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James Gordon has dedicated his life to church music and liturgy in the United Kingdom, Kenya and especially South Africa. From a choral scholarship at Kings College, Cambridge he went on to prominent appointments at Eton College, the Duke of York School in Nairobi, and St John’s College, Houghton, Johannesburg. He became a Special Representative of the RSCM in South Africa and regularly directed many RSCM events.

Associate of the RSCM (ARSCM):

Mrs Marianne de Jager

Marianne holds church music posts in Pietermaritzburg, including one at the Anglican cathedral in the city. She has founded and trained numerous school and adult choirs, introducing a scholarship scheme for the development of younger singers. Since her election as chair of the RSCM Kwa-zulu Natal Branch in 2004, Marianne has organised two highly successful South African Summer Schools.

Mrs Colleen Hart

Colleen has been involved in the activities of the RSCM since her student days and has been a highly sought after workshop, course and event leader throughout the country. Colleen has an ability to inspire young people with music-making. She has been a director of music in Johannesburg for 19 years and published a resource book for African Marimbas, the first of its kind world-wide.

Honorary Member of the RSCM (HonRSCM)

Mrs Elsie Bath

Elsie Bath has continued throughout her long and varied life to minister in the church through music in Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa. Elsie’s religious music broadcasts during the Second World War on Lorenço Marques Radio are legendary as are the long distances that she would travel alone by road to distant churches. Elsie’s dedicated service shines as a wonderful example to all engaged in music ministry in the church.

RSCM Awards 2011

No less than six South Africans appear on the 2011 RSCM award list announced in the December 2010 edition of the email newsletter. They are:

Associate of the Royal School of Church Music (ARSCM)

For achievements of national significance, or important work for the RSCM..

Sidney Place
Director of Music at St Mary’s Cathedral, Johannesburg and Co-founder of the Transvaal Organ Society.

Honorary Membership (HonRSCM)

For exceptional or very significant work for church music or RSCM, at national or International level but not primarily musical or liturgical.

George Woods
RSCM Council representative on RSCM South Africa National Committee, Vice-chair of RSCM Northern Branch, South Africa.

Jenny Yates
Chair of RSCM Eastern Cape Branch, South Africa.

Certificate of Special Service

For significant administrative work as a volunteer or member of RSCM staff, or for a significant contribution to church music and/or liturgy at a local level.

Robert Allison

Jenny Campbell-Pitt

Maureen de Villiers

To download the full list of awards click the link below. www.rscm.com/assets/info_resources/media/HonAwards_2011.pdf

Local Awards 2011

CHAIR OF RSCM IN KWA-ZULU NATAL HONOURED

On the 20th March 2011 the sounds of Choral Evensong reached high into the corners of the historic St George’s Garrison Church, Fort Napier, Pietermaritzburg.

The service was led by Rubin Phillip, Anglican Bishop of Natal and the music was supported by the Pietermaritzburg Cathedral Chamber Choir combined with singers gathered from the far reaches of the South African province of Kwa-zulu Natal. The music was directed by Marainne de Jager, chair of the RSCM in that area. The service held very special significance for her because it would be during this service that she was to be admitted to the Order of the Holy Nativity by the Bishop in recognition for her significant contribution to the furtherance of church music within the Natal Diocese.

Marianne has led the province’s RSCM committee for the past seven years through two extremely successful national Summer Schools as well as the formulation of appropriate programmes and events for RSCM members and affiliates. Much of the work she has accomplished singlehandedly and selflessly, at times travelling distances of hundreds of kilometres to conduct RSCM workshops in small towns in the Drakensberg Mountains, on the Kwa-zulu Natal South Coast or in and around the large cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

A retired mathematics teacher, Marianne now much prefers making music with her choirs, enhancing the worship not only in the Pietermaritzburg cathedral but in three additional parishes within the city.

We congratulate Marianne on her special, well-deserved award and are sure that she will continue to inspire many more to sing “with the Spirit and understanding”.

The Guild of Church Musicians' Archbishops' Award

The Guild of Church Musicians' Archbishops' Award in Church Music was presented to Ian Harrison in the chapel at St George's cathedral, Cape Town by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu on Friday 4th November 2011. Ian is the organist at All Souls, Northmead, Benoni.

From left to right: George Woods, Kevin Williams, +Desmond, Ian Harrison, Barry Smith.

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Contact Details

Co-ordinator R Allison Phone & FAX 011 845 4240

P O Box 17177, Benoni West, South Africa 1503

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