FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Please circulate, especially to advanced students)

The Summer Institute of Church Music has awarded the Florence and Stanley Osborne Scholarship in Church Music by means of an Organ Competition biennially since 1972: its laureates are the finest young performers Canada has ever produced and it has disbursed thousands of dollars worth of support to students pursuing advanced study in Church Music.

Entrants must be Canadian citizens under the age of 30 on January 1st 2006, and must never have been awarded first prize in any previous Osborne Organ Competition.  An semi-final taped round will narrow entrants to a short list of two or three, who will compete in the final round on Wednesday July 5th at St. George's Anglican Church in Oshawa, Ontario during the Institute's 37th Session. 

First Prize is $1500 and second is $750: these prizes will be awarded at the discretion of a jury chaired by SICM's visiting Organ Scholar, Paul Halley. Beginning with this Session the Competition Co-ordinator is Dr. Mark Toews, Director of Music at Lawrence Park Community Church in Toronto and former President of the Royal Canadian College of Organists.

The 2006 brochure is attached.  NOTE THAT THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF THE APPLICATION FORM AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR THE SEMI-FINAL ROUND HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO APRIL 15 DUE TO A PRINTING DELAY.

Visit www.sicm.ca and follow the Osborne link for full details on repertoire and other requirements, as well as the history of the competition, and most of its past winners and jury chairs.