Not every organ possesses a Zimbelstern, but this ‘toy stop’ has been a popular addition to organs for hundreds of years. John Kitchen, Edinburgh City Organist, suggests how and when you might use it, demonstrating on the organ of Old St Paul’s Episcopal Church, Edinburgh.

Meantone, Werckmeister, and ‘the wolf’: Cathy Lamb compares temperament systems and explains how they came about. 

What are organ pistons for?  Anne Marsden Thomas explains their operation, how to set them up, and how a memory system and stepper can be used on a modern organ.

Even in a big city like London, it can be difficult to find organ practice facilities. The United Grand Lodge of England have recently restored and enlarged the 1933 Henry Willis organ in the Grand Temple at Freemasons’ Hall, and also installed a new three-manual and pedal Viscount Classic digital organ one of their meeting rooms there. They are generously offering practice time on these organs free of charge to RCO Members.

Performance anxiety is common at all levels, and musicians are now catching up with sportsmen and women in acquiring techniques to overcome it. Knowing you’re performing way below your capability is immensely frustrating – here are some resources to help your public performances be as good as the ones you produce in private.

Mark Brafield and Daniel Moult recently gave an RCO workshop on strategies for dealing with performance anxiety, and they’ve made their workshop notes available for download. The notes include a discussion of how performance anxiety arises in the first place, practical techniques to overcome it, and a reading list.

Andrew Forbes discusses the nature of virtuosity, and how to overcome the frustrations of mastering a piece which is on the edge of your own current capabilities.