Royal College of Organists announces 2026 summer accreditation results

The Royal College of Organists has announced the results of its Summer 2026 accreditation session.

A total of 40 candidates were successful across the RCO’s organ qualifications and awards (CAM, CRCO, ARCO and FRCO), its new choral directing diplomas – with CChD(RCO) offered in this inaugural session – and the Scottish Churches Organist Training Scheme (SCOTS).

Certificates and diplomas will be presented at the College’s annual conferment at Southwark Cathedral on Saturday 13 March 2027.

The successful choral directing candidate was:

Colleague in Choral Directing of the Royal College of Organists (CChD(RCO))

Elaine Stevenson (Dundee)

The successful organ candidates were:

Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists (FRCO)

Alfred Beston (Orpington)
Jonathan Bolena (Staunton, VA, USA)
Holly Broadbent (Perth, WA, Australia)
Mitchell Farquharson (Ware)
Callum Knox (Queenscliff, NSW, Australia)
Jack McCabe (Bangor, Co. Down)
Jack Wilson (Belfast)

Limpus Prize, Frederick Shinn Prize, and Durrant Prize
Alfred Beston

Harding Prize and Durrant Prize
Alfred Beston

Samuel Baker Prize
Alfred Beston

Associateship of the Royal College of Organists (ARCO)

Vladimir Antonov-Charsky (London)
Sam Barber (Brentwood)
Matthew Breen (Cork, Republic of Ireland)
William Brooke (Ashburton)
Michael Chamberlain (Portsmouth)
Wing Chi Samantha Chan (Hong Kong, China)
Louisa Denby (Cambridge)
George Finney (Stratford-upon-Avon)
Nicholas Friedersdorff (Leicester)
Richard Gooding (Darlington)
Nicky Grant (Stirling)
Davon Halim (Oxford)
Caius Lee (Bradford)
John Newton (Southampton)
Manav Paul (Potters Bar)
Eleanor Rosser (Stockport)
Timothy Selman (Lincoln)
Jonathan Smith (Lanark)
Yipeng Xu (London)

Limpus Prize, Frederick Shinn Prize, and Durrant Prize
Eleanor Rosser

Sawyer Prize and Durrant Prize
Davon Halim

Lord St Audries Prize
Eleanor Rosser

Sowerbutts Prize and Durrant Prize
Yipeng Xu

Doris Wookey Prize
Davon Halim

Samuel Baker Prize
Davon Halim

Colleague of the Royal College of Organists (CRCO)

Nicholas Jenkins (London)
Scarlett Martin (Haslemere)
Andrew Pitman (Welwyn)
Oliver Sexton (Bexhill)
Themis Toumpoulidis (Stonehouse)

Sowerbutts Prize and Durrant Prize
Nicholas Jenkins

Freemasons’ Prize (United Grand Lodge of England)
Nicholas Jenkins
Oliver Sexton

Certificate of Accredited Membership (CAM)

Benedict Aderoh (Huntingdon), Stage 3
Carmel Dominic (Isleworth), Stage 3
Theodora Joseph (London), Stage 3 
Benjamin Lijesen (Peterborough), Stage 3
Anya Stoyanov (London), Stage 2
Yann Stoyanov (London), Stage 2 

Scottish Churches Organist Training Scheme (SCOTS)

Grant Forrest (Stirling), Stage 1
Barbara Stevenson (Stromness), Stage 1