We are delighted to announce the six recipients of the first ever Church Choir Award (in Association with the Cathedral Music Trust).   The grants were awarded to church choirs who have shown an exceptional dedication to musical excellence within their parish. All six churches have in common a commitment to investing in children and young people.

The Church Choir Award was launched earlier this year to recognise and develop excellence in music-making by church choirs through funding imaginative new projects and activities. Choirs were invited to apply for grants of up to £10,000 for a specific, innovative, or enriching project, be that through choral and organ training programmes, inventive recruitment projects, or through activity involving the wider community and local schools.

The following church choirs have received an award:

Chingford Parish Church
Hull Minster
St Mary-le-Tower, Ipswich
St Mary Magdalene, Newark
St Mary’s in the Lace Market, Nottingham
St Mary-the-Virgin, West Malling

Chingford Parish Church will be using its award to establish a chorister bursary scheme for its summer residential singing course, whilst Hull Minster is increasing bursary provision for young choristers and increasing the offer of choral scholarships for university-age students.

St-Mary-le-Tower will be partnering with state schools in Ipswich to deliver choral singing activities to help grow their chorister numbers, and St Mary Magdalene, Newark is widening access to singing lessons.

In Nottingham, St Mary’s in the Lace Market has ambitious plans to establish three children’s choirs, and work with local schools to provide musical and vocal training in support of their curriculum.

Thanks to their Church Choir Award, St Mary-the-Virgin in West Malling will be able to increase support for its choral and organ scholarship programme.