“Bless, O Lord, us Thy servants who minister in Thy temple. Grant that what we sing with our lips we may believe in our hearts, and what we believe in our hearts we may show forth in our lives. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
The Royal School of Church Music
At its founding in 1927, the Royal School of Church Music was an organization that consisted of a training college for church musicians (called the College of St. Nicolas) and an association of affiliated churches committed to attaining high standards of musical performance.
The RSCM has grown to become an international and ecumenical organization, with more than 11,000 affiliates in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Nigeria and throughout Europe.
RSCM America has more than 300 affiliates crossing denominational lines and the boundaries of nearly every state. RSCM America has its own Board of Directors supervising RSCM programs in the United States.
What RSCM America Offers
Annual choral residencies for choristers of all ages in various regional locations
Voice for Life: An acclaimed structured choral training guide that provides a framework for choral singers to develop their vocal skills, musical understanding, and knowledge of the repertoire
Access to RSCM America affiliates, a pool of experienced musicians who offer assistance to choral directors and individual singers on a wide variety of subjects, including a mentoring program
A forum for enrichment and exchange of information and ideas among a group of highly qualified music directors
Our Location
Since 2020, Duke University Chapel has served as the administrative home for RSCM America, which shares office space and support staff with the Chapel’s music program. The arrangement gives RSCM America a base of operations at a major research university with a vibrant sacred music program, and connects Duke Chapel more closely to RSCM America’s national training programs and network of church musicians.
“The music of the church shapes our imaginations about who God is and who God calls us to be,” said the Rev. Dr. Luke A. Powery, dean of Duke Chapel, in announcing the agreement. “This partnership with RSCM America moves the Chapel forward in learning from, and contributing to, a global canon of sacred music.”
Then-RSCM America President Joseph Causby said, “The opportunity to locate our American branch office at a major ecumenical center, such as Duke Chapel, will broaden the reach of our educational and musical mission, training future generations of leaders in sacred music.”
Duke Chapel’s music program dates back to the chapel’s founding in the 1930s and includes multiple choirs, weekly worship services, regular organ and carillon recitals, an annual concert series, recording projects, training for singers and organists, and a diverse catalogue of choral compositions published in the Music from Duke Chapel Series with ECS Publishing Group. Duke Chapel is a member of RSCM America and has been hosting its summertime Carolina Residency for more than a decade.
