The Expansion of the National Schools Singing Programme Accelerates on
The National Schools Singing Programme (NSSP) is a music educational initiative that is being supported by The Hamish Ogston Foundation through a grant of £3,985,000.
The award-winning Schools Singing Programme was originally developed by The Diocese of Leeds, promoting the creation and enhancement of music programmes for children educated in Catholic state schools. As a result of the funding from The Hamish Ogston Foundation, the initiative is now being expanded further within Leeds and replicated across the whole of the UK.
The investment provided by The Hamish Ogston Foundation offers £75,000 over five years to each Diocese to employ a choral director who will inspire the next generation of singers in both primary and secondary schools. This funding supports the NSSP in its endeavour to provide equality of opportunity in music education and to help engage diverse communities in world-class singing programmes. Each Diocese is being supported by the central management team in the Diocese of Leeds to develop a financially sustainable programme that will continue beyond the life of the Foundation’s five-year funding.
Whilst the weekly sessions include music for school liturgies, interactive music education games also feature as well as secular repertoire. Students can also access a network of after-school choirs that support parish and cathedral liturgies meaning that the engagement is not only in-school but reaches into the wider musical life of the area. The Hamish Ogston Foundation believes singing supports community cohesion and has many mental health benefits. Children are reporting an increase in self-confidence and feelings of positive self-esteem.
The list of schools engaging with the NSSP is fast-growing. The communities that have announced their participation in the programme include:
The Archdiocese of Birmingham
The Archdiocese of Liverpool
The Archdiocese of Southwark
The Archdiocese of Westminster
The Diocese of Aberdeen
The Diocese of Down and Connor
The Diocese of East Anglia
The Diocese of Lancaster
The Diocese of Hallam
The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
The Diocese of Middlesbrough
The Diocese of Northampton
The Diocese of Nottingham
The Diocese of Paisley
The Diocese of Plymouth
The Diocese of Portsmouth
The Diocese of Salford
The Diocese of Shrewsbury
The most recent announcement comes from the Archdiocese of Westminster with Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, saying, “I thank The Hamish Ogston Foundation for giving young people in the Diocese of Westminster the opportunity to participate in the National Schools Singing Programme […] Singing builds teamwork and makes us attentive to each other. I am sure it will help young people to know the beauty and joy that music gives to our everyday lives.”
The funding and support provided by The Hamish Ogston Foundation comes at a key time for singing in education. The initiative aspires to reinvigorate singing in schools across the UK in light of the COVID-19 pandemic which has restricted live music in schools and cathedrals. The NSSP is managing this with tremendous success, enriching the lives of thousands of students and inspiring the next generation of choral singers.
Visit https://www.hamishogstonfoundation.org/music/national-schools-singing-programme for more information on our heritage apprenticeship initiatives.