The South Wessex Organ Society is a registered charity and the successor to the well-established Lyme Regis Organ School. The Society has access to the beautiful Skrabl organ in St Michael’s Church, Lyme Regis with its 50-rank, three-manual mechanical action, and to many other fine organs in Devon and Dorset. It exists to encourage organ playing and the appreciation of the organ’s place in the musical repertoire.
The Society’s purpose is realised through recitals, concerts and organ courses and by encouraging young organists on their journey.
Chairman – Steven Martin, BA. BTh, MA, PhD, LRSM.
Fr Steven is the Rector of the Holyford Mission Community in the Diocese of Exeter and was elected Chairman of SWOS in 2024. He succeeds Dr Richard Godfrey, one of the founding members of SWOS who took over the mantle from Philip Sturrock MBE (2018-2020).
Born in London, Steven’s first experience of music-making was as a chorister at St George’s Metropolitan Cathedral, Southwark. He began studying the organ whilst a chorister at St Mary’s, Rye, East Sussex before moving to Devon in 1997. After organ lessons with Dr Lorna Cowdry whilst at Exeter College, Steven read music at the University of Exeter and continued organ studies with Paul Morgan. Whilst at Exeter Steven directed the University Singers and Choral Society and served as the organ scholar at both the university chapel and the Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross, Crediton. Steven was appointed assistant organist at Crediton in 2003 before becoming a bass Choral Scholar at Exeter Cathedral and Director of Music at St Michael’s, Mount Dinham. After completing his postgraduate studies at Exeter, Steven completed his doctorate (which focussed on the history of opera in England at the turn of the century) at the University of Bristol. In 2011 Steven was awarded a McCann Research Scholarship from the Royal Academy of Music to investigate the history of travelling opera companies in Britain, which resulted in a conference there in 2013. Since 2013 Steven has served as a trustee of the Carl Rosa Opera Trust. From 2008 to 2013 Steven returned to Crediton as Director of Music there and taught at the Maynard School for two years before moving to St Stephen’s House, Oxford to read theology and train for ordination. After serving his title in Tavistock, Fr Steven, along with his most favourite page-turner and wife, Caroline, and their two sons, Henry and John, moved to Colyton at the end of 2019, where he took up the mantle of Rector of the parishes of Colyton with Colyford, Musbury, Branscombe, Southleigh and Northleigh—known as the Holyford Mission Community.
Artistic Director – Peter Lea-Cox
Peter Lea-Cox studied organ at the R.A.M. before becoming Assistant Music Master at Oundle School, Northants. In 1973 he returned to the R.A.M. combining administrative work with teaching Choral Conducting, Sight Singing and Keyboard Skills. Simultaneously, he was Director of Music at St. Jude-on-the Hill, NW11 and started a monthly Bach Cantata Series of concerts in the City of London.
In 1987, he was appointed Cantor of the Lutheran Church of St. Anne & St. Agnes where in conjunction with his Choir and Orchestra, the Lecosaldi Ensemble, he inaugerated the highly successful Bach Vespers Services, placing the designated Cantata in the proper context of Worship.
For many years he was an ABRSM examiner and he also toured Denmark and the U.S.A. giving organ concerts.