The Revd Catherine Cleghorn, Vicar of St Peter's, Leighton cum Minshull Vernon and St Leonard's, Warmingham has been appointed as the new Diocesan Representative for the Royal School of Church Music. Her role forms part of a newly commissioned Area Team for the Chester Diocese.
The main aim of her role is to raise the RSCM’s profile within the diocese and expand the reach of RSCM publicity, using the diocesan Mission & Ministry Training department and the broader diocesan network to reach out to non-RSCM members and to churches with limited musical resources.
Catherine plays the piano and prior to training to become a vicar, she was a music teacher for 12 years. Her combined experience of music and of being a vicar, made a her natural choice when the RSCM were looking to find someone who could represent them in our diocese.
"One of the reasons why I was keen to say yes to this role is because music was how I came to faith. It was when I was 20 years old. Two friends encouraged me to go along to a church choir and it was there that I discovered a community of people who loved and forgave in a way that I had never previously experienced."
Catherine explains the vision for the RSCM as "Drawing people closer to god through music". She is one of a team of volunteers in the area that will be organising events and promoting RSCM training courses to people across the diocese. They are particularly keen to reach out to not RSCM members and churches with limited resources. She says, "It would be great to help clergy, lay leaders and congregations to feel more confident and more supported to worship through music."
If you'd like to find out more about the RSCM or how your church can benefit from their resources and training courses, you can contact Catherine on catherine.cleghorn@hotmail.com