Choir Academies

Here is an example of effective lobbying.  Most people are not part of the inner core of political power in this country, and I assume that core is a few members of the Cabinet, the staff in Number 10 and senior staff in Whitehall.  Therefore what we have to do if we want to influence Government policy is usually pick up the ball when the Government drops it and run with it. 

There is no earthly way in which Governments of any Party are now going to give cathedrals and choir schools more money directly.   But the Government is concerned, and rightly, that music education has largely died out in State schools.  My suggestion is that, where possible, cathedrals should form academies around the basis of their choir schools, or set up new schools, so the cost of music in cathedrals is covered by tax-payers, therefore increasing the chances of our music tradition in cathedrals surviving. 

But, in return, and without this there will be no deal, the State sector gets these centres of musical excellence all around the country.  Not merely to educate maybe 600 very lucky young boys and girls, but also for those centres of excellence to act as conduits which improve musical education in the surrounding state schools. This would ensure that it is not just in the cathedral cities that we have brilliant musical education, but that we start to grow musical education back in our schools in a similar way to what you might have found there fifty, and certainly a hundred years ago.