Dioceses of Down & Dromore and Connor Organ Scholarship Programme

29/01/2026

24/12/2025

Wishing all of our friends, followers and scholars a very Merry Christmas and a happy, rewarding 2026!

28/09/2025

A beautiful service of Choral Evensong to celebrate the achievements of this year’s graduates: Lucy Steele (Glenavy Parish) and Katy McKnight (Holy Trinity Portrush).

Wonderful to hear from a range of our Scholars before and after the service and to be joined by tutors Joe McKee, Michael McCracken and Graeme McCullough.

Our sincere thanks to Canon Stephen Fielding, Director of Music Richard Campbell and the choir for their huge and considered contributions. Also to all those who provided refreshments.

A truly memorable and uplifting occasion.

14/04/2025

Visit of Dr Barry Rose OBE

With thanks to Mrs Hayley Howe (trustee) for sharing her observations of the day:

On Saturday 5th April the Organ Scholarship Scheme Board of Management hosted a choral workshop with the renowned organist and choral director Dr Barry Rose OBE. This workshop was open both to current scholars on the Organ Scholarship Scheme and to anyone interested and involved in church music.

The morning began with a social gathering with Dr Rose over some delicious refreshments kindly provided by some members of St John’s Malone.

At 10.30am sharp we gathered in the church and from then on we hardly noticed the time passing!

Dr Rose introduced us to his thoughts on what singing really is, defining it as “public speaking set to different pitches”. He explained and demonstrated various methods of congregational hymn leading and outlined issues such as playing an introduction and how to navigate pacing between verses. His insights were fascinating and filled with amusing and memorable anecdotes. We explored the importance and value of the use of facial expression and eye contact to convey a wide variety of tonal colour and expression. There was some gentle humour with some rather interesting questions and answers posed for our consideration.

We moved on to choral training and Emma, one of the current scholars, volunteered to take to the podium. Having formed a scratch choir for the purposes of the morning, we were introduced to some of his typical warm-up exercises such as singing the days of the week up and down a major scale, singing the alphabet in rhythm and then counting afterwards to experiment with breath control. We then studied two of Rose’s own arrangements of the familiar hymns, “The Servant Song” and “Lord of all Hopefulness”. Conducting style was discussed as well as vocal arrangements, with particular reference to the addition of a decorative descant.

For a gentleman in his 90s, Rose is absolutely astonishing - so full of energy and passion for church music, good choral singing and leading a congregation in worship as they sing. His enthusiasm was infectious and we could not believe how quickly the time had flown when the session came to an end. All attendees agreed that it had been a truly inspirational and memorable morning.

26/02/2025

Applications for our unique 3-year programme are NOW OPEN!
Enjoy professional organ tuition, access to wonderful instruments, choral training and confidence-building mentorship, all FREE OF CHARGE.

We would be delighted to hear from you. All ages welcome and further details below. Don't hesitate to get in touch!

24/12/2024

With all good wishes for a Happy Christmas from our Chair and Board.

04/10/2024

Organ Scholar Graduate, Grace Steed, reflects on the scheme and the ways in which it has enriched her playing and appreciation of the unique place of the organ in worship.

15/09/2024

A wonderful Choral Evensong today at Belfast Cathedral to celebrate the accomplishments of the organists on our scheme and, in particular, those graduating this year. A great chance to circulate with the tutors, family and friends.

Thank you to Dean Stephen Forde for his warm welcome and to the Master of Music Jack Wilson, organist Stephen Hamill and the Cathedral Choir for their excellent contributions.

06/09/2024

https://www.downanddromore.org/training/organ-scholarships

A superb programme of organ and choral training on offer, spanning 3 years … and it’s all FREE!

Check out the link below.

The Diocese of Down & Dromore is the Church of Ireland in Co Down and part of Co Armagh in Northern Ireland. It is divided up into 77 parishes with 111 churches and serves 64,500 people. We have more than 100 serving ordained clergy.

05/09/2024

The Annual Diocese of Down & Dromore and Diocese of Connor Organ Scholarship Scheme Awards Service of Choral Evensong will be held on Sunday September 15 at Belfast Cathedral. The guest preacher will be the Very Rev Roderick Smyth, formerly Dean of Killaloe. The service begins at 3.30pm, with music from 3pm by the scheme’s final year scholars. More at

The Annual Down and Dromore and Connor Organ Scholarship Scheme Awards Service of Choral Evensong will be held on Sunday September 15 at St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast.