History
The RCO was founded as the College of Organists in 1864 by Richard Limpus, the organist of St Michael, Cornhill in the City of London, and received its Royal Charter in 1893. In 1903 it was offered a 99-year lease at peppercorn rent on a remarkable building designed by the architect H. H. Cole in Kensington Gore, West London. When it became clear in the mid 1980s that an economic rent would be charged on expiry of that lease, the lease was sold and the College moved into new accommodation in 1991. In 2003 the college moved again to a temporary home in Millennium Point in the Digbeth area of Birmingham, while plans were made for more permanent purpose-built premises around the Grade I listed former Curzon Street railway station in Birmingham, a notable piece of monumental railway architecture. New facilities designed by Associated Architects included a new library and 270 seat concert hall.
In late 2005 the RCO announced that this move would not be taking place. The College subsequently announced that it would no longer be looking for a permanent home of this kind, focusing instead on core activity such as education, events, examinations and member services.
Since then the college has continued to expand it range of outreach and education activities. New events such as the Discovery series have been introduced, new partnerships forged to deliver activities such as the RCO St Giles Summer School for Organists, and in 2009 RCO Academy was launched with the aim of further increasing the range of lifelong learning opportunities for everyone from the youngest beginner through to more experienced organists looking to refine their skills.
The college's library is housed at Birmingham City University's archive records centre.
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