RCO awards Diplomas, Certificates & Medals in cathedral ceremony

The Royal College of Organists has presented Diplomas and Certificates to 48 members of the College, and awarded the RCO Medal to four distinguished musicians.

At a ceremony at Southwark Cathedral on Saturday 4 March, RCO President David Hill conferred College Members with Fellowship of the College (FRCO), Associateship of the College (ARCO) and Colleague of the College (CRCO), and awarded the Certificates of Accredited Membership (CAM) and the Scottish Churches Organist Training Scheme (SCOTS).

The RCO Medal was awarded to David Briggs, Andrew McCrea, James Parsons, and Prof. Patrick Russill.

The ceremony closed with the Ede & Ravenscroft Recital in which Tristan Russcher played: Prelude and Fugue in G Major BWV 541 by J.S. Bach; Fugue in A Flat minor by Johannes Brahms; Prélude et Danse fuguée by Gaston Litaize; Paraphrase on ‘O filii et filiae’ by Ralph Downes; and movements from Le Tombeau de Duruflé by David Briggs.

The vote of thanks was given, according to custom, by the winner of the Limpus Prize at Fellowship (in Winter 2023), Carolyn Craig. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Adam Chillingworth, winner of the Limpus Prize at Associateship in Summer 2022, played Heraldic Flourish by Dr Francis Jackson. It was written for the RCO’s diploma presentation in January 1973, at which the College was formally granted armorial bearings.

Awards were made as follows:

RCO MEDAL

Mr David Briggs, in recognition of distinguished achievement in organ performance and composition;
Mr Andrew McCrea, in recognition of distinguished service to the College;
Mr James Parsons, in recognition of distinguished achievement in organ pedagogy; and
Prof. Patrick Russill, in recognition of distinguished achievement in choral direction and pedagogy, and in church music.

FELLOWSHIP DIPLOMA (FRCO)

Summer 2022
Harry Baigent (Oxford)
Samuel Bayliss (Hereford)
Romain Bornes (Bristol)
Ben Mills (Lincoln)
Miriam Reveley (Ely)
Paul Tarling (Leimen, Germany)
Alex Wilson (London)

Limpus Prize, Frederick Shinn Prize, and Durrant Prize - Miriam Reveley and Paul Tarling
Turpin Prize and Durrant Prize - Romain Bornes
Dixon Prize - Romain Bornes
Harding Prize and Durrant Prize - Alex Wilson
The Lawrence Phelps Prize - Alex Wilson
Samuel Baker Prize - Paul Tarling

Winter 2023
Carolyn Craig (Knoxville, Tennessee, USA)
Simon Earl (Christchurch)
Edward Hewes (New York City, New York, USA)
Lenora Morrow Jeffcoat (Lexington, South Carolina, USA)
Alexander Knight (London)
Benjamin Markovic (London)
Drew Sellis (London)
Joshua Simoes (London)
Christopher Too (Bridlington)
Alex Trigg (Windsor)

Limpus Prize, Frederick Shinn Prize, and Durrant Prize - Carolyn Craig
Turpin Prize and Durrant Prize - Drew Sellis
Harding Prize and Durrant Prize - Drew Sellis
Dr F. J. Read Prize - Carolyn Craig
Coventry Cathedral Recital Award 2022/2023 - Carolyn Craig

ASSOCIATESHIP DIPLOMA (ARCO)

Summer 2022
Max Carsley (Edinburgh)
Adam Chillingworth (Bury St Edmunds)
Hugh Clist-Woodward (Cirencester)
Jacob Costard (Cobham)
Duncan Courts (Poole)
William Forrest (Emsworth)
Cameran Johal (Gerrards Cross)
Matilda Johnston (London)
Luke Saint (Bromley)

Limpus Prize, Frederick Shinn Prize and Durrant Prize - Adam Chillingworth
Sawyer Prize and Durrant Prize - Jacob Costard
Lord St Audries Prize - Adam Chillingworth
Sowerbutts Prize and Durrant Prize - Jacob Costard
Doris Wookey Prize - Adam Chillingworth
Samuel Baker Prize - Adam Chillingworth

Winter 2023
Daniel Blaze (Kingston upon Thames)
Holly Broadbent (South Perth, Western Australia)
Eben Eyres (Preston)
Freddy Harvey (Chichester)
Paul Jones (Liverpool)
Evan Lawrence (London)
Sophia Membery (London)
Henry Morris (Abingdon)
Andrew Morrisson (Aberdeen)
Stéphane Mottoul (Lucerne, Switzerland)
Chun Ying Ng (London)
Donald Russell (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)
Yip Heng Jason Tang (London)

Limpus Prize, Frederick Shinn Prize, and Durrant Prize - Sophia Membery
Sawyer Prize and Durrant Prize - Eben Eyres
Lord St Audries Prize - Sophia Membery
Sowerbutts Prize and Durrant Prize - Eben Eyres
Doris Wookey Prize - Daniel Blaze
Dr F. J. Read Prize - Eben Eyres

COLLEAGUE DIPLOMA (CRCO)

Summer 2022
Timothy Carpenter (Haywards Heath)
Paul Chiu Fan Chan (Nelson, New Zealand)
Nora Rechel (Norwich)

Limpus Prize, Frederick Shinn Prize, and Durrant Prize - Paul Chiu Fan Chan
Sowerbutts Prize and Durrant Prize - Nora Rechel
Freemasons’ Prize (United Grand Lodge of England) - Nora Rechel

Winter 2023
David Shingler (Wigton)
Samuel Trueman (Elsworth)

Limpus Prize, Frederick Shinn Prize, and Durrant Prize - David Shingler
Sowerbutts Prize and Durrant Prize - David Shingler
Freemasons’ Prize (United Grand Lodge of England) - David Shingler

THE CERTIFICATES OF ACCREDITED MEMBERSHIP (CAM) & THE SCOTTISH CHURCHES ORGANIST TRAINING SCHEME (SCOTS)

Spring, Summer and Autumn 2022, and Winter 2023
Anthony Berridge (Crewkerne) Stage 3 (CAM)
Shona Blackhall (Falkirk) Stage 1 (SCOTS)
Laura Buxel (Stirling) Stage 1 (SCOTS)
Christian Tolentino (London) Stage 2 (CAM)

The Trustees also announced the award of Honorary Life Membership (HonLMRCO) to the following Members for their distinguished service to the College and for their promotion of the College’s work in the wider world: The Lord Glenarthur, Ms Marianne Barton and Mr Andrew Macintosh.