On this week’s podcast, Christopher Totney, director of music at St John’s, Devizes, is interviewed about his new anthem, “God Of All Creation”, which was the winner of the Royal School of Church Music’s Music Sunday competition. He is interviewed by Stefan Putigny, the Royal School of Church Music’s Magazines Editor. A recording of the anthem, sung by St Martin’s Voices, is played after the interview.

The world première of the anthem will be on the annual RSCM Music Sunday on 6 June, which celebrates the part played by music and musicians in church life. 

The podcast also features a talk by Prebendary Chris Thorpe, “Creating worship that connects: Liturgy as a tool of mission in reaching out”, which was given at the “Creativity out of Crisis” webinar last October, hosted by the Church Times and the RSCM.  

Prebendary Thorpe is the author of books which include Ploughshares and First Fruits: A year of festivals for the rural church (Canterbury Press)  (Books, 1 January 2021) and Apprentices and Eyewitnesses: Creative liturgies for incarnational worship: Lent, Holy Week and Easter (Canterbury Press) (Books, 8 March 2019).

The Church Times and the RSCM are hosting a webinar on Tuesday 18 May, “Lift Up Your Voices, Lift Up Your Hearts”, which will explore questions of music and worship. Subjects include how congregational singing could come back stronger after the pandemic, what next for choirs, and a training taster session for clergy who are not musicians. Speakers include the director of the RSCM, Hugh Morris; John Bell; Brenna Conin; and Gill Fourie. For more information and to buy tickets, go here.

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