Are you a pianist who is interested in playing the organ? Are you already playing the organ in your church, but would like to know more about how those pedals, buttons, tabs, and stops work? The RCCO Kingston Centre is pleased to be able to offer a number of organ scholarships annually, valued at $350-400 each. The scholarships will be applied to provide a course of lessons with a qualified organ instructor, with details to be worked out with the instructor. Former scholarship holders may be eligible for a renewal.

Scholarship Winners for 2008-2009

Application Information

Scholarship auditions for 2009 will be held in April, 2009; watch this site for the date, place and further information. See the link at the bottom of this page to download an application form.

The following scholarship information is taken from previous years — watch this page for current updates!

  1. The purpose of these scholarships is twofold: to encourage piano players to take up the organ, and to assist those who are already playing the organ in a church but without formal training, by offering them a series of free organ lessons.
  2. Each scholarship is of the value of $350 (except for the National Scholarship Award and the Margaret McKendry awards, which are $400), and each award will be paid on the recipient’s behalf to an approved organ teacher of the student’s choice who has agreed to take the recipient as a student. The renewals of scholarships will be limited to two, making for a possibility of three rounds of lessons.
  3. The preferred candidate will be a piano player of at least Grade 8 standard who has not yet had any formal instruction on the organ, and who is either playing for a church or hoping to do so. If sufficient scholarships are available, consideration may be given to:
    • students who are playing for a church but who do not meet the normal standard of proficiency in piano-playing;
    • students who have had a few organ lessons.
  4. In case there is a shortage of applicants of sufficient standard for new scholarships, the Jury will consider awarding renewals to previous scholarship holders who have shown excellent progress and promise.
  5. The following scholarships are typical of those usually available from the Kingston Centre:
    • The Kingston R.C.C.O Center Scholarship
    • The National RCCO Organ Scholarship (financed by the College Development Fund of the RCCO).
    • The Archdiocese of Kingston Organ Scholarship (given by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kingston) This scholarship will be awarded to a candidate who practices the Roman Catholic faith, if one of sufficient merit applies. Roman Catholic applicants are asked to furnish evidence from their parish priests that they are practicing Catholics. In so doing, they remain eligible for any other scholarship if they are not awarded the Archdiocesan one.
    • The Kingston Presbytery Organ Scholarship (given by the Kingston Presbytery of the United Church).
    • The Catherine Brown Organ Scholarship (given in memory of the wife of a past Chair of the Kingston RCCO Centre).
    • The Margaret McKendry Scholarship, donated by Glenburnie United Church to celebrate Margaret McKendry's fiftieth anniversary as organist of that church.
  6. You need only submit one application for scholarship aid—you do not need to apply for individual scholarships.
  7. Candidates will be selected by a Jury consisting of the Chair of the Kingston RCCO Centre and two professional organ teachers appointed by the Centre.
  8. Selection will be by auditions to be held in Kingston in April of 2009; watch this site for the date, place and further information. Qualified candidates will be informed by telephone of the precise times of their auditions.
  9. Candidates will be required to play:
    • one piece from List A (Baroque Repertoire) of the Royal Conservatory Syllabus for Grade 8 Piano, or another piece from the Baroque period of equivalent or higher standard;
    • a second piece of Grade 8 standard or higher, and in contrasting style;
    • a simple sight-reading test.
    Candidates should be prepared to supply a copy of each piece (NOT photocopied) to the Jury.
  10. Applicants are asked to submit, along with their applications, a brief statement explaining why they are interested in the organ and how they hope to utilize their skill in the future. Applicants are also asked to include some information about their musical and other extra-curricular activities. In making the awards, the Jury will take into account the degree of interest in the organ and church music, as well as present proficiency at the piano. Other considerations are the amount of time the applicant will be able to devote to organ practice and the availability of an instrument to practice on.
  11. Scholarships must be taken up, and the organ lessons commenced, within six months of the award. Scholarships not so taken up will be forfeited and may be awarded to a runner-up at the discretion of the Executive Committee of the Centre. In exceptional cases the Executive Committee may, if so requested, authorize a scholarship-holder to postpone commencement of lessons for a period not exceeding a further six months.
  12. The following are the organ teachers in the area served by the Centre who have agreed to accept scholarship students:
    Kingston
    Dr. Robert Hunter Bell, DMusCantuar, MMus, ARCO(Chm), ARSCM, ARCT, formerly Organist at St. George’s Cathedral, tel: 613.546.2798.
    Mr. David Cameron, MM, FTCL, FRCCO(Chm), Organist at Chalmers United Church, tel: 613.549.7125
    Ms. Fran Harkness, BA (Hons), MEd, ARCT (performance), ARCCO, Organist at St. Andrew’s-by-the-Lake United Church, tel: 613.549.7125.
    Ms. Jill Mingo, BSc, ARCT (piano), CRCCO, ARCT (organ performance) Assistant Organist at St. Mary’s Cathedral
    Belleville
    The Rev. John R. Uttley, BSc, ARCCO, LTh, Organist at St Thomas' Anglican Church, tel: 613-962-3636.
    Brockville
    Mr. Jeffrey Reusing, MMus, ARCT, Organist at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, tel: 613-345-5717.

    Other professionally qualified organ teachers may be approved at the discretion of the Executive Committee of the Centre.

  13. The Scholarship Application Form may be downloaded and printed. Scholarship applications must be mailed to the Scholarship Secretary and postmarked no later than the deadline date (this date will be in early April, but has not yet been determined.) Late applications may be considered at the discretion of the Centre. For more information, contact: Mrs. Nora Vincent,
    RCCO Kingston Scholarship Secretary
    St. Thomas’ Anglican Church
    130 Lakeview Avenue
    Kingston, ON  K7M 3T5
    Tel: (613) 389-0866
 
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