The 2019 edition of the College’s annual research publication, The Journal of the Royal College of Organists, can be downloaded here as a complete edition.

In a set of three webinars Frederick Stocken looks at the Bach Chorale question of the ARCO examination written paper, which requires the completion of the harmony to a given chorale melody, in the style of J S Bach.

Darius Battiwalla shows how improvising music for the movies differs from improvising during a church service, and suggests ways to develop the skills, and stamina, required.

Andrew Cantrill-Fenwick discusses how theories of aesthetics and performance practices from the last four hundred years can help organists breathe expressive life into their playing.

William Reynolds’s thought-provoking, well-documented introduction to early organs and their use in Wales and the Welsh borders is a major contribution to national organ history, opening up a range of organological and musical perspectives about local practices.

This week’s Learning during Lockdown introduces new films on iRCO, which, coupled with recordings of recent webinars, form an introduction to practical harmony for the beginner, and a course in keyboard harmony and the structure of Bach chorales for RCO examination students.  During lockdown many organists have been taking to keyboard instruments other than the organ: we explore the results, and the music they’ve chosen to play.

Tom Bell explains how organ builders exploit the archetypal organ pipe, the Diapason.

Simon Williams explains the circle of fifths, and shows how it is useful for both keyboard and written harmony.

The recent Couperin anniversary (2018) and the appearance of a new edition of Couperin’s Pièces d’orgue from the Stavanger-based Cantando Press was an opportune moment for David Ponsford to reflect not only on the edition, but also on the state of Couperin organ studies at this time.