Oundle for Organists, in partnership with the RCO, have published a new series of eight films as a guide for potential organ scholars. Presented by Oundle’s Director, Ann Elise Smoot, they explain how to prepare for organ scholar trials, with practical advice on skills such as improvisation, registration, and score reading from inspiring tutors. All organists wanting to improve their skills will find the films, and the accompanying reading list, helpful.

Part of the recent £26m restoration of the historic Armstrong Building at Newcastle University was the installation of an organ by Bernard Aubertin in the King’s Hall, one of only three Aubertin instruments in the UK.  You are invited to play this instrument on Saturday 27th July, in an RCO class on music of the French Classical era – organists at all playing levels are welcome to attend.

St Laurence’s Church in Ludlow currently houses two very different organs – their own fine Snetzler organ, and also the Wetheringsett organ, one of the two Tudor organs of the Early English Organ Project managed by the RCO. On Saturday 20th July this year organ enthusiasts have the chance to hear and learn more about both these instruments, with the opportunity to play them at the end of the day.

OrganFest 2019 will be hosted by Cardiff and Llandaff, and runs from from 6th to the 8th September, based around five landmark churches and their instruments. These include St David’s Hall, Llandaff Cathedral, and two fine examples of Henry Willis organs. David Briggs and Gerard Brooks are among the recitalists, and David Pipe performs a family concert of music with Jeremy Sampson’s Wooden One-Octave Organ for Young Technologists in attendance.

Art Night is a free, contemporary art festival, taking place over one night, once a year, in a different area of London.  This year the festival is on the night of Saturday 22nd June, in Walthamstow and King’s Cross in North London. Cory Archangel and Hampus Lindwall have been invited to create an event for the festival based around the organ at the church of St Mary, in Walthamstow.

The RCO’s Certificate of Accredited Membership (CAM) scheme allows both fledging and long-standing organists to benchmark their skills, wherever in the world they live. Gillian Collins, living in Australia, recently gained accreditation at CAM Intermediate level. She explains what led her to try for the qualification.

Designed to boost top class young organists onto the career ladder, the Harry Gabb Scholarship was awarded for the first time to young organist and composer Paul Greally.  The scholarship gives financial support so that RCO qualifications can be completed as quickly as possible, and was set up in memory of William Harry Gabb, whose own career included the position of Sub Organist at St Paul’s Cathedral.  Paul describes how the scholarship has helped his studies, and his plans for the future.

In a welcome re-balancing of the customary recital series, the line-up for the John Hill Organ Series at St Lawrence Jewry, London, which has just begun, is composed solely of female organists.  It coincides with the launch earlier this year of the Society of Women Organists in the UK, an organisation dedicated to promoting women in the organ world, and recruiting girls and women to study the organ.

After the fire at Notre Dame, it was a relief to see images of Notre-Dame’s Cavaillé-Coll organ seemingly intact, and millions of euros have been pledged already for restoration of the Cathedral, and presumably, the organ. There are other Cavaillé-Coll instruments in France deserving of restoration though, and film-maker Will Fraser has devised a way we can all help bring back to life a particularly good example of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll’s artistry.