The RCCO Ottawa Centre announces a series of Saturday-morning workshops to prepare RCCO members for the RCCO’s Certificate in Choir-Training examination, which is offered by the College each May. These workshops will be given by Frances Macdonnell, Organist Emerita, Christ Church Cathedral, Ottawa.

In this exam, candidates demonstrate their ability to plan a church choir programme, direct a short choir practice, answer some straightforward written questions on choir management and choral planning, write some simple harmony, and do some simple ear tests. The outcome of this examination is a Certificate of Proficiency in Choir Training.

The second of these workshops will be held on Saturday October 14 at my apartment, 303-3099 Carling Avenue, from 10 am until noon. This location is on Carling Avenue just west of Bayshore Drive; there is a large visitors’ parking lot directly in front of the building.

It’s not too late to join in! If you would like to start coming, please contact me at fbmacdonnell (at) sympatico (dot) ca, or call 613-726-7984, in advance of the coming workshop.

Join us for the first in-person event of the season. This is an opportunity to meet friends and colleagues of the RCCO we have not seen since Covid began. The breakfast and lunch menu are both available at 10:30 am.

There is ample parking. RSVP by Wednesday, October 18th if you plan to come. You can reach me at email: donald (dot) marjerrison (at) sympatico (dot) ca or tel: 613-724-3793

In this exam, candidates demonstrate their ability to plan a church choir programme, direct a short choir practice, answer some straightforward written questions on choir management and choral planning, write some simple harmony, and do some simple ear tests. The outcome of this examination is a Certificate of Proficiency in Choir Training.

The third of these workshops will be held on Saturday November 4 at my apartment, 303-3099 Carling Avenue, from 10 am until noon. This location is on Carling Avenue just west of Bayshore Drive; there is a large visitors’ parking lot directly in front of the building.

It’s not too late to join in! If you would like to start coming, please contact me at fbmacdonnell (at) sympatico (dot) ca, or call 613-726-7984, in advance of the coming workshop.

You’re invited to join us for a joint, cosponsored event with School of Anglican Studies at at St. Paul’s Seminary and RCCO-Ottawa Centre. Did you know that Joshua Zentner-Barrett is the Director of Music for Anglican Studies? This will be an excellent opportunity to share what each of us is planning for Advent and Christmas and to learn more about the program at St. Paul’s. We will have an opportunity to play our special music on the pipe organ in the beautiful St. Paul Seminary Chapel.

Saint Paul University is made up of two buildings: De Mazenod Chapel is located in the more southern, brown brick building called Laframboise Pavilion. There is plenty of street parking (3 hours) available along Maiin Street, including in front of Laframboise. There are also two paid parking lots: one on Hazel Street and one on Main Street, next to Singing Pebble Books. The University is also reachable via public transit: you can take the #1 train to Lees station and either catch a connecting bus(#16 or #55) or walk about 15 minutes. In addition, buses #5 and 55 stop right in front of the school, while #16 ends its route on Saint Paul's north side. #56 also has a stop at Main and Lees; the University is only a 5-7 minute walk from there. And, of course, there's lots of bicycle parking in front of the university and along Main Street.

In this exam, candidates demonstrate their ability to plan a church choir programme, direct a short choir practice, answer some straightforward written questions on choir management and choral planning, write some simple harmony, and do some simple ear tests. The outcome of this examination is a Certificate of Proficiency in Choir Training.

The fourth of these workshops will be held on Saturday December 9 at my apartment, 303-3099 Carling Avenue, from 10 am until noon. This location is on Carling Avenue just west of Bayshore Drive; there is a large visitors’ parking lot directly in front of the building.

It’s not too late to join in! If you would like to start coming, please contact me at fbmacdonnell (at) sympatico (dot) ca, or call 613-726-7984, in advance of the coming workshop.

Plan now to reserve a seat at the Cafe RCCO Zoom session on Principles for Making Informed Decisions about our Musical Techniques led by Donald Russell. Please register via email at events (at) rcco-ottawa (dot) ca. ca. You'll receive a registration notice. Close to the event, you will receive a Zoom invitation and link. Register early before the Advent and Christmas season overtakes us with busyness.

Zoom link will be posted before the event.

In this exam, candidates demonstrate their ability to plan a church choir programme, direct a short choir practice, answer some straightforward written questions on choir management and choral planning, write some simple harmony, and do some simple ear tests. The outcome of this examination is a Certificate of Proficiency in Choir Training.

The fifth of these workshops will be held on Saturday February 3 at my apartment, 303-3099 Carling Avenue, from 10 am until noon. This location is on Carling Avenue just west of Bayshore Drive; there is a large visitors’ parking lot directly in front of the building.

If you would are interested in knowing more about this programme, please contact me at fbmacdonnell (at) sympatico (dot) ca, or call 613-726-7984.

The RCCO Ottawa Centre will have an afternoon session of Lent and Easter music. The church has a 3-manual Casavant organ, a lovely baby grand piano, and a large parking lot.

Do you have favorite works to play during Lent and for Easter services? Would you please share them with your colleagues and parishioners from Trinity United? Helping others know the music that you have researched over the years is a great way to get to know other people. Also, the present Director of Music/Organist Donna Hawkes is working with the immediate past director, Kimberley Allen-McGill, to host the event. What a fabulous example of collegiality! The building is accessible.

