{"id":14041,"date":"2014-06-11T12:10:19","date_gmt":"2014-06-11T12:10:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.musicademy.com\/?p=14041"},"modified":"2019-08-01T15:04:18","modified_gmt":"2019-08-01T15:04:18","slug":"royal-school-church-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.musicademy.com\/blog\/royal-school-church-music\/","title":{"rendered":"An insight into the Regional Music Adviser role at the Royal School of Church Music"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Frances

Frances Novillo, RSCM Regional Music Adviser and Catholic cantor<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

We spent some time this morning with the delightful Frances Novillo,\u00a0Regional Music Adviser\u00a0<\/i><\/b>for the Royal School of Church Music and were humbled by the breadth of musical knowledge, application and versatility required of her role. I wish I had recorded the conversation, but we’ll get some video interviews in the future.<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Whilst Musicademy is more normally focussed on contemporary music, we recognise that across the church there are many more genres of musical expression in worship. Here Frances Novillo<\/i><\/b>\u00a0whose portfolio encompasses\u00a0Townend and Resound, Parry and plainchant, polyphony, gospel, spirituals and folk styles, world church music, Iona and Taize, Wesley and Watts, and everything in between shares her experience of working at the RSCM.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

I joined the staff team of the Royal School of Church Music in April 2010 as Regional Music Adviser providing training and advice on all aspects of church music-making in the South East of England. My Region extends from the south-easternmost point of Kent, along the south coast to Bournemouth, up and over Oxfordshire, then across to the north-eastern corner of Essex, and reaches out to churches of all denominations and worshipping styles who affiliate to the RSCM, including those with very little going on musically, and those with rich musical resources.<\/p>\n

\"RSCM\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019d worked in an RSCM affiliated church in Leeds after graduating, maintaining a traditional choir and developing a worship band. Since that time, while leading music at Scargill House in North Yorkshire and at Diocesan music days across the country, I\u2019d met RSCM staff and learnt that the charity had a broad outlook operating ecumenically across a wide range of musical styles. I realised the RSCM could have appointed an Anglican organist to the newly-created RMA post in 2010, but instead chose me, a Catholic cantor. I brought with me experience working ecumenically with the Iona Community as Resident Musician, leading worship in venues as diverse as Wembley Arena and Greenbelt, and working in Anglican and Catholic parishes and schools, with a particular passion for getting all God\u2019s people singing His praises.<\/p>\n

Cantors are worship leaders. It’s about leading God’s people in sung prayer, and proclaiming God’s word in song; helping everyone gathered together to sing a new song to the Lord;\u00a0singing some parts of some songs solo, following the Biblical precedent of Hannah, Zechariah and Mary – and the Psalmists –\u00a0and enabling the assembly to offer a communal response;\u00a0improvising during songs – sometimes harmonies, sometimes calls to which the congregation respond (especially in Gospel and world church music);\u00a0following the flow of the worship and adapting the music accordingly.<\/p>\n

I take a community music approach, that is, encouraging everyone to take part regardless of previous musical experience or ability.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m fascinated with the church as a unique environment in which all are expected to sing, and indeed, to find in singing a vehicle for prayer, a means of growing closer to the Lord Jesus whether or not they come in believing they\u2019re capable of doing this.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s important for me as a cantor to be able to set worshippers at ease, inviting groups of all ages, large and small, to participate in singing together, overcoming their inhibitions and memories of being told that they can\u2019t sing. If I had a pound for every person who told me \u2018I can\u2019t sing\u2019 I\u2019d be able to build my parish a new church!<\/p>\n

\"Teenagers<\/a>

Teenagers from High Barnet Catholic parish playing at Southwark RC Cathedral<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Regional Music Advisers are employed in our own churches to keep our advice and support to other churches through the RSCM relevant, and ensure we are sympathetic to the issues which commonly arise. \u00a0My church in High Barnet (North London) is thriving, with so many worshippers we can\u2019t always fit everyone in. As a cantor, I animate the gathered faithful, singing familiar and new songs and liturgical music. I conduct the choirs – a singing group of parents and children playing a range of acoustic instruments at the Family Mass; a more traditional choir at the Solemn Mass singing up to 4-part harmony with the congregation; a group of teenagers leading contemporary songs at the Evening Mass. We explore Taiz\u00e9 and Iona music alongside plainchant, classical and contemporary pieces, songs from all around the world, with a bit of Gospel from time to time. I\u2019ve trained a team of cantors, solo singers who can encourage the congregation to keep singing, and lead them in new songs, call and response, including responsorial Psalms. I offer piano and guitar lessons to the teenagers who want to improve their musical skills in return for their commitment to leading music in worship regularly.<\/p>\n

For the RSCM, I lead a range of workshops to help everyone involved in church music to develop musically and spiritually, I hope. I work with clergy and congregations, instrumentalists and singers, choirs and bands and those who lead and direct them. Workshop titles include:<\/p>\n