Volunteers’ Week 1-7 June
Next week is Volunteers’ Week, a time to recognise the many people whose commitment keeps cathedral music thriving across the UK and Ireland. Across Cathedral Music Trust, volunteering takes many forms from our Board of Trustees and governance roles, to event organisation, Local Ambassadors, and Future Leaders Programme. Each day during Volunteering Week, we’ll be speaking to a different member of the team to share the breadth of this work and the people who make it possible.
Our Volunteers don’t just “help out” they shape strategy, support young musicians, advocate for choral music, organise events, govern the charity, and help protect a rich musical heritage for future generations. Their work often happens behind the scenes, but its impact is felt in everything we do.
Volunteering in support of cathedral music is not limited to those of faith; it brings together people from many different backgrounds who share a love of music, heritage, and community.
For some though, who do volunteer for the Trust like Jeremy, his support is deeply rooted in personal faith and a lifelong connection to worship and church music.
Jeremy speaks about his volunteering experience:
As a “cradle Anglican” I have lived all my life with Church music, encouraged by my father who had a fine voice and who had leant from his father who ran a parish church choir. I ended up in parish music, running the choir and playing the organ until a ‘difference of opinion’ caused me to leave worship in a parish, and attend the nearest cathedral, Blackburn. That was some 25 years ago during which time I have sung with one of the choirs based there, another occasional choir singing services, as well as becoming Chairman of the Friends of Blackburn Cathedral, and a senior Warden. Throughout that, the music sung at the Cathedral has been a major part of my worship, so when I heard about the Friends of Cathedral Music, I was happy to join to experience more of the same in other places.
The Friends then changed into its shape now of Cathedral Music Trust, by which time I had become the Local Ambassador (the Diocesan Representative in old money), a role that I embrace in an effort to spread the word of the work done by the Trust for the benefit of all music, not just local to me, although three local gatherings that I have organised at Blackburn Cathedral have been well received.
In addition to the ‘local’ music, I have had the valuable experience of attending national gatherings events at many of the older, Gothic cathedrals, and some newer ones, Anglican and Roman Catholic alike. So enjoyable has it been to attend these events and meet others of a like mind, and to make lasting friendships with some of them. My wife Jean also joined and became involved in the organisation of national gathering events, this has opened up an entirely new element of the enjoyment of cathedral music, as in addition to attending, we have to reconnoitre the venue and event’s schedule many months before it happens, so we have the enjoyable experience of visiting other cathedrals, meeting the music staff and clergy whose involvement in the final event is an essential ingredient. By way of example, the Autumn gathering in 2027 will be in Northern Ireland, taking in seven different cathedrals there (believe me they have more in number than that!), the recce for which took place some months ago and included a wonderful sampling of Irish hospitality.
It is easy to see from this short comment that there is much to gain from membership of the Trust when it comes to gathering events, but there is much also to be learnt from the various publications the Trust prepares, keeping members in touch with exciting music being made throughout the UK and Ireland. The grants that are made by Cathedral Music Trust are substantial and improve the facility of music-making in locations – the gratitude shown by them at our visits is quite humbling. It’s remarkable what a financial contribution by the members, and some effort by the volunteers can achieve.
On a personal note, apart from making friends at gatherings, I have had the great pleasure of visiting many cathedrals as a welcome guest, when without being part of the Trust, I would not have had reason to visit them. A recent example is a day in Rochester Cathedral, a place completely off my map of places to visit, but part of a fascinating event based in both Canterbury and Rochester organised by the Trust.
Jeremy Duerden (Local Ambassador: Blackburn)
If you are interested in volunteering with Cathedral Music Trust , we’d love to hear from you! Please email [email protected], or, take a look at our volunteering page!
