Salisbury Diocesan Choral Festival Group

The diocesan choral festivals, currently run by the Salisbury Diocesan Choral Festival Group (SDCFG), started some considerable time before the formation of the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM). The festivals (and chorister awards) have continued to be organised by this diocese unlike most other dioceses where the responsibility for these was handed over to the RSCM many years ago.

The RSCM has recently made changes, some quite significant, to its local area structure and as a result of this they will no longer be prepared to validate our diocesan awards as being equivalent to theirs.

After much deliberation and consultation it has been decided to stand down the Salisbury Diocesan Choral Festival Group in a phased manner bearing in mind the arrangements already in place and the time it will take for the RSCM area committee to put in place future arrangements.

With immediate effect the SDCFG will cease to examine the Diocesan Bishop’s and Dean’s awards.

This year’s festival (2021), using the book planned for 2020, will go ahead in October 2021 (unless circumstances dictate otherwise) and this will be the last choral festival organised by the diocese.

Future choral festivals (from 2022) and chorister awards(from February 2021) will be organised by the RSCM.