News

The RCCO is pleased to announce the winner of the 2020 Lorna and Murray Holmes Scholarship as Rebecca Lee, by unanimous decision of the Scholarships and Bursaries Committee. Rebecca Lee begins the Bachelor of Music in Performance (Organ) degree at McGill University this September.

Earlier this year, internationally-regarded organist-composer Denis Bédard turned 70 – a milestone that would have been celebrated together by organists from across the country at Organ Festival Canada – Victoria, BC in July. Indeed, Bédard was due to have given the premiere of his Fantasia alla marcia (commissioned by the Festival) in a celebratory recital on July 9.

Sadly, the festival had to be cancelled due to the pandemic. So in lieu of an in-person premiere, the composer has kindly agreed to give this piece its first performance by video (as one of four special events in Organ Festival Canada Online - https://www.facebook.com/rcco.ca/). As a special birthday gift from Denis Bédard and Organ Festival Canada to the RCCO membership and festival registrants, you can click here to access a preview score to this new work. Please feel free to print a copy and add it to your repertory. But remember: No sneaky premieres until after the premiere event! (https://www.facebook.com/events/1169267320094313/)

Of this new piece, the composer writes:

Fantasia alla marcia was composed in October 2019.  Written in a Neo-romantic style, it is in four sections, the first being a very joyful and rhythmic march and the second featuring a tranquil melody on a solo stop.  Then follow first a short interlude on the Celestes and finally a repeat of the first section culminating in a brilliant coda, which displays the full splendour of the organ.

La Fantasia alla marcia fut composée en octobre 2019.  De style néo-romantique, elle se compose de quatre parties : une première section très joyeuse et rythmée, en forme de marche; une deuxième section plus tranquille, très mélodique et faisant chanter un jeu solo; un court interlude sur la voix céleste, suivi de la reprise de la première section, amplifiée d'une brillante coda faisant sonner l'orgue dans toute sa splendeur.

Denis Bédard

Podcast Producer Wanted!

The Royal Canadian College of Organists is seeking a producer for its new FutureStops Podcast which will explore the 21st century organ experience in all of its dimensions.

The FutureStops Podcast will focus on innovation, collaboration and experimentation in relation to the organ and will aim to reach both existing and new audiences for contemporary organ music. The Podcast Producer will work closely with the host and the Executive Producer to shape and create the content of the podcast.

The successful candidate will:

• Have a professional attitude and approach
• Be a strong and detail-oriented project manager
• Be passionate about the arts, especially music
• Have audio production expertise and experience
• Be a supportive and engaged team player
• Understand how to create meaningful and compelling stories in sound
• Be boldly creative, flexible, organized, reliable, articulate and digitally savvy
• Be able to relate to and connect with music lovers in their 20s and 30s
• Be comfortable working remotely

If you would like to be considered for this paid part-time position, and can commit a highly focused 15-20 hours per month to it, then please send us the following:

• a CV and brief bio
• a link to 2 audio clips you have produced
• a text of up to 300 words that briefly summarizes:
• • your knowledge (or impressions) of organs, organ music and the organ community
  • what you think makes an arts podcast successful
  • your experience as a producer and as a storyteller
  • your technical capacities
  • why you want to produce this podcast
  • why you will be successful in this role

Please email your application to Elizabeth Shannon at execdirector@rcco.ca no later than July 17, 2020.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

The Royal Canadian College of Organists is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals.

Looking for some new high-quality online performances this summer? Organ Festival Canada has taken to the clouds for its four-concert mini-festival this July, with events coming from Victoria and Vancouver.

Each live-streamed concert will be professionally recorded and beautifully filmed to show this great instrument in its best light, from multiple angles. Presentations range from a short premiere by beloved west-coast composer, Denis Bédard (10 minutes), to an hour-long transcription of Holst’s “The Planets.”

The concerts are centred around four universal themes -- Earth, Heavens, Creation, and Navigation -- and feature acclaimed organists Denis Bédard, Donald Hunt, Mark McDonald and David Stratkauskas.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria, BC, Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver, BC and St. John the Divine Anglican Church in Victoria, BC for their assistance in the production of these performances.

Full Program

Monday, July 6, 7:30pm EDT
"Earth": Widor's 5th Symphony
Donald Hunt, organ

Charles-Marie Widor is the grandfather of the Organ Symphony. From the evocative snapshots in this work’s opening theme and variations to the cavernous Toccata which concludes it, this 35-minute work has something for everyone on earth. Presented in partnership with Music at Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria.

Tuesday, July 7, 7:30pm EDT
"Navigation": Kim Farris-Manning's MAP; gest
David Stratkauskas, organ

"The fundamental problem of maps is that the earth is a sphere and that paper is flat." A similar quandary exists with musical scores, as with anything that lies on the border of imagination and representation; the danger being that if you write down a lie, it might look like the truth. Kim Farris-Manning explores these questions in her improvisatory soundscape.

Wednesday, July 8, 7:30pm EDT
"Creation": Bédard plays Bédard
Denis Bédard, organ

Join Denis Bédard as he premieres his own composition, Fantasia alla marcia, commissioned by Organ Festival Canada to honour the composer in his 70th birthday year. 

Thursday, July 9, 7:30pm EDT
"Heavens": Holst's The Planets
Mark McDonald, organ

Originally composed for a full symphony orchestra between 1914 and 1916, this English composer’s magnum opus has been transcribed for one musician and thousands of pipes by Peter Sykes. Prize-winning organist Mark McDonald gives a performance that is out of this world! Presented in partnership with Music at Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria.

