The RCO sees the commissioning of new works for the organ as one of its priorities, and we look at recent additions to the organ repertoire commissioned by the RCO from contemporary composers.

The College’s bi-annual magazine for members contains features, details of forthcoming events and courses, and general news and views from the RCO.

A talk on Spanish and Portuguese organ music in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, written and presented by Martin Schmeding. This is the set history period for ARCO written papers, 2 July 2022-January 2023.

A talk on Brahms and the organ, written and presented by Martin Schmeding (Professor of Organ, Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Leipzig), of particular interest to FRCO students.

Andrew McCrea discusses how to approach the organ repertoire question of the CRCO written paper with particular reference to Stanford’s Six Short Preludes and Postludes, Op.101 and Op.105, the set repertoire for July 2022–January 2023.

A recorded talk by Robert Sholl, with downloads, designed to help candidates the history of organ music written papers at FRCO, but also useful to others interested in French organ music from 1920-2000. 

Watch the College’s two 2022 Conferment of Diplomas ceremonies here, in full, or as edited highlights, and download the programme, along with the full texts of the speeches and citations.

Ivan Deb has won the first Aprahamian Scholarship for young organists, and in a partnership between The Arabesque Trust and Viscount Classical Organs, he now has a brand new two-manuals-and-pedals home organ for home practising.

The College enjoyed the opportunity to mark two years’ of achievements by its members, and recognise recipients of the RCO Medal, with not one, but two Conferment ceremonies at Southwark Cathedral this year.