Tue May 08, 2018 11:06 am
I would strongly advise against going down the Royal College of Organists (RCO) qualification route before gaining diploma level qualifications in organ playing from the established music examination boards such as the ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) for the following reasons:
An RCO diploma (CRCO, ARCO and FRCO) is an all round, comprehensive music qualification. The organ pieces are only a small part of this. Whilst the exams are now modular (i.e. you can pass part and bank it for up to four years whilst retaking the other parts), it is a huge undertaking.
The standard required by the RCO to pass the pieces seems to be far higher than, say, in ABRSM diplomas. There is a pass mark and that’s it. You can’t get a distinction (you can get prizes, but most of these seem to be awarded to only one candidate at each session).
Because of the demands and breadth of the exams, it is quite likely that you will fail at least one of the parts of the exam at least once, unless you are an absolutely top-flight musician. This can be very demoralising, even traumatic, especially for a young musician. (Don’t believe anyone who says that’s good for you - it’s not, it’s horrible and can destroy your self-confidence and love of your chosen instrument). I know of organists who have failed parts of an RCO exam again and again over many years, especially the keyboard tests, but also parts of the written papers.
Passing the keyboard tests, an excellent thing in itself, requires so much practice and self-discipline that you inevitably have to sacrifice quite a lot of the time other musicians devote to practising the repertoire for several years to reach the standard required by the RCO.
Quite a number of leading organists in the UK do not have RCO qualifications. This is either because they never took them or because they failed them.
The Royal College of Organists has no premises or students enrolled on diplomas courses, (although it does organise short courses ranging from a few hours to a week in length). It is tiny in comparison to the ABRSM which examines more than half a million candidates for its exams worldwide every year. This compares with around 50 candidates who were awarded an RCO diploma this year.
Whilst the leading music colleges (e.g. Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, etc.) are subject to government inspection, and to OFQUAL in relation to its qualifications, as far as I am aware the RCO is only accountable to itself as far as its examinations are concerned. Unless I am mistaken, the RCO is not subject to any external academic inspection regime.
The RCO diplomas can only be taken at the RCO specified examination centres (one in Dulwich, one in Huddersfield and one in Edinburgh). Candidates can only practise on the instrument they will be examined on for one or two hours, sometimes many weeks before the exam. In addition, the jnstrument may be inappropriate for some of the pieces specified in the syllabus. Sometimes you may find that it is impossible to find for a particular piece a registration which will satisfy the examiner, regardless of the fact that it is really not your fault. For ABRSM diplomas, on the other hand, the exam venue has to be arranged by the candidate for organ exams. This means you can be examined on an organ you are totally familiar with, and on which you have practised your pieces for a long period of time. It also means that, when asked to pull put or push in a particular stop in a split second in the sight-reading, you know exactly where it is without having to think.
My advice, therefore, to anyone contemplating taking the RCO diploma exams is this: first get your Grade VIII in organ. Then work towards a diploma such as the DipABRSM and then the LRSM. You will then have letters after your name, can hold your head high in the organ world and have plenty to put on your CV. At the same time you should practise your keyboard skills. You will need a great deal of self-discipline for this, but, as has been stated above, if you do this for a short time every single day (preferably before you practise your pieces), you will gradually improve, without having to sacrifice too much repertoire time. You also need to work on your harmony and counterpoint. Again, get your Grade VIII theory and then aim for, say the Trinity College, London diplomas in Theory.
Now you are ready to take on the RCO.