Six students had registered to compete last April; one of them has since left Ottawa, and one is presently unable to practise. Of the remaining four students, two elected to record their pieces and submit them electronically, and the other two played live. Here are the classes, and the marks awarded by Rachel Laurin, who heard both the electronic submissions and the live performances:

There were two scholarships available, totalling $1,100: the RCCO Ottawa Centre Scholarship of $500, and the Kiwanis Club of Ottawa Arnt Loa Scholarship of $600. Rachel Laurin decided to award these as follows:

Congratulations to all the students and their teachers! The deadline for the 2021 Kiwanis Music Festival is December 18; please enter in good time. I encourage all students to enter both classes available at your own performance level, the Bach and the General classes: when it comes to the awarding of scholarships, it creates a much stronger impression to have played in two different styles.

Well done, everyone, and we now look forward to the 2021 Kiwanis Music Festival!

Samuel Lee began studying organ in Ottawa in 2011 with Karen Holmes. In 2018, still studying with Karen Holmes, he completed the FRCCO diploma, as well as a B.Mus. in Piano Performance at the University of Ottawa with David Jalbert. In 2020, Samuel obtained an M.Mus. in Organ Performance and Church Music at McGill University with Hans-Ola Ericsson. Samuel will begin a Doctoral degree in organ at McGill in September 2020. Stemming from his love for all sorts of instrumental music, he will be studying Edwin Lemare’s transcriptions, his technique, as well as the art of transcription in general. Samuel looks to someday perform orchestral repertoire and chamber music on the organ, as well as creating transcriptions of his own.

Manuel Giovanni Piazza grew up in Toronto, Canada, where he graduated from the University of Toronto with a BMus in Organ Performance and studied with Dr. John Tuttle. As an undergraduate student, he played in masterclasses led by organists such as Olivier Latry, Dr. William Porter, Stefan Engels, and David Briggs. While in Toronto, he served as choir director and organist at Our Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church, organ scholar at Trinity College (University of Toronto), organ scholar at St. James' Anglican Cathedral, and one of the five organists of St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica. From September 2019 to April 2020, he was organ scholar at Truro Cathedral in Cornwall (UK), where he worked with Christopher Gray and Michael Butterfield. In August 2020, he will begin graduate studies at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music in New Haven, Connecticut.

This meditation of music and words marks both the Feast of the Ascension as well as the one-year anniversary of Patrick Wedd's death. Hunt is a former student of Wedd and the short reflections will be offered by clergy who knew him well throughout his impressive career.

Suggested donation to the Patrick Wedd Music Fund at Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/5518

The lessons may be on the topics of the candidates choice (repertoire, practical tests, written tests or ear training) and the Centre can provide recommendations on appropriate teachers with experience of the standards of performance expected for successfully completing RCCO examinations.

To be awarded an Examination Bursary please contact in confidence the Membership Convenor: Donald (dot) Russell (at) rcco-ottawa (dot) ca for the Ottawa Centre. Applications are typically made in the fall. Payment will be made to the applicant after confirmation of registration for an examination has been received.