Celebrate Church Music and Musicians
Music Sunday – 9th June 2024
New for 2024! Put on your very own Big Hymn Sing for Music Sunday!
Your votes in our hymn poll produced a very clear winner – How shall I sing that majesty. This and the next 9 hymns all appear in the downloadable resource for churches to use for Music Sunday. See the box below.
The resources also include a new hymn written especially for Music Sunday by Dr Gordon Giles and Thomas Hewitt Jones, Sing to the Lord, a new song of creation. It is a wonderfully rousing five verse hymn with harmony for verses 2 to 4 and a soaring descant for the final verse. Listen to the Choir of Royal Holloway below and do make sure you stay to the end for the wonderful descant line! Of course, you might choose just to use this special new hymn from the pack.
What will your church do for Music Sunday?
Talk to your church now about doing something for Music Sunday 2024. It might be your own Big Hymn Sing for Music Sunday, or you might choose to hold special services, use special prayers, put on a concert or have a social event. Above all, do something to celebrate church music and the work of all church musicians.
Whilst celebrating Music Sunday can you or your church make a donation to support the work of the RSCM?
You can raise money for your church and the RSCM by holding a special collection, having a cake sale, a sponsored event or in a multitude of others way. Help us to continue to enable the flourishing of church music. You can find out more about the 50:50 campaign below.
Thank you to everyone who engaged with Music Sunday 2023 celebrating church music and thanking all of our church musicians.
It was great to hear of people coming together, the involvement of children, creative services taking place such as the one at Harnham, All Saints in Salisbury and of course all the fabulous music. If you missed Radio 4’s Sunday Worship from St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow do search for it on i-player and you can read the sermon, given by the Provost of the Cathedral, Kelvin Holdsworth, here. We love learning about what you did – if you haven’t already told us, do please let us know.
Do something big, do something small!
- 1. Check out our suggested events below.
- 2. Use the Music Sunday Toolkit to help you plan and advertise your event.
- 3. Register your event to let us know you’re involved!
- 4. Run and take part in your event or service.
- 5. Send in the funds raised.
Why participate in Music Sunday?
Church Music and Musicians
There are so many special days in the calendar, but Music Sunday is a day to connect in spirit with the whole of the RSCM. It is heart-warming to know that churches around the country, and indeed the world, are focusing on the role of music in worship and the dedicated church musicians who lead this.
Community
In addition to this central aspect of Music Sunday, this year we really encourage you to reach out within the local community to bring more people together. This might be a local school or group, or generally within the population. This might be a combined service event or something entirely different. You might want to hold your Music Sunday event during the school week – do whatever will help you to achieve your goals.
Fundraising
Music Sunday is a great opportunity to fundraise for your own organisation as well as the RSCM, which we call the 50:50 campaign. Depending on the nature of your event this might be a special collection on the day, the proceeds from a sale, sponsorship money or profits from a concert. We encourage you to share the money 50:50 with the RSCM so that we can invest in the future flourishing of church music.
Remember to let us know what you are doing! Register your special service or event here.
Churches participating in 2024 include;
(All Sunday 9th June unless specified)
St Oswald’s Church, Ashbourne – A Come and Sing Stanford Evensong conducted by RSCM Director, Hugh Morris. To find out more and book go to https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/58447?
Dewsbury Minster – Big Hymn Sing https://dewsburyteamparish.org.uk/
All Saints’ Church, Windsor – the Big Hymn Sing https://www.windsorchurches.org.uk/all-saints-church/
Peterborough Cathedral – RSCM Award Holders Evensong – all welcome to join this Come and Sing Evensong
https://www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/
St Peter’s Church, West Henfield, East Sussex – Big Hymn Sing as part of the Gardens and Arts Weekend. https://henfield.org/
Aberlady Parish Church – A celebration of church music https://aberlady-gullaneparishchurches.org.uk/
The Gransdens Church Choir – the Big Hymn Sing https://www.bluebellbenefice.org.uk/
St Andrew’s Church, East Hagbbourne, Didcot – the Big Hymn Sing – join all the Benefice churches https://www.churnchurches.co.uk/
All Saints’ Church, Earls Barton – Summer Songs of Praise https://www.allsaintsearlsbarton.org.uk/
St James the Great, Flockton – Sunday Eucharist including some of the Big Sing items https://www.flocktonchurch.org/
St Mary’s Church, Ellesmere Port – Music Cafe with favourite hymns chosen by congregation and choir nb. 7th June
St Mary’s Church, Fordingbridge – The Big Sing nb. 30th June https://www.avonvalleychurches.org.uk/st-marys-fordingbridge
What is the 50:50 campaign?
Recognising the financial needs of our churches, we introduced the Music Sunday 50:50 campaign to allow churches to keep half of the profits, donations and/or collections from their Music Sunday event and/or special service.
Please make sure that your audiences and congregations for Music Sunday are clear about what is being sent to the RSCM and what is being retained by the Church.
All donations to the RSCM support us in enabling the flourishing of church music. You can donate via the website, by bank transfer or by sending in a cheque.