Royal School of Church Music

Discover RSCM Connect

Online talks, workshops and conversations

See upcoming events, including support events for the Young Voices Network.
Open to all – free for RSCM Members.

Recordings of our past events are available to all Members in the RSCM Member Area

Find out more https://www.rscm.org.uk/whats-on/online-events/

Thank you Choir & Organ for this feature about The Advent Antiphons - new from RSCM Publishing https://www.choirandorgan.com/content/news/new-musical-setting-of-the-advent-antiphons

Festival of Faith and Music 2026
Saturday 10 October, Southwark Cathedral

NB RSCM Member Discount

The Church Times Festival of Faith and Music, created in partnership with RSCM, returns this year as a one-day symposium at Southwark Cathedral, London. The theme for 2026 will be: ‘Alleluia!’ - The power of music as mission. The aim has been to put together a day that celebrates church music in all its glory – one which will send attendees home encouraged, inspired and equipped with new, and practical ideas to try in home parishes.

There will be an exciting range of speakers, discussions, workshops and recitals held in Southwark Cathedral. Speakers include Iain Farrington, Peter Moger, Hugh Morris, Matthew Owens, Helen Smee and Lucy Walker, with music by the Southwark Cathedral Choir, the Diocese of Manchester Choral Scholars and the Choir of St Mary Magdalene, Wandsworth Common.

A day that celebrates church music in all its glory – one which will send you home encouraged, inspired and equipped with new, and practical ideas to try in your home parish.

There are limited places, so make sure you book your tickets soon. We look forward to seeing you there.

Find out more:

Home Festival of Preaching

How can I keep from singing?
The RSCM Bath Course Concert 2026
Saturday 22 August, 7pm, Christ Church, Bath

Celebrate the joy of singing with the 90 young people taking part in this year’s Royal School of Church Music’s annual summer course. Ranging in age from 8 to 21, and coming from parish churches, cathedrals and schools from across the UK, these singers represent the next generation of church musicians and the future of church music. Directed by Jennifer Sterling.

Tickets & info https://www.bathboxoffice.org.uk/whats-on/how-can-i-keep-from-singing-mbmq

📣🎶 ‘Fingers and Feet: A Journey to the Organ Bench’

A new tutor book and website for beginner organists to encourage and support anyone inspired to learn and find out more about the pipe organ.

‘Fingers and Feet: A Journey to the Organ Bench’ is a new tutor book created specifically to support learners starting the organ as their very first instrument. It has been developed by the Royal College of Organists (RCO) and the Diocese of Leeds Keyboard Studies Programme, with funding from the Vinehill Trust.

As well as going on sale, the book, along with 34 short accompanying tutorial videos, is being made available as one of the many free resources on the RCO’s new First Stop! website – a major online resource designed to welcome newcomers into the world of the organ.

Buy the book https://www.rscmshop.com/books/9780854023691/fingers--feet-a-journey-to-the-organ-bench

RCO Chief Executive Sir Andrew Parmley said: “The enthusiastic response to last year’s Play the Organ Year initiative demonstrated yet again the enduring appeal of the organ to musicians, would-be musicians, and music lovers of all ages.

“By creating dedicated print and online resources for those coming fresh to the instrument we are continuing to lower barriers, widen access, and give more people the chance to share the remarkable experiences that the organ offers.”

First Stop! – online gateway to organ
Created and curated by the RCO, First Stop! offers a fresh and accessible starting point for anyone interested in exploring the organ, whether through its music, its cultural history, or the many roles it plays in modern life.

The website features four themed areas tailored to different user needs: teachers, new learners, organists delivering outreach, and anyone simply curious about the instrument. Instead of duplicating content that already exists online, First Stop! serves as a carefully structured gateway to the very best materials produced by organists and organisations around the world.

Visitors can browse films, interviews, lesson guides, digital learning tools and curated playlists that introduce key themes, repertoire and techniques. A powerful search tool enables users to explore by topic, content type or free text, making the platform a flexible companion for teaching, learning or independent discovery.

Visit the First Stop! website https://firststoporgan.com/

All are welcome to the concert that ends our Bath course this year. Join us to celebrate the joy of music with the wonderful young singers who attended this year's course.

How can I keep from singing?
The RSCM Bath Course Concert 2026
Saturday 22 August, 7pm, Christ Church, Bath

Celebrate the joy of singing with the 90 young people taking part in this year’s Royal School of Church Music’s annual summer course. Ranging in age from 8 to 21, and coming from parish churches, cathedrals and schools from across the UK, these singers represent the next generation of church musicians and the future of church music. Directed by Jennifer Sterling.

Tickets & info https://www.bathboxoffice.org.uk/whats-on/how-can-i-keep-from-singing-mbmq

**NEW** from RSCM Publications
The Advent Antiphons

New settings by leading contemporary choral composers, including Philip Moore, Thomas Hewitt Jones, David Ogden, Tamsin Jones and Esther Bersweden.

In 2025, the Church of England commissioned choral settings of the Advent Antiphons to enrich its seasonal resource, O Come Emmanuel: Reflections on the Advent Antiphons. Seven contemporary composers created original music for the ancient texts, which date back over a thousand years and are traditionally used in the final days of Advent.

The release of these recordings by St Martin's Voices, conducted by Andrew Earis, prompted numerous requests for the sheet music to be made available to choirs and music groups who wished to feature them at Evening Prayer, in Advent Carol Services, or in other liturgical settings. This new volume from RSCM Publishing is designed to enable these settings of these most ancient and beloved texts to be sung and heard for many years to come.

Find out more / order your copy here https://www.rscmshop.com/books/9780854023776/the-advent-antiphons---new-musical-settings

Come & Sing Fauré Requiem, Dorchester Abbey (Oxfordshire), 12 September

An uplifting day of music-making for all singers

Join us for a wonderful Come & Sing featuring Gabriel Fauré’s much-loved Requiem – a beautiful, serene, and deeply moving work that has inspired choirs and audiences for generations.

We will be joined by Alastair Mucklow, the 2025 BBC Young Chorister of the Year, and Belinda Gifford-Guy, the 2023 BBC Junior Young Chorister of the Year, as our soloists. The event will be accompanied by Jeremy Boughton, supported by a group of local young musicians, and led by RSCM’s Deputy Director, Dr Paul Hedley.

Find out more / book now https://www.rscm.org.uk/events/come-sing-faure-requiem-dorchester-abbey/

RSCM South Australia's Adelaide inSpires offers the opportunity to encounter liturgical music in some of the most beautiful acoustic spaces in South Australia. Join singers, organists, composers, and musicians of all backgrounds and levels of experience to gather, learn, and make music together. With a focus on local music, composition, organ and voice, composers-in-residence are John Rotar and Brooke Shelley. Special visitors include broadcaster and music director Noel Debien, and organist and choir director Michael Stewart from New Zealand.
For further information and registration: https://rscmaustralia.org.au/adelaide-inspires/