ODOA Tours

John Brennan, former President of ODOA, has organized a series of over 25 annual European organ tours, beginning in 1991. These five-day tours have always taken place over the weekend following Easter (from Friday to Tuesday) including what used to be known as Low Sunday. Normally this weekend falls during April, though it does fluctuate greatly. 

• 1991 – NORMANDY (5 – 9 April)
  First European Tour, to celebrate the ODOA’s 75th Anniversary
  Coutances, Carentan, St-Mère-Eglise, La Lucerne, Juaye-Mondaye, Villedieu-les-Poêles (Bell-Foundry), Bayeaux 

• 1993 – HOLLAND (16 – 20 April)
  Edam, Oosthuizen, Enkhuizen, Amsterdam (Waalse Kerk, Westerkerk & Oude Kerk), Leiden, Ninove [B] 

• 1994 – FRANCE, BASSE NORMANDIE (8 – 12 April)
  Coutances, Caen, Ifs (Jean-François Dupont Facteur d’Orgues), Carentan, Falaise, Granville, Dol-de-Bretagne, Hambye, Pontorson 

• 1995 – BELGIUM AND HOLLAND (21 – 25 April)
  St-Omer [F], Leuven, Bossut, Nivelles, Bruxelles (Patrick Collon Facteur d’Orgues), Liège, Beaufays, Maastricht [NL] 

• 1996 – FRANCE, IN AND AROUND ROUEN (12 – 16 April)
  Caudebec-en-Caux, Le Havre, Boscherville, St-Wadrille, Rouen, Elbeuf, Vernon, Fécamp, Grand et Petit Andely 

• 1997 – GRONINGEN AND OSTFRIESLAND (4 – 8 April)
  Nijkerk, Appingedam, Krewerd, Kantens, Uithuizen, Farmsum, Noordwolde, Groningen, Uttum [D], Rysum [D], Marienhafe [D], Norden [D], Nordbroek, Midwolda, Kampen 

• 1998 – CHAMPAGNE AND THE NORTH OF FRANCE (17 – 21 April)
  Lille, Vertus, Avenay-Val-d’Or, Juvigny, Reims, Epernay, Aÿ (Gatinois Champagne House), Vitry-le-François, Saint-Dizier, Joinville, Mouzon, Charleville-Mézières, Saint-Michel en Thierache 

• 1999 – NORTHERN GERMANY (SCHNITGER TOUR) (9 – 13 April)
  Cappel, Twielenfleth, Buxtehude, Steinkirchen, Oldendorf, Stade, Lüdingworth, Altenbruch, Neuenfeld, Hamburg 

• 2000 – SAXONY (SILBERMANN TOUR) (28 April – 2 May)
  Altenburg, Freiberg Dom, Grosshartmannsdorf, Cämmerswalde, Nassau, Freiberg St Jakobi & St Petri, Leipzig St Nikolai & St Thomas, Langhennersdorf, Dresden Hofkirche (Orgelbau Christian Wegscheider) 

• 2001 – TOULOUSE AND SOUTH-WEST FRANCE (20 – 24 April)
  Toulouse (nine organs), Albi, Auch, Cintegabelle, Gaillac, Gimont, Lavaur, Lombez, Muret, St Bertrand de Comminges, St Gaudens 

• 2002 – VIENNA, AUSTRIA (5 – 9 April)
  Main organs of Vienna (twelve instruments), Klosterneuburg, Stronsdorf 

• 2003 – BELGIUM AND HOLLAND (25 – 29 April)
  Brussels Dom [B], Gouda, Woerden, Zaltbommel, ’s-Hertogenbosch, Cuijk, Helmond, Utrecht, Gorichem, Woudrichem, Haringe [B] 

• 2004 – PORTUGAL (16 – 20 April)
  Lisbon (five churches), Évora, Mafra (Dinarte Machado Organero), Coimbra (two churches), Lapa, Porto (four churches) (Georg Jann Orgelbau), Braga 

• 2005 – ALSACE, BASEL AND FREIBURG IM BREISGAU (1 – 5 April)
  Ébersmunster, Basel, Mulhouse, Colmar, Holzhausen, Hugstetten (Freiburger Orgelbau Hartwig Späth), Waldkirch, Freiburg Münster, Wasselonne, Marmoutier, Saessolsheim 

• 2006 – COPENHAGEN (DENMARK AND SWEDEN) (21 – 25 April)
  Main organs of Copenhagen, Helsingør, Helsingborg [S], Malmö [S], Roskilde, Birkerød (Carsten Lund Orgelbyggeri), and Frederiksborg Castle 

• 2007 – SWITZERLAND AND FRANCE (13 – 17 April)
  Arlesheim, Baden, Brugg, Dietikon (Orgelbau Metzler & Söhne AG), Porrentruy, St Ursanne, Belfort, Courtefontaine (Manufacture d’Orgues Bernard Aubertin), Dannemarie, Seurre, St Jean de Losne, Thann, Uffheim 

• 2008 – THE NETHERLANDS AND BELGIUM (28 March – 1 April)
  Sinaai [B], Woerden, Purmerend, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Heerde (Orgelmakerij Reil BV), Kampen, Zwolle, Heusden, Hoogstraten [B] 

