RCO awards Diplomas, Certificates & Medals in cathedral ceremony

The Royal College of Organists has presented Diplomas and Certificates to 64 members of the College and awarded the RCO Medal to five distinguished organists.

At a ceremony at Southwark Cathedral on Saturday 9 March, RCO President David Hill MBE conferred College Members with Fellowship of the College (FRCO), Associateship of the College (ARCO) and Colleague of the College (CRCO), and awarded Certificate of Accredited Membership (CAM).

In recognition of distinguished achievement, the RCO Medal was presented to Prof. Graham Barber, Mr Dominic Gwynn, Dr Stephen Layton MBE and Dr David Ponsford. Ms Sofi Jeannin, who was awarded the Medal in 2024, will be presented with it at the 2025 ceremony.

The ceremony closed with the Ede & Ravenscroft Recital in which Darius Battiwalla played: J. S. Bach (1685–1750), Prelude in E minor BWV 548/1, William Mathias (1934–92) Canzonetta, Percy Whitlock (1903–46), Scherzetto (from Sonata in C minor), Joséphine Boulay (1869–1925) Andante, Marcel Dupré (1886–1971) Prelude and Fugue in G minor, Op. 7 No. 3, and Eric Coates (1886–1957) Movements from the London Suite.

The vote of thanks was given, according to custom, by Vincent Carr, winner of the Limpus Prize at Fellowship in Winter 2024. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Jack van den Heuvel, winner of the Limpus Prize at Associateship in Winter 2024, played Epilogue by Herbert Howells. The work comes from The Hovingham Sketches, a collection commissioned by the RCO and presented to HRH The Duchess of Kent in 1974.

Awards were made as follows:

RCO MEDAL

Prof. Graham Barber in recognition of distinguished achievement in organ performance, pedagogy and scholarship.

Mr Dominic Gwynn in recognition of distinguished achievement in organ building and scholarship, in particular with respect to UK organ heritage.

Ms Sofi Jeannin, in recognition of distinguished achievement in choral directing (to be presented in March 2025).

Dr Stephen Layton MBE, in recognition of distinguished achievement in choral directing.

Dr David Ponsford, in recognition of distinguished achievement in organ performance and scholarship.

FELLOWSHIP DIPLOMA (FRCO)

SUMMER 2023
Liam Condon (Lichfield)
Daniel Greenway (Liverpool)
Charles Gurnham (Durham)
Matthew Kelley (Chelmsford)
Phillip Mills (Newcastle upon Tyne)
Martyn Noble (London)
James Short (Hythe)

Limpus Prize, Frederick Shinn Prize, and Durrant Prize
Daniel Greenway

Turpin Prize and Durrant Prize
Matthew Kelley

Dixon Prize
Matthew Kelley

Harding Prize and Durrant Prize
Daniel Greenway

Samuel Baker Prize
Daniel Greenway

Coventry Cathedral Recital Award 2023/2024
Daniel Greenway

WINTER 2024
Maksymilian Adach (New York City, New York, USA)
Vincent Carr (Montclair, New Jersey, USA)
Michael D’Avanzo (Cambridge)
Jordan English (Carlisle)
Adam Field (Cambridge)
Samuel Kemp (Caddington)
Evan Lawrence (Dublin, Republic of Ireland)
Stéphane Mottoul (Lucerne, Switzerland)
Robert Pecksmith (Buckfastleigh)
Alexander Robson (Tunbridge Wells)
Joshua Ryan (London)

Limpus Prize, Frederick Shinn Prize, and Durrant Prize
Vincent Carr; Evan Lawrence

Turpin Prize and Durrant Prize
Alexander Robson

Dixon Prize
Vincent Carr; Evan Lawrence

Harding Prize and Durrant Prize
Alexander Robson

Dr F. J. Read Prize
Alexander Robson

Arnold Richardson Prize
Vincent Carr

ASSOCIATESHIP DIPLOMA (ARCO)

SUMMER 2023
James Aiken (Wimborne)
Joel Colyer (Manchester)
Jozef Gaszka (London)
Louis Horsman Carpenter (London)
David Lloyd (London)
Paul Mackin (Hebden Bridge)
Hamish Wagstaff (London)
Ciaran Walker (Musselburgh)

Limpus Prize, Frederick Shinn Prize, and Durrant Prize
Hamish Wagstaff

Sawyer Prize and Durrant Prize
Louis Horsman Carpenter

Lord St Audries Prize
Louis Horsman Carpenter

Sowerbutts Prize and Durrant Prize
Hamish Wagstaff

Doris Wookey Prize
Louis Horsman Carpenter

Samuel Baker Prize
Hamish Wagstaff

WINTER 2024
Ophelia Amar (London)
Pascal Bachmann (London)
George Baldwin (Lightwater)
Jonathan Bolena (Staunton, Virginia, USA)
Oliver Bond (Berkhamsted)
Edward Byrne (Oxford)
David Cain (Fareham)
Harrison Cole (Felixstowe)
Andrew Coulton (Nottingham)
Alan Erdelyi (West Molesey)
Frederick Frostwick (Truro)
Edward Gaut (Westerham)
Wallace Hornady (Woodberry Forest, Virginia, USA)
Joseph Hyam (London)
Jennifer Jin (Edgware)
Michael Lukin (Rugby)
Daniel Mansfield (Liverpool)
Jack McCabe (Cambridge)
Lewis Morrin (Abingdon)
Harry Scott-Burt (Rugby)
David Shingler (Carlisle)
Thomas Simpson (Chichester)
Zane Soonawalla (Oxford)
Conrad Spencer (Reading)
Harvey Stansfield (Poulton-le-Fylde)
Ashley Valentine (London)
Jack van den Heuvel (Tonbridge)
Matthew Wright (Doncaster)

Limpus Prize, Frederick Shinn Prize, and Durrant Prize
Jack van den Heuvel

Sawyer Prize and Durrant Prize
Michael Lukin

Lord St Audries Prize
Jack van den Heuvel

Sowerbutts Prize and Durrant Prize
Jack van den Heuvel

Doris Wookey Prize
Lewis Morrin

Dr F. J. Read Prize
Jack van den Heuvel

COLLEAGUE DIPLOMA (CRCO)

SUMMER 2023
David Cane (Manchester)
Stephanie Gaunt (West Byfleet)
Jeonghee Min (Musselburgh)
Felix Petheu (London)

Limpus Prize, Frederick Shinn Prize, and Durrant Prize
Jeonghee Min

Sowerbutts Prize and Durrant Prize
Stephanie Gaunt

Freemasons’ Prize (United Grand Lodge of England)
Staphanie Gaunt

WINTER 2024
William Baker (Mawsley)
Thomas McLean (West Byfleet)

Limpus Prize, Frederick Shinn Prize, and Durrant Prize
William Baker

Sowerbutts Prize and Durrant Prize
William Baker

Freemasons’ Prize (United Grand Lodge of England)
William Baker

CERTIFICATE OF ACCREDITED MEMBERSHIP (CAM)

SPRING, SUMMER & WINTER 2023, and WINTER 2024
William Baker (Kettering) Stage 3
Beryl Bediako (London) Stage 2
Henry Bush (London) Stage 2
Jane Riddiough (Wallesey) Stage 1
Christian Tolentino (London) Stage 3
Myra Wilson (Sheffield) Stage 2