Presenter Profile
Ben Saunders
Following tenures at four UK cathedrals and a considerable discography as a choral conductor and organist, Benjamin Saunders approaches education leadership as a performer rather than an administrator. As the architect of the National Schools Singing Programme, he has exported the original Leeds model to engineer a UK-wide choral network that unites 35 Catholic dioceses and Anglican cathedrals in delivering sustainable, high-quality curriculum-focused music education.
Scaling the Choral Tradition: A Comparative Analysis of Advocacy and Infrastructure-based Models for National Impact
This presentation examines the practical strategy required to bridge the gap between high-level national advocacy and consistent, local choral delivery. By comparing the ‘Corporate Advocacy’ model with an ‘Infrastructure-led’ approach, it identifies the key drivers of measurable, sustainable scale. Using the National Schools Singing Programme (NSSP) as a case study—currently engaging over 38,000 children weekly across 437 state schools—the session demonstrates how choral foundations can utilise existing faith-school networks to minimise central overheads and maximise direct musical impact, ensuring the choral tradition remains a living reality for the next generation.