Rochester Cathedral was thrilled to be the recipient of a grant from the Cathedral Music Support Programme. The grant of £29,500 will help provide administrative support to the Music Department. We would like to extend our gratitude for this award which will make a real difference to the department.

We join 28 other Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals and churches in receiving a share of £500,000 awarded by the Cathedral Music Trust.

Find out more about the Cathedral Music Trust investment

We are proud to be investing half a million pounds in cathedral music for 2024 through the Trust’s financial support programmes, including the Cathedral Music Support Programme and the Church Choir Award. These awards will support music departments to continue and further their brilliant work both in their own cathedrals and churches, and in the wider community – across England, Scotland and Wales. At the heart of this vital funding is our commitment to championing excellence in choral and organ music, and providing opportunities for people from all walks of life to thrive and develop.

“This investment of £500,000 represents the largest annual sum Cathedral Music Trust has ever distributed through its regular financial support programmes. Our cathedrals and parish churches continue to face financial challenges in sustaining the nation's wonderful heritage of choral and organ music, and this support signals the Trust's ongoing commitment to securing a bright future for this cherished tradition.”

– Jonathan Macdonald, Chair, Cathedral Music Trust

CATHEDRAL MUSIC SUPPORT PROGRAMME

In the first year of our renewed main awards scheme, the Cathedral Music Support Programme (CMSP), we are building partnerships with cathedrals across the UK, developing work that shares our objectives in three areas – pathways to music, training and development, and supporting the workforce. This year, financial support provided by the Edington Festival contributes towards the award we have made to Carlisle Cathedral.

CHURCH CHOIR AWARD

The Church Choir Award, a partnership with the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) and now in its third year, is funding far-reaching initiatives at parish churches across England – from supporting projects that offer pathways to choral singing for more young people, to singing lessons for choir members and the introduction of midweek services. Alongside financial and professional support from the Trust, all seven choirs will benefit from a year’s group membership of the RSCM and access to their groundbreaking Voice for Life digital resources.

Our work would not be possible without the extraordinary generosity of our supporters – from our dedicated friends, patrons and volunteers, to our wonderful ambassadors who do so much to raise the profile of this cherished tradition.

Together, we will transform more lives through cathedral music.

About Cathedral Music Trust

Cathedral Music Trust is a national charity which supports the valuable work of musicians who enrich so many lives through the power of cathedral music. Since our foundation in 1956 (as the charity Friends of Cathedral Music), we have made a positive difference to the lives of many thousands of children, young people and adult musicians across the UK and Ireland. We seek innovative and sector-leading ways to support high quality musicianship in cathedrals and churches through our programmes, training, advocacy and research. Our vision is to create a vibrant choral music scene that champions excellence and provides opportunities for people from all walks of life to thrive and develop.