Bring your music, shoes and glasses on Saturday, February 10 at 2pm. It will be a time of stimulation for us all.

A reception will follow the event - a time to chat and socialize. There is a large parking lot behind the church.

You can take #50 bus from Tunney's Pasture or Lincoln Fields. You can take the #85 bus and walk 15 minutes from Carling Ave. or take the #88 bus and walk 15 minutes from Baseline Rd. Trinity United Church has generously waived the rental fee for our event and some of their musicians are providing the 'eats' for the reception. Please show our appreciation by attending what promises to be a useful and enjoyable event. See you there!

Come and hear our students in recital.

This recital gives our students some valuable playing experience, so even beginning students are encouraged to play. The organ is a 1954 Casavant organ (Opus 2205). There is plenty of parking.

This workshop will share resources for discovering and programming organ and choral music by women composers for both worship and special events.

Anne Laver will be presenting an organ recital on April 5 as part of the Pro Organo series.

Information: 613-798-0264

We invite you to the Organ class of the National Capital Region Music Festival, formerly the Kiwanis Music Festival,which will be at the First Church of Christ, Scientist.

There are four Ottawa students competing; one of them, Aleesha Katary, is away at university and so has sent in her two performances for the Open class by recording. The other three will be playing on the morning of April 13.

The organ at the Christian Science Church is a 3-manual Casavant, originally 1914, with a minor tonal rebuild in 1934 and a major tonal rebuild in 1984. The console was rebuilt in 2023 and now has a brand-new solid-state system. We look forward to seeing the newly-rebuilt console.

Here is the programme:

Junior Organ J. S. Bach Repertoire

Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ Opus BWV 639 - J. S. Bach

Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ Opus BWV 639 - J. S. Bach

Junior Organ General

Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen Opus Op. 122 No. 8 - Johannes Brahms

Organ Grade 7 - 8

Organ Sonata No. 5 in D Major: Andante, Andante con moto - Felix Mendelssohn

Yi Zhou is a student of Bob Jones, and Ruiyi Liu and Sze Yuen Kwok are students of James Calkin.

We look forward to hearing them, and to seeing you there on April 13 - please come and support our students!

There will be several programs showcasing the organ. If you are interested in presenting, please contact Sondra Goldsmith Proctor.

One event will be at Saint-Francois d'Assise. Details on this poster.

This is your centre. The executive values the feedback received from members. Come out and voice your opinions on what you would like to have your Centre do.

The Annual General Meeting of the Ottawa Centre is our opportunity to conduct the necessary business of the College but also to celebrate the year past and look forward to the coming year. All members are encouraged to attend and participate in decision making and to hear reports of the various convenors and national council representatives.

There is plenty of parkingt the back of the church.

At this meeting it is our pleasure to present the Member of the Year plaque to Deirdre Piper in recognition of her dedication and support of the RCCO both at the Centre level and nationally.

more » « less

DEIRDRE JANE PIPER
(originally David John)

I was born during the middle years of the Second World War to staunch Baptist parents, my mother being half Welsh and half Cornish, my father being wholly English serving at the time in the Royal Signals Regiment in Europe. At the end of the war my mother and I settled on the Isle of Wight - that being the home of my father and his family. There was always music at home: my father was a fine amateur solo baritone and also choral director at the church, and my mother=s younger brother (who lived just over the water in Southampton) was a professional organist with whom I studied for several years in my teens. During my high school years I fell in love with Physics and Mathematics - I taught myself the essentials of calculus long before it was even mentioned in math class!

At the age of 18 I received a state scholarship (based on exam papers in both mathematics and music) to enable me to study at any university in Britain free of charge. I chose to study music at the University of Manchester - along with organ and cello at the Royal College of Music - completing GRSM and ARMCM diplomas, followed by my Bachelor of Music degree in 1965. I then proceeded directly to studies for a doctorate in the area of electronic music (as it was then known), completing a thesis having to do with a critical musical, technical and aesthetic comparison of the then two dominant forms: musique concrète in Paris and elektronische Musik in Cologne. During my research I spent a summer studying at the electronic music studio at the University of Toronto - my first introduction to life in Canada!

I received my doctorate in 1968, and spent two years thereafter setting up an electronic music studio and teaching at the University of Manchester followed by a year as Music lecturer at Huddersfield Polytechnic before receiving an invitation, in 1971, to join the Music faculty at Carleton. My move to Ottawa in 1972 coincided with another enormously significant event: my marriage to Christine! We settled most happily in Ottawa - she undertaking studies and working in the area of social work before responding several years later to a call to ministry, and we both raising a family of four children. For me, Carleton offered very little in the way of performance opportunities (my work there was almost entirely academic), and I very soon undertook additional work as church organist and choir director, as well as occasional work as a chamber music pianist - thereby creating a much needed balance in my musical life.

As a church organist I very quickly, and happily, became involved with the RCCO. During my many years as organist/choir director at St. Stephen=s Presbyterian and St. Matthias Anglican churches I took an active role in RCCO affairs both locally and nationally: I served as president of the Ottawa Centre (2007-2009) and as a member of the National Council.