In 1978 a small group of concerned members of the Organ Historical Society breathed life into an idea. Why not set up a scholarship or program enabling students to attend the now well-established annual conventions of the Society? With a few seed gifts, the E. Power Biggs Fellowship was born. The National Council at the time had two members who had become interested in the Society after being brought to a convention by friends.

How fitting to establish a Fellowship honoring one of the 20th Century’s most notable advocates for a re-examination and understanding of the historic pipe organ? At a time when the great concern of the industry was for survival, few knew what impact the “new electronic organs” would have on the pipe organ in general, and, more broadly, the organ as a modern instrument, Biggs was recording 300-year-old organs in Europe that most people had never heard. Americans in particular had virtually never been exposed to such sounds!

The goal is simple: After experiencing a week-long exposure to 35 or so pipe organs of various periods, we hope that we capture the interest of an individual, that they will become future advocates for the survival of the pipe organ, and that they remain active members. The retention rate has been enormous (about 70%!) and the Biggs Fellowship has produced numerous National Officers and Councilors.

Since those early days, through regular annual giving and with a substantial bequest from Mrs. Margaret Biggs, the Biggs Fellowship Fund has grown into a small endowment, producing enough proceeds to allow varying numbers of persons to be annually awarded expense-free attendance at National OHS Conventions, enabling the program to reach beyond the original pool of “students.”

Tastes in pipe organs and musical styles fluctuate, changing and evolving over the years, but the basic tenets are the same. Interest in the pipe organ as a musical instrument and a variety of styles of organ building broaden perspectives of recipients. 

Paul R. Marchesano
(OHS Councillor for Education, 1999-2007)

				E. Power Biggs Fellowship
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