How did we get started ?

A few dedicated persons founded the White Rose Organ Club in a Wakefield music shop sometime in 1980. Subsequently, meetings took place in a classroom at Darton High School and some professional concerts were held at Royston Civic Hall. The next move was to Barnsley Girls High School but the facilities were not suitable for organ concerts, so a further move took us to the Redbrook Public House, which also had a concert room. The club then became a Society, with a committee of eight members- comprising chairman, vice chairman, secretary, treasurer and four others who all come up for re-election each year at the Annual General Meeting. The society then met at Barugh Green WMC for many years where there was a large concert hall and a Hammond C3. Unfortuntaly the C3 belonged to the WMC and when they sold it (without consulting the society) in 2005 the society decided to look for a new "home" since many of our concerts are played by professionals and members are not able to bring an instrument. In November 2006 we had our 1st concert at our new meeting place, Silkstone Lodge in Silkstone. This is a large pub with a very large concert hall and a smaller room that can be used for private events. This set up is perfect for the society since we are able to stage our members' concerts in this smaller room. Silkstone Lodge also has their own organ - a Technics E33. This organ obviously doesn't have the same standing as the Hammond C3, but having played a concert on it myself I can report that it is not anything like as intimidating, AND it is more reliable. Several of our concerts at Barugh Green had been marred by the ancient C3's dodgy pedal board and Leslie speaker. We are well settled into our new venue now, the staff are very friendly and the bar sells sandwiches and coffee, which is a boon for us drivers. Here are some older photographs of the society