• 2009 – SOUTHERN GERMANY (17 – 21 April)
  Fürstenfeldbruck, Klosterlechfeld, Ochsenhausen, Steinhausen, Rot-an-der-Rot, Memmingen, Weingarten, Weissenau, Ottobeuren, Ursberg, Dillingen (Orgelbau Sandtner GmbH) 

• 2010 – NORTHERN ITALY (9 – 13 April)
  Colle Brianza, Ponte in Valtellina, Colorina, Valle di Colorina, Caspano, Roncaglia, Sondrio (Giovanni Pradella Organaro), Almeno San Salvatore, Bergamo, Milano (San Simpliciano & S Maria della Passione) 

• 2010 – SWITZERLAND AND SOUTHERN GERMANY (3 – 6 September)
  Special Autumn Mini-Tour to attend John Wellingham’s Eightieth Birthday Recital in Weingarten Abbey, 5 September 2010 Winterthur, Frauenfeld (two churches), Weissenau, Weingarten, Schaffhausen (Münster & two churches), Rheinau 

• 2011 – CENTRAL SWITZERLAND (29 April – 3 May)
  Lucerne (Goll Orgelbau AG), St Urban, Triengen, Muri, Zug (four churches), Lucerne (Lukas, Jesuiten, Franziskaner & Hofkirche), Schwyz, Schwyz-Seewen, [Einsiedeln], Rapperswil 

• 2012 – THE NETHERLANDS: NOORD & ZUID HOLLAND AND ZEELAND (13 – 17 April)
  Oude-Tonge, Vlaardigen, Brielle, Oud Beijerland, Maassluis, Noordwijk-Binnen, Wassenaar, Monnickendam, Assendelft (Flentrop Orgelbouw BV), Haarlem (St Bavo), Voorschoten, Middelberg 

• 2013 – BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG (5 – 9 April)
  Neuhausen, Esslingen, Stuttgart (Stiftskirche, Musikhochschule and two other churches), Marbach/Neckar, Leonberg (Orgelbau Mühleisen GmbH), Ulm, Obermarchtal, Riedlingen, Heilbronn-Böckingen, Bad Wimpfen 

• 2014 – LIMBURG AND LIÈGE (25 – 29 April)
  Dinant (Leffe Abbey), Eckelrade (NL), Houthem (NL), Maastricht (NL) (two churches), Tongeren, Alden Biesen, Liège (three churches), St Truiden, Bel-Geel (Manufacture d’orgues Thomas) 

• 2015 – SPAIN & FRANCE: BIZKAIA, GIPUZKUA AND LABOURD (10 – 14 April)
  Mañaria, Ziortza-Bolibar, Urrugne (F), St Jean du Luz (F), Ciboure (F), Hendaye (F), Donostia-San Sebastián (four churches), Bidania, Tolosa, Ataun, Deba, Bilbao (two churches). 

• 2016 – ÎLE-DE-FRANCE: PARIS (1 – 5 April)
  Our 25th Annual Tour in 2016 also marked the Centenary of the Oxford & District Organists’ Association (ODOA).
  St Omer Cathedral (en route to Paris). Paris: Saint-Sulpice, Saint-Maurice de Bècon, Saint-Louis-en-l’Île, Saint-Gervais, Saint-Séverin, Saint-Augustin, Saint-Eugène, Saint-Eustache, Sainte-Élisabeth, Temple du Saint Esprit, Meudon (orgue de Marcel Dupré), and Versailles: Cathedral and Chapelle Royale du Chateau. 

• 2017 – TREVISO AND VENICE (21 – 26 April)
  Padova (Fratelli Ruffatti Organaro), Padova/Lion, Vicenza Conservatoire. Treviso: Cathedral, San Gregorio, San Nicolò, San Leonardo, Sant’Agostino and Museo Comunale (San Caterina). Venice: (with the organ-builder Francesco Zanin) Basilica dei Frari, San Polo, San Salvador, San Sebastiano, Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore and San Trovaso. 

• 2018 – VIENNA (5 – 10 April)
  Tour of new and restored organs with Konstantin Reymaier (Organist of Stephansdom and Advisor for the Diocese of Vienna) Klosterneuburg (Stiftskirche). Vienna: Votivkirche, Musikverein, Jesuitenkirche, Stephansdom, Kapuzinerkirche, Lazaristenkirche, Michaelerkirche, Franziskanerkirche, Malteserkirche; and Gross Enzersdorf (Maria Schutzkirche) 

• 2019 – South DEVON (26 – 30 April)
  Bristol (Clifton RC Catherdral), Exeter (Catherdral), Buckfast Abbey, Killerton House, Powderham Castle, Totnes, Marldon, Lyme Regis, Lulworth Castle

• 2022 - Central HOLLAND (2 - 7 September)
  Woerden (Petruskerk), Gouda (Sint Janskerk, Gereformeerde Gemente), Vianen (Grote Kerk), Wilk Bij Duurstede (Oude Kerk), Zeist (Sionskerk, Sint Joris Kerk)

• 2023 - Northern HOLLAND