The RCO’s Library contains many examples of printed music from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and a series of digitised editions has been launched to highlight this area of the collection: this includes the Six Cornet Pieces by the renowned Dr Charles Burney (1726–1814).

Little is known of Theophania Cecil’s musical life and career, but her Twelve Voluntaries are stylistically very much of their time, with their suggested publication date of 1810. 

A downloadable short history of the Royal College of Organists, written by Andrew McCrea in 2014 to mark the College’s 150th anniversary. 

A history of the development of the Royal College of Organists, with notes on the development of the RCO Library.

Geoffrey Webber’s extensive commentary on the current editions of Buxtehude’s organ music was published to mark the Buxtehude Tercentenary year in 2007.  The aim of this resource is to allow players to move beyond having to rely on any one edition, and to make their own informed decisions about the textual problems.

The copy used for this digital edition comes from the RCO Library, and is part of the RCO’s on-going project to digitise and publish online its collection of rare eighteenth and early nineteenth century music. You can read more on the edition used, and also a little more on Theophania Cecil’s life and music, below, in an article by Andrew McCrea and RCO Librarian Frances Pond.

The College’s library is as old as the College. From modest beginnings it has grown over the years into a library of great distinction, whose comprehensive specialist holdings of organ and choral music and books are known across the world.

The Journal of the Royal College of Organists is the College’s annual research publication, and the 2013 edition can be downloaded below.

By studying Western classical music at mission schools and at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos, Fela Sowande developed a keen interest in composing for the organ. Godwin Sadoh discusses the European, African-American and Nigerian/African influences on ten of Sowande’s most popular organ works.