David Fawcett
@choralwork.bsky.social
Mission and ministry to children and young people through traditional church music. Want to see many more children everywhere have the chance to grow in faith and become leaders in parish church music ministry. Building for the future in Swanage, Dorset.
If you involve children and young people in church #music, or want to do so, join us in Dulwich on Saturday 28 June.
A day of practical demonstrations, topic discussion, peer-to-peer mentoring and support.
www.rscm.org.uk/events/young...
A day of practical demonstrations, topic discussion, peer-to-peer mentoring and support.
www.rscm.org.uk/events/young...
April 24, 2025 at 1:08 PM
If you involve children and young people in church #music, or want to do so, join us in Dulwich on Saturday 28 June.
A day of practical demonstrations, topic discussion, peer-to-peer mentoring and support.
www.rscm.org.uk/events/young...
A day of practical demonstrations, topic discussion, peer-to-peer mentoring and support.
www.rscm.org.uk/events/young...
Good to see the Church Times considers the launch of the RSCM Young Voices Toolkit to be front-page news. I agree! Let’s get more children everywhere leading church #music.
April 15, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Good to see the Church Times considers the launch of the RSCM Young Voices Toolkit to be front-page news. I agree! Let’s get more children everywhere leading church #music.
April 4, 2025 at 8:24 AM
If you are building a junior choir in your church, or want to do so, then join the new RSCM Young Voices Network on Facebook, to share experiences, gain inspiration and fresh ideas, and help deliver a resurgence in children leading #music in worship. facebook.com/groups/15932...
March 12, 2025 at 6:03 PM
If you are building a junior choir in your church, or want to do so, then join the new RSCM Young Voices Network on Facebook, to share experiences, gain inspiration and fresh ideas, and help deliver a resurgence in children leading #music in worship. facebook.com/groups/15932...
This online event aims to encourage other people to try what I set out to do, and get children back into church choirs and leading #music in worship. We've assembled resources to support churches in this, and will introduce them on 2 April. Sign up here: www.rscm.org.uk/events/onlin...
February 13, 2025 at 4:23 PM
This online event aims to encourage other people to try what I set out to do, and get children back into church choirs and leading #music in worship. We've assembled resources to support churches in this, and will introduce them on 2 April. Sign up here: www.rscm.org.uk/events/onlin...
Calling out to churches in the Salisbury Diocese. Which of you are successfully growing ministry among children and young people through music (choirs or otherwise)? Or who would like to do so but lacks resources or ideas? Get in touch if you are interested in sharing learning.
February 7, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Calling out to churches in the Salisbury Diocese. Which of you are successfully growing ministry among children and young people through music (choirs or otherwise)? Or who would like to do so but lacks resources or ideas? Get in touch if you are interested in sharing learning.
As two more choristers receive their surplices, we celebrate the fresh approaches which have grown a faithful choir of 16 children. And from recent discussions it begins to feel as if this could be widespread. The message of #music as mission is hitting home. The Spirit is moving in the church.
February 5, 2025 at 6:07 PM
As two more choristers receive their surplices, we celebrate the fresh approaches which have grown a faithful choir of 16 children. And from recent discussions it begins to feel as if this could be widespread. The message of #music as mission is hitting home. The Spirit is moving in the church.
The choir of St Mary’s, Swanage, ahead of our nine lessons and carols yesterday. Fourteen of our choristers joined the adults to make up a choir of 50. We are going to have to start thinking about reconfiguring the choir stalls to fit everyone in. Four more new choristers arriving in the new year!
December 23, 2024 at 6:22 PM
The choir of St Mary’s, Swanage, ahead of our nine lessons and carols yesterday. Fourteen of our choristers joined the adults to make up a choir of 50. We are going to have to start thinking about reconfiguring the choir stalls to fit everyone in. Four more new choristers arriving in the new year!
Quick pitstop after an hour in a cold church, making up 15 folders for our junior choristers ahead of the Town Carol Service on Sunday. A reminder of the many unpaid hours church musicians put in over the official quota if they want to rebuild children’s involvement in #church #music.
December 19, 2024 at 10:11 AM
Now that we have 15 choristers, some with a few years experience and some with just a month or so, we need a bit more structure to keep everyone motivated. Two more probationers will get their surplices in the new year, and all will start working towards awards which reflect their relative progress.
December 5, 2024 at 9:01 PM
Now that we have 15 choristers, some with a few years experience and some with just a month or so, we need a bit more structure to keep everyone motivated. Two more probationers will get their surplices in the new year, and all will start working towards awards which reflect their relative progress.
Sixteen of my choristers turned up to sing in my final concert as conductor of the Purbeck Arts Choir last night. The baton is being passed in Swanage, in more ways than one.
December 1, 2024 at 6:17 PM
Sixteen of my choristers turned up to sing in my final concert as conductor of the Purbeck Arts Choir last night. The baton is being passed in Swanage, in more ways than one.
Tomorrow is my last ever (planned) choral society concert as conductor, after very nearly 40 years and only three permanent choirs. There’s a chance the programme might be slightly self-indulgent. Children and young people involved, including my 12yo daughter as a soloist.
November 29, 2024 at 12:43 PM
Tomorrow is my last ever (planned) choral society concert as conductor, after very nearly 40 years and only three permanent choirs. There’s a chance the programme might be slightly self-indulgent. Children and young people involved, including my 12yo daughter as a soloist.