Admission is free or by donation.

Click here to access the streams.

Please click here if you would like to make a donation.

Are you fascinated by organs and contemporary organ music?

Are you personable and well-spoken?

Want to host a podcast?

The Royal Canadian College of Organists is seeking a charismatic, informed, musically open-minded and highly professional host for its new FutureStops Podcast, which will explore the 21st century organ experience in all of its dimensions.

The FutureStops Podcast will focus on innovation, collaboration and experimentation in relation to the organ and will aim to reach both existing and new audiences for contemporary organ music.

If you’d like to be considered for this paid part-time position, and can commit a highly focused 10 - 12 hours per month to it, then please send us the following:

• a brief (no more than 10 minutes) sample audio interview of someone (music-related but not necessarily organ-related) that gives us a taste of the style and substance you would bring to the role of host
• links to your personal and/or professional social media profiles (if available) and a brief description of your familiarity with social media marketing and online community management (optional)
• a CV and brief bio
• a text of up to 500 words that briefly describes:
• your interpretation of the phrase The 21st Century Organ Experience
• your range of experience with contemporary music
• your knowledge of organs, organ music and the organ community
• any professional technical or journalistic experience you have that would equip you to produce the podcast (optional)
• why you would like to host this podcast

The successful candidate:

• will have a spirit of partnership and will genuinely want to work with Future Stops to deliver an amazing, world-class, audience-first show
• understands the craft of storytelling and the role of the interviewer
• knows how to listen, is curious, fast on their feet and comfortable going off-script, improvising and challenging guests if needed

* Demonstrated ability or experience working in audio is an asset.

Please email your application to Elizabeth Shannon at execdirector@rcco.ca no later than July 3, 2020.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

The Royal Canadian College of Organists is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals.

Citations of the 2020 Honorary Awards recipients are now available for viewing on the Honorary Awards page, or by clicking here. Congratulations to all of our recipients!

The troubling events of the last several weeks have highlighted the issues of inequality for Indigenous, Black and other minority groups in Canada.  We, at the Royal Canadian College of Organists, stand against systemic racism and all forms of discrimination and are immediately looking at our own organization and its operations to determine what concrete steps we can take to support a just and equal Canadian society.

Rick Morgan and Peter Nikiforuk

The RCCO has partnered with Sarah Svendsen to assist her in her Doctoral research project to study the impact of organ playing on musculoskeletal health as well as the workplace characteristics experienced by organists through an occupational health lens. Please see below from a message from Sarah. 

To the members of the Royal Canadian College of Organists

My name is Sarah Svendsen and I am a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Toronto. My dissertation will involve ground-breaking research examining musculoskeletal injuries experienced by organists of all levels.

In partnership with the RCCO, a survey is being made available to you at this time. ALL organists are encouraged to complete this survey (including those who may not have experienced injury). In accordance with privacy laws, all information is confidential. The online survey program ensures that anonymity is provided at all steps and that I, as researcher, will never see from whom or where the information originates.

The results of this survey have potentially wide-reaching implications, including informing occupational injury prevention practice for student organists, teachers, and places of employment. Along these lines, my immediate intentions for the use of the survey results are to inform organist training programs and to inform churches about organist workplace health and safety in context. Upon completion of my dissertation, the RCCO will provide me with an opportunity for to present my findings to the membership.

Final date to take survey: July 1, 2020

Thank you in advance for your participation! 

Sarah Svendsen

To take the survey, please check your inbox for an email from the RCCO sent on June 6 (subject: Pipe Organist Playing Injuries Survey), which contains a link. If you cannot find this email, please let us know by emailing info@rcco.ca and we will resend it.

To enable RCCO members who work with choirs to remain informed of current research on the impact of COVID-19, the Professional Development committee offers the following online resources which draw upon current scientific research and best practices.

Please note that these external resources are offered for the information of members and are not endorsed by the RCCO.

• Singing as a Risk for Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Virus

A Rapid Evidence Report prepared by the Alberta Health Services, COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Group.

• Singing, the Church and COVID-19

Prepared by Dr Heather Nelson, an American church musician and expert in vocal health. The site provides regular updates and links to many additional studies and resources.

• Covid-19 information for choral organisations, choirs and conductors

Extensive resources prepared by the European Choral Association.

This is a challenging time for many professional organists and church musicians. Current restrictions on public gatherings due to the Covid-19 crisis have resulted in cancelled concerts and suspended church services, in turn causing significant financial hardship for many College members.  

In response to this unprecedented situation the federal government is providing financial relief in the form of the CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit) program. To find out if you are eligible and to apply please visit the CERB website at www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/cerb-application.html .

A number of provinces currently provide additional financial assistance.  To find out more, please visit the websites below, or contact your provincial or territorial ministry of labour. 

• British Columbia: BC Emergency Benefit for Workers https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/covid-19-financial-supports/emergency-benefit-workers

• Alberta: Emergency Financial Assistance https://www.alberta.ca/emergency-financial-assistance.aspx

• Saskatchewan: Support for Workers https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-information-for-businesses-and-workers/support-for-workers#saskatchewan-support

• Manitoba: Support for Individuals https://www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/infomanitobans/index.html#individuals

• Ontario: COVID-19 Emergency Assistance https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-emergency-assistance

• Quebec: Government Assistance Programs COVID-19 https://www.quebec.ca/en/government-assistance-programs-covid19/

• Nova Scotia: Worker Emergency Bridge Fund https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/worker-emergency-bridge-fund/

Wash hands. Stay safe, stay well. Keep fingers nimble!