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 $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 2010-2011

Application Information

Auditions for 2011-2012 scholarships will be held in April ,2011. The application deadline is March 31st. See the link at the bottom of this page to download an application form. The Scholarship Secretary will contact you by phone and/or e-mail regarding the location and time of your audition.

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 $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 Sister Emily Doherty CND 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.
    • The S. Alec Gordon Organ Scholarship, offered by Bridge Street United Church in Belleville in honour of S. Alec Gordon, who was organist of that church from 1937-1980.
  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 April, 2011. Qualified applicants will be informed by telephone of the precise time and place 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. Michael Capon, MMus, ARCT, Organist at St. George’s Cathedral, tel: 613.548.4617.
    Dr. Aurora Dokken, BMus, MMus, PhD, EdD, Organist at St. Mary’s Cathedral, tel: 613.546.9868.
    Ms. Jill Mingo, MMus, BSc, CRCCO, ARCT (Organ Performance), ARCT (Piano Performance). Director of Music at St. Andrew's by-the-Lake United Church, tel: 613.549.4085, or contact her by .
    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 the Parish of St. Lawrence, 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 or emailed to the Scholarship Secretary. Late applications may be considered at the discretion of the Centre. For more information, contact: ,
    RCCO Kingston Scholarship Secretary
    St. Thomas’ Anglican Church
    130 Lakeview Avenue
    Kingston, ON  K7M 3T5
    Tel: (613) 389-0866
 
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