There's this fallacy that some traditions of faith #music are more sincere, some more self-obsessed. No, that's just people. I've played in worship bands that fetishise the flanger, the mixing desk and the smoke machine, and sung in choirs which have praised God from the heart.
November 29, 2024 at 9:09 AM
There's this fallacy that some traditions of faith #music are more sincere, some more self-obsessed. No, that's just people. I've played in worship bands that fetishise the flanger, the mixing desk and the smoke machine, and sung in choirs which have praised God from the heart.
For almost forty years, my routine has been, after the staging has been put up for a choir concert, to spend time on my own, centering myself for the rehearsal and concert. Today was the last time. On Saturday I retire from conducting large choruses, to focus on getting more kids singing.
November 28, 2024 at 5:40 PM
For almost forty years, my routine has been, after the staging has been put up for a choir concert, to spend time on my own, centering myself for the rehearsal and concert. Today was the last time. On Saturday I retire from conducting large choruses, to focus on getting more kids singing.
Renewal = washing and refreshing these cassocks, recycled from a church which has not had a choir for some time.
Renewal = what the children and young people who wear these robes are going to underpin in St Mary the Virgin, Swanage. Fifteen in their ranks, and still growing.
Renewal = what the children and young people who wear these robes are going to underpin in St Mary the Virgin, Swanage. Fifteen in their ranks, and still growing.
November 28, 2024 at 9:50 AM
Renewal = washing and refreshing these cassocks, recycled from a church which has not had a choir for some time.
Renewal = what the children and young people who wear these robes are going to underpin in St Mary the Virgin, Swanage. Fifteen in their ranks, and still growing.
Renewal = what the children and young people who wear these robes are going to underpin in St Mary the Virgin, Swanage. Fifteen in their ranks, and still growing.
Welcome to 500th follower, @musicdiocese.bsky.social! Quite a milestone in less than a month. Seems there are ears for the joyful message of children and young people singing in church choirs!
November 27, 2024 at 9:13 AM
Welcome to 500th follower, @musicdiocese.bsky.social! Quite a milestone in less than a month. Seems there are ears for the joyful message of children and young people singing in church choirs!
Fifty years ago I was a Treble singing this verse with my friends. Last night it was the turn of nine of my choristers, boys and girls - alone, and without a conductor - as they joined the adults at Choral #Evensong, for four newcomers their first such experience. A special moment on the journey.
November 25, 2024 at 7:12 AM
Fifty years ago I was a Treble singing this verse with my friends. Last night it was the turn of nine of my choristers, boys and girls - alone, and without a conductor - as they joined the adults at Choral #Evensong, for four newcomers their first such experience. A special moment on the journey.
A joyous sight. We now have so many young choristers that we have had to move their robes and books from the ladies’ vestry to their own space in our side chapel. The newly-assembled rail will be even more useful when I pick up 12 more robes this week, to allow even more children to join our choir.
November 24, 2024 at 4:34 PM
A joyous sight. We now have so many young choristers that we have had to move their robes and books from the ladies’ vestry to their own space in our side chapel. The newly-assembled rail will be even more useful when I pick up 12 more robes this week, to allow even more children to join our choir.
Prob not the first reply you expected, but I’m focussed on conducting my last ever concert with a large choir and orchestra in a week or so, before I retire and spend the rest of my useful life getting more kids singing. A bit of chill helped tonight…so thanks for that. What do I do now?
November 20, 2024 at 8:08 PM
Prob not the first reply you expected, but I’m focussed on conducting my last ever concert with a large choir and orchestra in a week or so, before I retire and spend the rest of my useful life getting more kids singing. A bit of chill helped tonight…so thanks for that. What do I do now?
I read this Church of England report from 1988, about integrating children into the full life of the Church. I was interested in what consideration was given to working with the 100,000+ children then in church choirs. The answer: None at all. A🧵1/9
November 15, 2024 at 3:02 PM
I read this Church of England report from 1988, about integrating children into the full life of the Church. I was interested in what consideration was given to working with the 100,000+ children then in church choirs. The answer: None at all. A🧵1/9
My aims are to involve many more children in meaning-rich faith-based music, to help others do likewise, and to show The Church the power of music ministry to reach children and young people and drive growth. I’m not about ‘preserving’ anything: I’m all about growth.
November 14, 2024 at 12:44 PM
My aims are to involve many more children in meaning-rich faith-based music, to help others do likewise, and to show The Church the power of music ministry to reach children and young people and drive growth. I’m not about ‘preserving’ anything: I’m all about growth.
Five years working on reinvolving children and young people in our church choir, we’ve grown slowly, bit by bit, gain some, lose some. Last month two new recruits turned up, unexpectedly. This week, another two. Fifteen on the roll now. Keep on keeping on.
November 13, 2024 at 2:54 PM
Five years working on reinvolving children and young people in our church choir, we’ve grown slowly, bit by bit, gain some, lose some. Last month two new recruits turned up, unexpectedly. This week, another two. Fifteen on the roll now. Keep on keeping on.
I read so many ‘reasons’ why kids don’t sing in parish church choirs now. Changes in fashion, football, computer games, shopping etc. All make it sound inevitable, and absolves us of responsibility to make the effort to turn the tide. But it can be done. It IS being done
November 13, 2024 at 2:54 PM
I read so many ‘reasons’ why kids don’t sing in parish church choirs now. Changes in fashion, football, computer games, shopping etc. All make it sound inevitable, and absolves us of responsibility to make the effort to turn the tide. But it can be done. It IS being done