The RCO’s Wingfield Organ is now in residence at St Mary’s Church in Fotheringhay – all very appropriate, as both instrument and church are fascinating medieval survivors. Fotheringhay will be the setting for a special concert on Saturday 25 May exploring the vocal and organ music of late medieval England, with David Skinner and The Alamire Scholars, organist James Parsons, and historian Dr David Starkey providing the spoken narrative.

Watch the College’s 2019 Conferment of Diplomas ceremony in full or as edited highlights. The ceremony at Southwark Cathedral on Saturday 9th March saw the College present Diplomas and Certificates to 53 Members of the College, and award the Medal of the Royal College of Organists to two distinguished practitioners in the field of organ music.

Listen to the Ede & Ravenscroft Recital which closed the College’s 2019 Conferment of Diplomas ceremony performed by Steven Grahl, including music by York Bowen, Huw Watkins, Percy Whitlock, Judith Bingham and Oskar Lindberg.

Heat rises, and many organs are in lofts well above ground level, observes Simon Williams – and surviving the heat in the summer of 2018 was just another challenge for students on the two flagship RCO courses in July and August. A report on how students of all ages came away inspired, with pictures.

The RCO is running a Village Organists’ Workshop in September, for all those parish musicians working in small churches who would like access to support and advice. The workshop welcomes pianists who would like to try the organ under expert guidance, as well as more experienced parish organists who would like to try a larger instrument than usual. It will be held in the glorious setting of the northern Lake District, at St Kentigern’s Church.

This year’s Incorporated Association of Organists (IAO) Music Festival in Peterborough hosted the first IAO/RCO Organ Playing Competition, open to organists between the ages of 18 and 26 years. The finals were held in Peterborough Cathedral, on the last evening of the Festival, with the three competition finalists giving a 40-minute recital in front of adjudicators, Martin Baker, Edward Higginbottom and Steven Grahl.

In March 2018 Andrew McCrea, Deputy Director of the RCO, hosted a live webinar with RCO President Martin Baker and Philip Meaden, RCO Director. In it they reflected on RCO initiatives, both current and future, and took questions from the webinar audience. Watch a recording of the webinar, including the Q&A session.

Listen to the Ede & Ravenscroft Recital which closed the College’s 2018 Conferment of Diplomas ceremony, performed by Peter Stevens, Assistant Master of Music, Westminster Cathedral, who played music by Jean Guillou, JS Bach, Maurice Durufle and Max Reger.

Watch the College’s 2018 Conferment of Diplomas ceremony in full, or as edited highlights.