Organs Please download the new: Bringing Music Education to Life in UK Schools

The Royal College of Organists (RCO) has been working tirelessly to bring music education to life in schools across the United Kingdom through its Organs in Schools programme. The initiative, which aims to identify and support schools where a lack of suitable instruments is hindering an existing or planned music education programme, has already made significant progress.

So far, two schools have received a Viscount Organs digital instrument as part of the programme: St Columb's Music School in Derry-Londonderry and Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School in Grantham. The impact has been immediate and far-reaching, with pupils not just learning to play the organ but also exploring its inner workings and creative possibilities.

Matthew Lond, Director of Music at The King's School in Grantham, who is participating in the programme, notes that the new instrument has sparked a range of cross-curricular discussions among students. 'Pupils have been asking questions about how it works and what sounds it makes,' he says, 'leading to learning at its best, involving music, creativity, science, and history.'

The digital instruments can be installed in classroom, practice or performance spaces and are designed to further the education of a new and socially diverse generation of organists. With generous support from sponsors including The Garfield Weston Trust, The Worshipful Company of Plaisterers, and The United Grand Lodge of England, the RCO is able to donate high-quality digital organs from its partners at Viscount Organs.

To register your interest in the Organs In Schools programme or download the application form, please contact RCO Chief Executive Sir Andrew Parmley. The scheme has already shown significant promise, and the RCO is eager to support more schools across the UK in bringing music education to life through this innovative initiative.

By installing digital organs in schools throughout the country, the RCO is not just providing a valuable learning tool but also helping to create a new generation of organists who will go on to make their mark on the world. The Organs in Schools programme is an exciting development that has the potential to transform music education for years to come.