RCO St Giles Organ School | Scheduled Classes
The Royal College of Organists now delivers the classes formerly offered by the renowned St Giles International Organ School. Under the RCO St Giles Organ School name we deliver educational opportunities for hundreds of organists, both amateur and professional.
Current scheduled events and classes from RCO St Giles Organ School are listed below. All players are welcome, regardless of age or aspiration: you don’t have to be a member of the RCO, or be having lessons with an RCO St Giles Organ School teacher, to attend one of these classes. Most sessions are limited to 6 active participants, to maximise hands-on tuition; when a class is full we may sometimes take observers if circumstances permit.
If you have a question about these classes, please e-mail the College at courses@rco.org.uk
Please note times (the 24-hour clock is used).
Saturday 25th February 2012 (14:00 – 17:00)
Turn of the Century (Grade 6+)
Keble College, OxfordJames Parsons
The Victorian splendour of Keble College's Chapel, with its brand new 4-manual Tickell organ, is the setting for James's masterclass, which focuses on music from around 1900.
Restricted to 6 active participants.
Fee: £60.00
Saturday 3rd March 2012 (10:00 – 13:00)
Edwardian England (Grade 4+)
Westminster Central HallGerard Brooks
Bring a piece by an Edwardian composer (Elgar, Parry, Stanford, Bridge, Ireland, Walford Davies, William Harris etc.) for Gerard's masterclass on the mighty 66-stop newly restored Hill organ at Westminster Central Hall.
Restricted to 6 active participants.
Fee: £60.00
Thursday 8th March 2012 (18:00 – 21:00)
Stylus Fantasticus (Grade 6+)
St Giles Cripplegate, London EC2Daniel Moult
Mattheson (1739) described the stylus fantasticus thus: 'now swift, now hesitating, now in one voice, now in many voices, now for a while behind the beat, without measure of sound, but not without the intent to please, to overtake and to astonish'. Daniel's class focuses on this application of the style within the music of Frescobaldi, Buxtehude, Bach and others.
Restricted to 6 active participants.
Fee: £60.00
Saturday 17th March 2012 (11:00 – 14:00)
Learn to Sight-Read (Grade 4+)
St Giles Cripplegate, London EC2Anne Marsden Thomas
Imagine how much music you could explore, and how much time you would save in note-learning if only your sight-reading was fluent! Anne argues that all you need is a reliable method, frequent success on the most appropriate grade of repertoire, and supportive guidance in this friendly class.
Restricted to 6 active participants.
Fee: £60.00
Saturday 24th March 2012 (11:00 – 14:00)
'Bach's 'Short Eight Preludes and Fugues (Grade 4+)
St Giles Cripplegate, London EC2Anne Marsden Thomas
These delightful miniatures are an ideal introduction to the more major Baroque preludes and fugues, effective liturgical postludes, and first-class technical study. Bring a performance of one or more for Anne's class on St Giles's gorgeous Chancel organ (Mander 2008).
Restricted to 6 active participants.
Fee: £60.00
Saturday 31st March 2012 (14:00 – 17:00)
Extend a Hymn (Grade 6+)
St Stephen's, Rochester Row, Victoria, LondonRosemary Field
The hymn is ending but the procession or offertory has not finished - help! Rosemary, working with you on the new organ at St Stephen's, replaces your panic with clear structures to extend that hymn and end in a blaze of glory.
Restricted to 6 active participants.
Fee: £60.00
All prices quoted are inclusive of VAT @ 20%
For booking forms, preparation sheets and any other additional information, please following this link to the RCO Academy section of our RCO Download page.