The RCCO is Canada's oldest musician's association. Founded in 1909 as
the Canadian Guild of Organists, the name was changed to the Canadian College
of Organists and the Designation "Royal" was granted in 1959. Membership
spans Canada from coast to coast and includes a broad range of musical experience. The Ottawa
Centre is the second largest centre of the RCCO.
For a brief history of the RCCO, see the article in
The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada
WHO CAN JOIN?
Membership in the College is open to anyone interested in the organ
and organ music. Our membership includes professional, semi-professional,
and volunteer musicians, organ builders, music students, and lovers of organ
music. We aim to have our programmes and services reflect this diversity
in membership.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP?
Some of the benefits are:
The National publication ORGAN CANADA is mailed out on a regular basis.
The Yearbook, published annually and sent to all members contains names
and addresses of all members and information on services and resources available
to members.
Members can participate in the College exams to earn a certificate
in Service Playing, or diplomas of Colleague, Associateship, Fellowship and
Choral Conducting.
National Conventions are held annually, offering opportunities to
hear and meet world-class recitalists, to participate in workshops on a variety
of current topics and to discuss subjects of interest and concerns with
new and old friends.
A Resource Centre at National Office contains audio tapes and written
material on a broad range of subjects related to organ performance and church
music. This material is available on loan to members.
Several organ and choral publications are optional for a reduced subscription cost.
Some of the benefits of belonging to the Ottawa Centre are:
The Centre organizes regular meetings and events
which reflect the diverse needs and interests of our members. Recent
meetings have included: choral and organ workshops, anthem reading sessions, organ
crawl in Ottawa an other cities, hymn playing workshop and a Clergy-Organist dinner.
The Ottawa Centre sponsors a recital series called
Pro Organo.
This subscription series provides an opportunity to enjoy recitalists
of international stature.
The Ottawa Centre can provide support and advice on employment matters
through its Professional Concerns Committee.
Annual Scholarships are granted to piano students who wish to start organ lessons. These
scholarships provide 10 free organ lessons.
Many other scholarship opportunities are also available to members.
