We are delighted to announce The Choir Project: a new initiative to establish 200 new junior choirs, supporting thousands of young people and their leaders. This project is funded by £0.4M Partnership Funding from the Church of England. 

Find out more in our news story here and join us online on 25 February.

We have also re-advertised our Deputy Director (Education) role as full-time, expanded to incorporate leading this exciting new venture (more information below).

We are delighted to share more details of the forthcoming RSCM Church Music Conference, taking place at the end of April.

The event will take place at Sarum College, the RSCM’s ‘home’ for the past 20 years. We look forward to an inspiring full day on Saturday, with optional events on Friday evening.

Friday 24 April 2026, from 17:30
A pre-conference event featuring evensong at Salisbury Cathedral, a two-course evening meal, and a singing session led by RSCM Director Hugh Morris, exploring exciting new repertoire.

Saturday 25 April 2026, from 10:00 (day guests)
Highlights include:

• Practical sessions on choir training, organ playing, and worship planning
• Keynote Address by Hugh Morris: ‘Church Music Matters’
• Annual Lecture delivered by The Most Revd Dr John Davies (retired Archbishop of Wales)
• Interactive workshops on recruitment, faith development, congregational singing and safeguarding.

With trade stalls, a bookshop, and plenty of opportunities to meet the RSCM team, this is more than a conference—it’s a celebration of music’s power to inspire and unite.

‘Church music isn’t just tradition—it’s the future. Join us and be part of the conversation.’
- Hugh Morris, RSCM Director

The RSCM is delighted to announce Alexandra Skevington as the winner of the 2025 Harold Smart Composition Competition. In a very strong field of entries, Alexandra’s composition made a particularly compelling impression, and the judges were unanimous in their admiration of her work. 

Alexandra is an English composer who originally trained as a performer, and then worked in market research and as a primary school teacher before gradually returning to composition and sharing her work. 

Her music has since been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, published commercially, and recognized through awards for chamber works and short film scores. Most recently, Alexandra was mentored on ABRSM’s Writing for Education programme. 

Alexandra said of her win: ‘I am struggling to contain my excitement! That's lovely news, thank you ever so much! I am hugely grateful to you all for putting together the YouTube videos – without them, I wouldn't have had the confidence to submit an entry and they definitely informed my writing choices. Thank you again!’  

The RSCM is currently recruiting for several roles within the Education Team:

Deputy Director – We are seeking a Deputy Director to lead the RSCM’s education programme as we approach our Centenary in 2027. This role is being re-advertised as full-time, reflecting the increased activity following the successful Church of England funding for The Choir Project.

Awards Officer – We are also looking for an efficient and motivated administrator with a keen eye for detail and a flair for statistical data to join us as Awards Officer.

Education and Projects Administrator – Finally, we are seeking to appoint an Education and Projects Administrator to support the team’s wider activities.

All three positions are full-time and primarily based in our Salisbury office.

As announced in November, the RSCM is commissioning a new 40-minute choral work from acclaimed composer Thomas Hewitt Jones. Your choir is invited to take part—and, in return, will receive exclusive performance rights during the work’s first year.

You can hear an example of his music here.

Deliberately designed with flexibility in mind, Songs of the Spirit will be suitable for a wide range of choirs and performance contexts. The work can be adapted for different singing forces and includes the option of audience participation in a rousing, hymn-like movement.

This is a rare opportunity to be involved in commissioning a choral work of this scale—something that may normally be beyond the reach of many choirs.

Please do share this with any choirs you think might be interested in joining this exciting project.

Are you looking for a creative outlet? Our friends at the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland are running a hymn-writing competition. Details can be found here. Who knows, your entry might make it into our forthcoming RSCM Centenary service resources! 

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.