Little is known of Theophania Cecil’s musical life and career, but her Twelve Voluntaries are stylistically very much of their time, with their suggested publication date of 1810. 

Written and presented by Daniel Moult, these are the first in a series of videos introduces the main stylistic areas of five significant organ schools, with discussion of the more contentious & lesser known aspects of these periods.

Here, an introduction to the series is followed by a discussion of the playing style for the early English School, from Byrd to Purcell.

Geoffrey Webber’s extensive commentary on the current editions of Buxtehude’s organ music was published to mark the Buxtehude Tercentenary year in 2007.  The aim of this resource is to allow players to move beyond having to rely on any one edition, and to make their own informed decisions about the textual problems.

The copy used for this digital edition comes from the RCO Library, and is part of the RCO’s on-going project to digitise and publish online its collection of rare eighteenth and early nineteenth century music. You can read more on the edition used, and also a little more on Theophania Cecil’s life and music, below, in an article by Andrew McCrea and RCO Librarian Frances Pond.

Develop your skills on the ‘big course with the personal touch’ – the RCO’s flagship summer course which lasts for six days and is based in the heart of the historic City of London. This film provides insight into the course, which caters for organists of all levels and aspirations.

By studying Western classical music at mission schools and at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos, Fela Sowande developed a keen interest in composing for the organ. Godwin Sadoh discusses the European, African-American and Nigerian/African influences on ten of Sowande’s most popular organ works.

Graham Barber makes an appraisal of the origins and characteristics of Henry Smart’s (1812-79) compositional style, and identifies his most compelling works, in this article from the RCO Journal of 2013. It includes an annotated catalogue of Smart’s organ output, from the generally difficult concert pieces to easier works designed for divine service or pedagogic […]

William Russell gained high regard both as a musician and a man, as his obituary of 1813 shows, but his music has since been relegated to inconsequentiality, with the exception of some of his Anglican chants and organ voluntaries.  Gillian Ward Russell examines William Russell’s life and times, and discusses his organ music. Written at […]

Jehan Alain took a fluid view of his music, and very few of his organ works reached the stage of a definitive version in his lifetime.  This confusion has been compounded by discrepancies in published editions of Alain’s work throughout the twentieth century.  Stephen Farr discusses the available sources for selected organ works of Alain, […]