The College promotes an awareness of today’s music through the examination syllabuses, and some of Cecilia McDowall’s organ works have been set for study at ARCO in 2024-5.  The composer reveals her influences, inspirations and motivations in a fascinating interview with RCO Chief Examiner Stephen Farr, who gave the first performance of her First Flight in 2021.

Stéphane Mottoul improvises two pieces in the Early Romantic style and discusses the typical structure and harmonic progressions for this music, and comments on how to create a suitable registration scheme.

In this second film in a series of short films on improvisation, Stéphane Mottoul, Organist at the Hofkirche, Lucerne, continues work on improvising a partita in Baroque style based on a hymn tune.

Stéphane Mottoul, Organist at the Hofkirche, Lucerne, explains how to improvise a partita in Baroque style based on a hymn tune. He begins by discussing the harmonisation of the hymn melody, and then explains how to construct three variations using the hymn tune as a basis: a ricercar, a trio chorale, and a chorale with figurations. 

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.

In this film, Robin Harrison outlines strategies to improve aural skills.  He discusses aspects of pulse, pitch, and phrasing, and suggests transposition and memorisation exercises to train the inner ear.

Martin Penny explains how to approach the repertoire extracts questions in the ARCO Written Papers, and suggests ways to develop the skills required.

A presentation by Margaret Phillips, with Andrew McCrea, on English organ music from 1730-1830.

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.