Three films presented by RCO Director of Studies, Andrew McCrea, suggesting ways to develop the study skills required for the three levels of RCO diploma examinations.

Simon Williams looks at the aural perception question in the FRCO written paper, giving an overview of the questions asked, and how to prepare and tackle them in the examination.

A guide by Simon Williams on how to prepare for the aural perception question in the ARCO diploma written papers.

Conductor Nicholas Cleobury continues his guides for organists and choral directors to working with orchestras, with a film discussing how to prepare Mozart’s Coronation Mass for performance.

A film on how to prepare for the aural perception question in the CRCO diploma written papers, with RCO Director Simon Williams.

James Mitchell plays his Festival Toccata, the winning entry in the under-25 years category in the RCO’s Composition Competition, held in 2020.

On Sunday 7 March, the eve of International Women’s Day, organists (and a few choirs too) took to social media to celebrate Woman Composer Sunday, a joint initiative by the Society of Women Organists and the RCO.  Organists were asked to perform a piece of music by a woman composer that day, and post it to Twitter, Facebook or YouTube. StopPress reports on the inspiring results.

The RCO’s first-ever Winter Conference this February was devised as the pandemic lockdown continued to prove a barrier to organists and organ enthusiasts getting together in person.  RCO Director Simon Williams decided to build on the experience through 2020 of putting all the major RCO courses online, with a new format – a complete virtual conference, with seminars, presentations, recitals, a keynote speech and a trade show. Over 200 people attended the three day event, including StopPress Editor, Morwenna Campbell-Smith, who writes this report.

An annual celebration of women composers has been launched by the Royal College of Organists and the Society of Women Organists. Sunday 7 March 2021 – the nearest Sunday to International Women’s Day on 8 March – will be celebrated as Woman Composer Sunday. Here on StopPress we have inspiration and wide-ranging resources for organists looking for repertoire by women composers.