RCO expands nationwide events coverage
The Royal College of Organists’ has announced a number of new events for 2008, helping confirm this year’s events programme as one of the most extensive and geographically diverse in recent times.
Having already run successful events in Cambridge, Ipswich and London, attention is now turning north and west with forthcoming events in Edinburgh, Birmingham and Leeds.
The focus then shifts back to London in August for the RCO St Giles Summer Course for Organists, and then back around the UK with events including young organist recitals in Worcester and a major education resource being launched in Bradford.
Simon Williams said: “The College has long been committed to providing high quality experiences across the United Kingdom in the fields of organ playing and choral directing for people of all ages and backgrounds, and so we are always striving for diversity.
“We work in partnership with a range of organisations and venues to achieve this. This year our partnerships have proved particularly fruitful.
“I hope we have been able to create a programme which truly has something for everyone.”
This weekend (April 25th to 26th) sees a celebration of the centenary of Messiaen’s birth, hosted by the Edinburgh Society of Organists, in association with the Royal College of Organists and the Edinburgh Organ Academy.
Following that is a series of events in Birmingham, including a short course with international recitalist and teacher Ludger Lohmann and an inspiration day for young organists.
St Bartholomew’s Church in Leeds hosts Discover the Armley Schulze Organ on 26th May, and then the ever-popular RCO St Giles Summer School for Organists runs across the City of London from August 4th to 9th.
From August 2nd to 6th, the Three Choirs Festival in Worcester will feature a series of recitals by young organists chosen for their outstanding performance in achieving the College’s ARCO diploma.
Moving into autumn, the College is back in Worcester for a series of education events for schoolchildren, based around the unveiling of the new cathedral organ. And then in November an exciting new multimedia education project is scheduled to be unveiled at Bradford’s National Media Museum – with more details to follow!
For more information on all of these events, plus other education and examination related events, visit
www.rco.org.uk/education_college_events.php, email
events@rco.org.uk or call 05600 767237.