RSCM - Key Persons
Andrew has had a lifelong involvement in church music from singing at the age of 8 to playing the organ at churches in Somerset, Farnborough and Southampton. He has held several Director of Music roles in Bristol, most recently at Frenchay Parish church where he established a thriving junior and senior chorister programme. Andrew's professional life is as a Senior Civil Servant, and he is qualified as a Chartered Project Professional and Chartered Engineer.
Brian was a Choral Scholar at King's College Cambridge under David Willcocks and co-founded the international vocal ensemble The King's Singers in 1968, performing over 2000 concerts with them worldwide. He then spent twenty five years writing and presenting thousands of music programmes for BBC Radios 2, 3 and 4 and now enjoys a third career as an international choral and orchestral conductor.
In her working life, relinquished two years ago, Brigid Parkin has used her data capture and analysis skills to help define and solve business problems across a number of industry sectors. As a business analyst she has been involved in business process re-engineering, systems development and migration, balanced by experience in market research, marketing services and business development.
Dr Chris Bridges trained as a chemist and has worked in commerce for the last thirty years. Latterly he has worked as the marketing director for a distributor of laboratory products, leading its digital transformation from a provider of paper catalogues to a web-based business. Chris conducted the British Methodist Youth Choir and is Director of Music at Beeston Methodist Church in Nottingham.
Margaret is a Chartered Accountant and retired academic and whose research area is public sector accounting. She retains an interest in research and in service to the academic community. Prior to commencing her academic career Margaret trained with Price Waterhouse and Co followed by a career in industry . She has many years experience of voluntary and public service including non-executive roles in the NHS, experience which subsequently inspired her research. Margaret is Director of Music at St Marys' Tetbury and sings with both RSCM Voices South and RSCM Voices West.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director ( Finance & Operations )
Paul has a background in the charity sector, having been Chief Executive of Three Choirs Festival for five years, and held a senior leadership and finance role for Community Impact Bucks. He also runs a Leadership Development and Executive Coaching business, and was an Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. A musician too, he holds the reins of an RSCM affiliated parish choir (All Saints, Didcot), and is Musical Director of Cherwell Choral Society.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of Wild Search
Edward Wild is the Managing Director of Wild Search and advises boards and businesses on senior appointments, with a particular expertise in education, charities and the rural economy. An experienced charity trustee, he has also edited or written a number of publications on education and governance, including the history of Hampton School (2006). During his early career he was a teacher and fundraising and development director.
Job Titles:
- HR & Voluntary Administration Manager
The Voluntary Team works to support the volunteer Area Teams who bring RSCM's work to life ‘on the ground' across the UK. Overseen by Emma Huxley, Voluntary Administration Manager, who also manages the HR admin for the RSCM.
Hugh Morris has been Director of the RSCM since August 2018. His role is to act as CEO of the charity, and as well having direct responsibilities for managerial and strategic leadership, also acts as a public figurehead for the RSCM.
Hugh is himself an accomplished professional musician, with significant experience as a church musician in a wide range of contexts from churches to cathedrals; and also has a background in education, having spent many years working as a qualified teacher.
Safeguarding is of paramount importance to the RSCM and our Safeguarding Team help us to ensure that we implement effective Safeguarding procedures and policies, and that is firmly embedded within our culture. Jane Fisher is our Safeguarding Officer.
John Halsey had an 25-year management and consultancy career, specialising in business analysis and market research, combining this with Organist & Choirmaster positions at: St Luke's, Chelsea, London; the Anglican Chaplaincy, Strasbourg, France; and, during an interregnum, Wangaratta Cathedral, Victoria, Australia. Bookending his business career, he taught mathematics and music, initially at the well-known independent senior school, St Paul's School, London, and recently in Slough, where he built up arguably the most musical state primary in the country at Langley Hall Primary Academy. John is currently Organist & Choirmaster of Windsor Parish Church and Regional Consultant for Berkshire for the Royal College of Organists.
