A £400,000 grant to increase children’s participation in church choirs was announced by the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB) on Sunday.
The “Choir Project” — a partnership with the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) — aims to establish or renew more than 200 church choirs that include children and young people, while “engaging them actively with Christianity”. The aim is to help churches “rediscover music as a pathway to mission and discipleship”.
The Cathedral Statistics for 2024 recorded 207 cathedral choirs: a record high. They comprised 1590 boy and girl choristers and 540 lay clerks/ choral scholars (i.e. adults). But respondents to the RSCM’s Church Musicians’ Fees in November 2024 (numbering 1161 respondents) reported that 57 per cent of their local church choirs currently had no children taking part, rising to 80 per cent in villages and rural areas (News, 14 February 2025). Of the respondents, 68 per cent had a regular choir in their church’s worship. The RSCM cautioned that the incidence of choirs and other musical roles was likely to be lower across the country.
The results prompted the charity to warn that “the future of singing in church is under threat”.
“It’s hard growing church choirs where they have completely disappeared, but it’s not impossible, given what the survey shows in terms of the ability that’s out there in players and music directors, and people who want to be involved,” the charity’s deputy financial and operations director, Paul Hedley, said.
The Church House press release announcing the grant referred to research which suggested that “young people are more likely to remain active in faith communities when they are given meaningful roles, intergenerational relationships and opportunities for leadership”.
Hugh Morris, the director of the RSCM, said: “For generations, church choirs have been one of the most natural and joyful ways for young people to encounter faith, learn about worship, and grow in confidence and belonging.
“As we look to our second century of supporting church music and musicians, RSCM sees this investment in young people as a vital step to ensuring a bright future of music ministry, and fostering active discipleship across all backgrounds and socio-economic environments, for the rich heritage we inherit today.”
The Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, author of Listening to the Music of the Soul (Books, 24 October 2024) said: “The English choral tradition is unique and part of our rich cultural and spiritual heritage. The beauty of church singing speaks directly to people of all generations and from all walks of life. I am delighted to see this investment that will go to church choirs across the country.”
The investment follows earlier investments by the Archbishops’ Council in music ministry. Last year, plans to establish “music missioners” at Sheffield Cathedral were
among the components of a bid from Sheffield diocese that secured a £14.3-million SMMIB grant (News, 2 May 2025). A £2.6-million Strategic Development Fund (SDF) grant awarded in 2018 was partly used to create a resource church at Rotherham Minster, helping to fund its Choral Outreach initiative working with
primary schools (News, 25 January 2019).
In 2022, Blackburn diocese was awarded £249,530 in innovation funding to support the establishment of up to 24 “choir churches” (News, 22 July 2022). To date, nine choirs have been started in schools. At Hull Minster, funding has helped to re-establish a chorister division, welcoming 45 young people and their families to the choir and church, leading four parish churches in the area to re-establish a choral tradition.
In 2019, the Choir Church initiative was launched in Milton, Portsmouth, devised by Portsmouth Cathedral and its Organist and Master of Choristers, David Price, in collaboration with the Priest-in-Charge of St James’s, Milton, Canon Paul Armstead (News, 28 June 2019). The diocese, working with the Cathedral, aims to “found new congregations and new disciples through the power of music and singing at parishes across the region”.
The Choir Church project began in east London in 2016 (Features, 17 November 2017). It works with the Gregory Centre for Church Multiplication, and was initially given impetus by the Bishop of Islington, Dr Ric Thorpe. The first Choir Church was planted by St George-in-the-East, London, in 2016.
Churches interested in taking part in the new project can contact choirproject@rscm.com to register their interest. The RSCM will work both directly with churches and through diocesan partnerships to train leaders, mobilise volunteers and launch and renew choirs. An online event to launch the project will take place on 25 February Online Event – Introducing The Choir Project | RSCM
