/organs/ParksideRC.html) Melanie Duluk, Director of Music and Organist at St Raphael’s, will talk about the history of the organ and give a demonstration, after which members will have the opportunity to try the organ.

Saturday September 5th, 1.30pm AGM and Recital

St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral 

Advanced students from the Archdiocese of Adelaide Scholarship Program, Alexander and Jonathan Siow, Anthony Mark and Casper Saint-Saens will perform a 40 minute program. The AGM business meeting will follow the recital in the Hall, including afternoon tea. There is free parking available under the Hall.

2025

Saturday 15th February, Annual Recital and Lunch

11.30am concert, followed by lunch at 12.30pm
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Gawler (corner Second Street & Seventh Street, Gawler South)
Organist: Andrew Georg (Organist & Assistant Director of Music at St Peter’s Cathedral Adelaide)

Andrew Georg will play a short concert on the 1912 Fred Taylor organ (previously in the Dale Street Methodist Mission Church, Port Adelaide), followed by a lovely two course lunch of meats and salads and dessert in the adjacent air-conditioned hall.

March & April events

Once again Adelaide and surrounding areas are full of organ related events during March and April. Rather than try to add yet more to these, we would encourage you to enjoy at least some of these other opportunities. The Cathedral of St Francis Xavier in Adelaide has a full programme of Fringe Festival events in late February and during March.

At the end of April the Barossa has its Vintage Festival including organ events. OMSA had thought of visiting this area later in the year for an organ crawl but decided instead to suggest that members join in the Pipe Organs & Bells event on 25th April – please note that, given the event programming, there won’t be the opportunity for those attending to try out the organs visited, as is the case at the usual OMSA organ crawl events.

Monday May 12th, 7.30pm Gerard Brooks

North Adelaide Baptist Church, Tynte Street

Gerard Brooks (UK) will be visiting Adelaide again for a special family occasion and he has very kindly agreed to give us a personal evening presentation on ‘Forgotten Musical Treasures’ – this will be a programme of lesser-known but attractive French repertoire with commentary. His workshop on registering French organ music on an English-style organ in November 2023 was very well received by all those who attended.

Monday June 16th, 7.30pm, Pilgrim Uniting Church

It is several years since the last playing visit to Pilgrim by OMSA members so it will be good to reconnect. On this occasion, both organs at Pilgrim (their 4 manual pipe organ which is the largest in the state, and also the chamber organ) will be demonstrated by Pilgrim Organ Scholars, Val Estrella and Casey McEwan, with members then free to try either instrument for themselves.

Sunday 17th August, 2.30pm Wesley Uniting Church, Kent Town

This meeting will be another in our occasional series of concerts and social gatherings to acknowledge Adelaide organists who have given long and faithful service to OMSA and the wider community. Depth and stability of membership has been a feature of our Society over many years and has enabled us to maintain an effective programme of activities and be an influence for good in the organ culture of South Australia.

Dr Mark Symons had a long and illustrious career in civil engineering, both as lecturer and innovator in building technology. Alongside this, he followed a busy schedule of organ-playing, primarily as organist and choirmaster at Wesley Uniting (previously Kent Town Methodist) Church and through a long association with Prince Alfred College. In fact, his early organ playing commenced at PAC under the tuition of Rolland May, for many years Music Master at the school and organist at Scots’ Church, North Terrace. Later he undertook tuition at the Elder Conservatorium with James Govenlock. Mark directed the music at Kent Town from 1957 until 2001 and was a member of the OMSA committee from 2012 to 2014.

This year marks the 160th anniversary of Wesley Church, Kent Town, and the main service of celebration is to be held at 10 am on Sunday 17th August, so it seemed appropriate to link these two celebrations. Anyone wishing to attend the morning service will, of course, be very welcome. There will be an augmented choir, and morning tea will follow. The afternoon concert will be followed by light refreshments and time for socialising with other organ buffs! Players will include Peter Kelsall, John Hall and the current resident organist, Graham Bell.

Sunday 21st September, 2.30pm – OMSA AGM & Recital

Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Flinders Street

Recital followed by AGM and afternoon tea.

Recitalist: Sui Ki Wu (Bethlehem Organ Scholar)

Works by Heron, Bach, Brahms, Pachelbel and Lemmens.

Saturday 11th October, 11am
Visit to Ian Wardle’s House Organ + Barbecue

Proceedings will start at 11am with a recital/demonstration of the organ by Gina Dutschke for about 45 minutes. Following this we will enjoy a BBQ lunch – meat will be supplied, with those attending asked to bring a salad or dessert to share.

Monday 3rd November, 7.30pm

Playing visit to St John’s, Halifax Street where we will be able to listen to and play the two pipe organs housed there.

Monday 1st December, 7.30pm

Christmas Social

This will take place at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Clayton Avenue, Plympton. It will follow the successful format of recent OMSA Christmas gatherings, starting with a short demonstration of the 1980 Fincham 2-manual organ and then the chance to listen to and play the instrument along with food and drink and fellowship.