Job Titles:
- Director of Transformation at Raven Housing Trust
Julia Mixter is the Director of Transformation at Raven Housing Trust. Prior to this position, Julia has held senior roles in Human Resources for over 20 years, most recently as Director of Human Resources for the Royal Automobile Club where she was shortlisted for Outstanding HR Leader of the Year in Hospitality (2018), and prior to that as Director of People and Operations at The Children's Trust and Senior HRBP at Transport for London. Julia has acted in a voluntary capacity as an Executive Adviser to the Polka Theatre and as a Careers Enterprise Adviser to a number of local schools. Julia holds a degree in Psychology, a Postgraduate diploma in Strategic Human Resources Management and is FCIPD qualified.
Job Titles:
- Technology Programme Director
Martin Honeywood is a technology programme director with over 25 years experience of delivering IT and business change. As an independent consultant Martin has delivered successful outcomes in B2B, housing, charity, professional, public and FTSE-250 corporates. Martin is also a director of music production company HoneywoodSix, providing artist business management to Industry music producers working with high profile artists in UK, USA and Canada. HoneywoodSix has produced top 5 albums in the UK and USA. Martin has a background in evangelical Church music as a musician and worship leader.
Job Titles:
- CEO of the Edition Peters Music Publishing Group
Nicholas Riddle was for many years CEO of the Edition Peters Music Publishing Group founded in Leipzig in 1800. He joined Peters in 1993 after twelve years in the computer industry. He studied piano and organ from an early age, adding choral directing at university. He held several church posts as Director of Music. Since 1995, he has attended St Bartholomew the Great in London where has helped with the music as a deputy conductor and organist when required. He has been a Trustee of several musical charities, including the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Phil has a lifelong affiliation with church music, having started singing at the age of nine, only later realising the influence the RSCM had on his musical development. He brings to Council professional skills in Information Technology from his role as managing director of an IT services company and previous experience chairing a national charity. Phil is an active school governor, parish church organist and choir director. In his spare time, he's also a motorsports enthusiast, particularly Formula One.
Sammi's love of church music began in her teens, continuing on to complete a degree in music focussing on the 16 th Century. In her professional life, Sammi has worked in Church of England dioceses for many years, currently holding the position of Discipleship and Strategy Adviser in the Diocese of York, and is particularly interested in the relationship between music, worship and discipleship. She is an elected member of General Synod, as well as the Community Committee in York Minster, and is an appointed member of the Church of England's Liturgical Commission. Sammi enjoys singing with The Ebor Singers in York, the Associate Choir of York Minster, regularly participating in worship and holding their own concert series.
Job Titles:
- Education Administration Manager
The Education team covers a diverse range of activity, including direct training in online, day and residential courses, our Voices, Residentiary and Millennium Youth Choirs, and our Award exams. Sarah King, our Educational Programmes Manager, co-ordinates their work.
Susan Pope has over 40 years' experience in university and diocesan administration. She was an assistant treasurer of Cambridge University, and a Fellow and Bursar of Trinity Hall Cambridge before becoming Diocesan Secretary of St Albans Diocese in 2001. She has had a lifelong interest in church music, joining a church choir aged 10, having organ lessons in her teens, and going on to read music at Jesus College Oxford. She brings experience as a qualified company secretary, Chartered Governance professional, and as a Lay Canon of Ely Cathedral where she served on the Chapter for 12 years.
Job Titles:
- Director of Music at Peterborough Cathedral
Tansy Castledine is Director of Music at Peterborough Cathedral. She has held several Director of Music roles in large parishes and served in schools as Director of Music and Deputy Head. In addition to being a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, Tansy also holds the National Professional Qualification in Senior Leadership, and was awarded an Associateship of the Royal Academy of Music for services to Choral music. Formerly President of the Music Teachers' Association, Tansy was educated at Oxford where she was Organ Scholar at Exeter College, and the Royal Academy of Music, and has been involved with various musical aspects of the life of the RSCM since her early chorister days.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director, Education and Mission Delivery
The two Deputy Directors support the work of the Director, and together form the Senior Management Team. Canon Sal McDougall oversees the Education and Mission Delivery work.
Tim Ruffer, as Head of Publishing, oversees the RSCM's own published output, including RSCM Press and the magazines (under the Editorship of Stefan Putigny). Publishing also works to directly support the work of the Education and Voluntary Departments.