Francis Knights offers much food for thought about Bach’s deft handling of thematic material in pedal parts. Many examples show us how the simplification of thematic and motivic ideas, in order to make them playable by the feet, was a well-honed and strategic skill. The alteration of musical content in the lowest part frequently raises questions as to what Bach expected of players, and adaptation methods can also help us to assess what may or may not be an actual pedal part.

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

In this fourth film in a series of short films on improvisation, Stéphane Mottoul, Organist at the Church of St Leodegar, Lucerne, Switzerland, improvises six contrasting movements of a Classical French Suite, and discusses the characteristics of the French Baroque language in contrast with the German style of the time.

The appearance of numerous organ books after Nivers’s extensive 1665 Livre d’orgue was an extraordinary phenomenon, and Jon Baxendale scrutinises this by looking closely at the composer-and-engraver relationships, and the methods and business concerns of the engravers. A rich music-industrial terrain is mapped out, not least in terms of legalities. The supporting notes and comprehensive concluding table consolidate this study as an important reference work.

This occasional research paper by Desmond Hunter reconsiders approaches to the performance of Byrd’s keyboard music based on a re-examination of the evidence in the sources, informed by the experience of playing and studying this music over many years. He also draws on research by other scholars and performers of Byrd’s keyboard music.

You can watch the College’s 2025 Conferment of Diplomas Ceremony here in full, or as edited highlights, and listen to the Ede & Ravenscroft recital given by Dr Isabelle Demers.

A gallery of pictures from the College’s annual Conferment Ceremony at Southwark Cathedral on Saturday 8 March, at which RCO President Sarah MacDonald presented successful examination candidates with their awards and diplomas, and also presented three RCO Medals.

Reports are coming in about the excitement and opportunities that are being generated by the RCO’s Organs in Schools scheme, and the ripple effect into local communities from making a digital organ available to young people.

Max Reger’s Twelve Pieces’ are some of his more accessible works for the organist. Martin Schmeding has edited a new Urtext edition, which includes an extensive essay on the performance of Reger’s organ works.