Over the weekend of 10 – 12 June, Hugh Morris, Director and Paul Hedley, Assistant Director, Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) will pass through the Diocese on their tandem bike ride fundraising for the charity. With an aim of cycling 96 miles in 48 hours in this, the RSCM’s 96th year, they hope to raise £9,600. The ride will take them from the past to the present, from Addington Palace, Croydon, where they were based for many years, to Sarum College, Salisbury, the current Head Office. The money raised will support the continuation of church music, providing resources for young people’s courses and training for choir leaders, as in-person church music recovers following the huge challenges of the pandemic.
After setting off from Addington Palace, Croydon, they will host a short Come and Sing event Sing Like an Angel at St John’s Church, West Byfleet from 3.00 – 4.00. Free to join, this will include the RSCM’s Sing for the King anthem, The mountains shall bring peace, rousing hymns and a responsorial psalm. All are welcome to join or to come along to listen for free, but they would welcome donations to support their fundraising efforts for this Director’s Challenge.
On the Sunday morning there is a further opportunity to join when they will attend the Eucharist Service at St Thomas on the Bourne, Farnham at 10.00. You will then be able to wave them off as they head South to attend Evensong at Winchester Cathedral. Why not go along to show your support? All are welcome to join any of these and they would love to meet you.
Hugh Morris, Director of the RSCM, said, “The RSCM wanted to launch its centenary appeal in style so when I realised that it was 96 miles from Addington Palace in Croydon where we were based for over 40 years to our current offices in Salisbury, I had an idea. Paul is a keen cyclist, so I suggested that we launch our centenary appeal in our 96th year with a 96-mile sponsored tandem ride”.
Paul Hedley, Assistant Director, explained, “For generations the hymn ’And can it be’ has been known by choristers as ‘The Cyclists Hymn’ because it includes the line ‘My chains fell off’. I hope we won’t have that problem, but I know Hugh and I will be encouraged to continue pedalling when we hear our supporters singing it.
Hugh Morris concluded, “The RSCM has a vital role to play in encouraging and enabling music in churches. Many people may not think of this as important, but most would miss the lead of the choir and organ at a carol service, or the beauty of the singing at a wedding. These things will be lost if we don’t act now”.
The RSCM has a presence on the ground in our Diocese with church and individual members, including the Cathedral, and supporters, and they would love for people to join them at any of these individual events.
You can find out more and donate to the Director’s Challenge at www.rscm.org/uk/dc
The Director’s Challenge is taking place as part of Music Sunday, an annual chance to celebrate the power of church music and thank all of our church musicians. There is still time for your own church, whether member of the RSCM or not, to get involved in Music Sunday on 11th June. Find out more at: https://www.rscm.org.uk/whats-on/music-sunday/