Schools’ music grant hits right note with cathedral

Derby Cathedral is celebrating after being awarded a £75,000 grant to deliver choral music in schools.

The funding, spread over five years, will see the cathedral be part of the National Schools Singing Programme, founded and supported by the Hamish Ogston Foundation.

The grant will help pay for a newly-appointed full time choral director for schools, who will work with schools across Derby and Derbyshire, particularly in areas of social deprivation, to provide musical education to children by introducing them to choral singing in their school setting.

It is anticipated that more than 900 children from the across city and county will be involved with the programme.

The cathedral said that research had shown that singing can be beneficial for children’s development, mental wellbeing and academic attainment.

There will also be opportunities for after school choirs and groups as the programme develops, including growth of the cathedral’s Junior Choir for children aged five to nine, and the Cathedral Choirs, which provide a free musical education.

Dean of Derby, the Very Revd Dr Peter Robinson said: “We are delighted to have been successful with our application to be one of six pilot Anglican Cathedrals as part of the National Schools Singing Programme.

“This gives us the means to expand our Music in Schools initiative, which is a key part of our strategy and direction for learning and partnerships.

“We are immensely grateful to the Hamish Ogston Foundation for funding this programme.”

Derby Cathedral is home to the Cathedral Choir, formed of boy and girl choristers from a large number of different backgrounds and lay clerks (adult professional singers). There is also a Cathedral Voluntary Choir.

In addition, the cathedral currently works with Allenton Community Primary School and Chellaston Junior School as part of its Music in Schools programme.

The Schools Singing Programme will help build on this work and enable the cathedral to reach significantly more children.

Alexander Binns, director of music at Derby Cathedral, said: “We are hugely grateful to the National Schools Singing Programme and the Hamish Ogston

Foundation for this seed funding grant, which will help turbocharge our current Music in Schools Programme to bring it to a significantly wider number of children across Derby and Derbyshire.

“Singing has many benefits, and I believe all children should be able to have access to a high quality musical education and experience the joy of choral music.

“Thanks to this grant, we will be able to expand our existing programme well beyond our current reach.”