‘Look to the future and what do you see/ Is there a tale to unfold?’ This is the opening of a song I remember singing in a choir when I was young. There is a strong, emerging narrative about the need to support the musical development of future generations. The RSCM has two principal aims in this space:

• To enable the flourishing of church music now and into the future by encouraging the development of singing opportunities and choirs for young people of all backgrounds. By doing so, we facilitate life-long journeys in music.
• To enable, encourage and recognise musical, spiritual and personal skills development, through advocacy and provision of relevant and quality training, resources and opportunities.

You will read much more about this as the year progresses. Share your stories and join us on our journey. In the meantime, our summer courses beckon, and much else is happening. As ever, scroll on down to 'read all about it'.

Hugh Morris
RSCM Director

Are you a young composer with a passion for church music? Do you have a creative spark and a desire to share your musical talents with the world? The Harold Smart Memorial Composition Competition is your chance to shine!

The Harold Smart Competition invites individuals 25 years and under (as of 1 July 2024) to compose an original anthem. We are looking for fresh, innovative works that inspire and uplift, suitable for performance in a church setting. Whether you are an experienced composer or just starting out, this is an excellent opportunity to showcase your talent and make a significant contribution to sacred music.

The winner will receive a cash prize of £300, as well as £200 of composition tuition (with an agreed tutor), with the possibility of publication by the RSCM.

Click the button below for full details on criteria, guidelines and how to enter.

We are delighted to announce that John Bell will be giving this year’s Annual Lecture. John will focus on The limitless resources of local church music, and the event will take place in RSCM Member church, St Thomas, Salisbury on Wednesday 18 September. The event will also be available to watch online for those unable to attend in person.  

Drawing on the experience of the Iona Community, of which he is a member, as well as local churches throughout the world who have moved from scarcity to surfeit, John will challenge the negativity and pessimism about the future of church music in places where it is felt that resources are scarce.

We are sure this will be a fascinating evening and look forward to welcoming John and as many of you as possible to this special event.

Click the button below for more information and to book tickets.

We are inviting choirs and choral societies to be part of a very special commissioning project. RSCM composer Joanna Forbes L’Estrange, who wrote our coronation anthem The mountains shall bring peace, is reimagining Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons in a new setting for mixed voices and organ/piano. The piece will be published in 2025, marking the 300th anniversary of the publication of The Four Seasons. This choral re-imagining of Vivaldi’s ever-popular work weaves texts from poetry and the Bible about spring, summer, autumn and winter into Vivaldi’s much-loved melodies. With its seasonal theme, A Season To Sing can be performed at any time of the year, and is expected to become a firm favourite with choirs throughout the world.

To make this commission possible, the RSCM is inviting choirs to contribute £300 ($500) each to participate in this project, for which each choir will receive exclusive perks, including the opportunity to perform the work ahead of its general publication and a specially bound edition of the work, signed by the composer.

To find out more, please click the button below.

RSCM Music Direct is the leading specialist of choral and organ music including music for the liturgy.

RSCM Group members get 25% off RSCM publications. 

RSCM Group members get discounts on other choral leaflets when buying 10 copies or more.

It is the only place to get Voice for Life medals and Loyal Service certificates and medallions. 

And, of course, all profits from Music Direct go to supporting the charity. 

Music Sunday took place on 9 June and brought together hundreds of churches from around the world to celebrate church music and musicians. We are grateful to all the churches who registered their events with us and to those who generously took part in our 50/50 campaign and donated half of their proceeds to the RSCM. 

Many churches held Big Hymn Sing events and performed the hymn Sing to the Lord, a new song of creation, which was written by Dr Gordon Giles and Thomas Hewitt Jones specially for Music Sunday 2024. 

You can watch the live stream of our Big Hymn Sing at All Saints with Holy Trinity, Loughborough by clicking the video above. 

If you are holding or have held an event this year to mark Stanford’s centenary, please share you stories with us on social media. And please don’t forget to send in news of your events for CMQ to [email protected]  

RSCM, 19 The Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2EB

The Royal School of Church Music is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England, no 00250031.
It is also a registered charity, no 312828.