About me

A couple of Christmases ago, the Vicar of St Stephen’s twisted my arm, and I found myself offering to play the organ for the Patronal Day.

My keyboard skills were rusty Grade 8 Piano and I hadn’t played anything properly since a teenager. Playing the pedals was obviously out of the question at this stage, but I did manage to bluff my way through the service. Of course the Vicar wasn’t going to let it go at that and I found myself on the rota.

And that was it – I was hooked on the instrument, the weight of history behind it; loved the repertoire, the combination of excitement and trepidation at being asked to perform on an unfamiliar instrument, the sheer mechanical geekiness of it all.

I thought some lessons might be a good idea, and how right I was – the patient tutors of the Royal College of Organists are tactfully converting my piano playing habits into a proper organ technique, and it all got a lot harder before it has actually started to get better.

My goal is ARCO – the professional diploma of the Royal College of Organists – via CertRCO. The holder of a CertRCO diploma has to be an organist “capable of playing confidently in public” though the exam involves much more than just playing. I am wrestling with harmony, counterpoint, transposition and figured bass – with compulsory improvisation for added stress.

This blog began as a record of personal progress, in the hope it would be useful to others doing a similar thing.   But thanks to my generous contributors it’s got bigger than that.   Thanks everyone.

Morwenna