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.
For booking forms, preparation sheets and any other additional information, please follow this link to the RCO Download page and scroll down to the RCO Academy section.
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 May 2013 (14:00 – 17:00)
Introducing Advanced Harmony
St Mary’s, South Woodford, London E18 2PA (Grade 7–diploma)Frederick Stocken
An essential class for those who are ready to spice up their basic harmonic understanding with a range of easy-to-manage advanced chords. The class includes both writing and playing. This venue offers a large and thrilling organ and two other acoustically separated keyboards to give each student plenty of opportunity to develop fluency both alone and under Frederick's sympathetic teaching.
Restricted to 6 active participants.
The venue is 15 minutes by public transport from Liverpool Street station.
Fee: £62.00
Saturday 1st June 2013 (14:00 – 17:00)
Mendelssohn Sonatas (Grades 6-dip)
St George's Hanover Square, London W1S 1FXSimon Williams
Mendelssohn's biographer Eric Werner wrote: 'next to Bach’s works, Mendelssohn's Organ Sonatas belong to the required repertory of all organists’. Choose at least one movement from our graded list for Simon’s class on London’s most exciting organ.
Restricted to 6 active participants.
Fee: £62.00
Saturday 8th June 2013 (11:00 – 14:00)
Mock Grade Exams (Grades 2–8)
St Giles Cripplegate, Barbican, London, EC2Y 8DAAnne Marsden Thomas
Anne shares tips on preparation, performance skills and dealing with nerves for those approaching graded exams. As well as a supportive assessment of your performance, this class focuses on sight-reading, transposition and technical requirements.
Restricted to 6 active participants.
Fee: £62.00
Saturday 15th June 2013 (14:00 – 17:00)
After Bach (Grade 4–diploma)
SS Mary and Joseph, Poplar, London E14 6EZJames Parsons
Using the glorious Nigel Church organ in a generous acoustic, James introduces a wide range of wonderful, accessible organ pieces from late 18th-century Germany and Austria, including composers Krebs, Homilius, CPE Bach, Kittel, Oley, Telemann, Vogler, Knecht and through to Mozart and Haydn. Find many of these pieces in the current ABRSM syllabus and graded anthologies and bring your own performance to supplement James’s illustrations!
Restricted to 6 active participants.
The venue is 20 minutes by public transport from Bank station.
Fee: £62.00
Saturday 22nd June 2013 (11:00 – 14:00)
From Titelouze to Dupré (all grades; especially useful to CertRCO candidates)
Notre-Dame de France, Leicester Square (subject to availability), London, WC2H 7BXGerard Brooks
An overview of French music from pre-Revolution France through to a strong focus on Dupre’s Le Tombeau de Titelouze (Cert RCO set work for written papers) with opportunities for you to share the many illustrations.
Restricted to 6 active participants.
Fee: £62.00
Saturday 29th June 2013 (14:00 – 17:00)
Keeping the Pulse (Grades 2–6)
Christ’s Chapel of God’s Gift, Dulwich, London SE21Marilyn Harper
If you have trouble keeping a steady pulse do treat yourself to a wonderful afternoon (or day) out in Dulwich. Bring whatever music you are currently playing and Marilyn will help you find and display your inner pulse. This class uses the recently restored 1760 England organ in a breathtaking 17th-century chapel adjacent to the famous Dulwich Picture Gallery.
Restricted to 6 active participants.
The venue is 22 minutes by public transport from London Bridge station.
Fee: £62.00
Saturday 29th June 2013 (14:00 – 17:00)
CertRCO Aural (Grade 7–diploma)
St Botolph, Aldgate, London, EC3N 1ABGerdi Troskie
The dictation and perception tests for this exam cause much needless anxiety; Gerdi shows you the techniques that work and gives plentiful practice targeted to your level.
Restricted to 6 active participants.
Fee: £62.00
Saturday 6th July 2013 (14:00 – 17:00)
Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565 (Grade 6–diploma)
St Michael’s, Chester Square, London, SW1W 9HHTom Bell
Bring the Toccata (c. Grade 6) and/or the Fugue (c. Grade 8) for a class which includes both performance and in-depth exploration of this, the most famous of all organ pieces. Tom’s illuminating and entertaining teaching will support and guide your playing to even greater impact.
Restricted to 6 active participants.
Fee: £64.00
Saturday 13th July 2013 (11:00 – 14:00)
‘Bach’ Eight Short Preludes and Fugues (Grades 4–7)
Grosvenor Chapel, South Audley Stree, London W1K 2PADaniel Moult
Daniel helps you share and refine your performance of these charming and useful pieces as you play on the beautiful organ by William Drake. Choose one to four movements from our graded repertoire list.
Restricted to 6 active participants.
Please note the change of venue from that originally published.
Fee: £64.00
Tuesday 16th July 2013 (14:00 – 17:00)
Organ Performance Workshop (all standards)
St Giles Church, Woodstock road, Oxford OX2 6HANicholas Prozzillo
New Oxford-based Organ School teacher Nicholas Prozzillo, together with Anne Marsden Thomas and Gabriele Damiani welcome a wide range of standards in this friendly workshop. The teaching will cover technique, style, accompaniment skills, choosing stops, repertoire ideas, controlling performance nerves and much more. Nicholas guides six performers; Anne introduces the event and, together with Gabriele, answers questions from performers and observers.
Restricted to six active performers, fee £30. Observer fee £10.
Fee: £30.00
Saturday 21st September 2013 (14:00 – 17:00)
The Church Organist (Grades 3–6)
St Stephen’s Rochester Row, London, SW1P 1LERosemary Field
The successful church organist needs many skills: playing hymns, psalms and accompaniments, choosing and playing voluntaries, recruiting and leading a choir, maintaining good relationships with clergy and congregation and more. Rosemary uses her enormous experience in all these areas to direct a fun class with opportunities for everyone to play and a full list of helpful resources.
Restricted to 6 active participants.
Fee: £64.00
All prices quoted are inclusive of VAT @ 20%
For booking forms, preparation sheets and any other additional information, please follow this link to the RCO Download page and scroll down to the RCO Academy section.