Continuo Connect — Music in Country Churches

Dubbed "England's Most Charming Charity", Music in Country Churches organises concerts in rural churches. In 2024, we will have our most extensive series yet with seven concerts in six counties. The season runs from 24 May to 31 July with visits to Northleach (Gloucestershire), Chagford (Devon), Clare (Suffolk), Geddington (Northamptonshire), Coleman's Hatch (East Sussex), and King's Lynn (Norfolk).

As we criss-cross the countryside, we look forward to concerts given by La Serenissima, Fiori Musicali and David Blackadder, Tenebrae, and the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, amongst others. Our programmes cover a wide range of classical styles and forces from choirs, to chamber ensembles, to soloists, to full orchestra. This year we celebrate the anniversary of Sir Charles V. Stanford.

While the music always promises to be scintillating, the evening as a whole is to be enjoyed. Many of our concertgoers arrived early to have a drink and wander around the churchyard, and going to the local pub for a meal with friends after the concert. Coming to our concerts also means that you have a chance to grab a few of our now famous tea towels which feature artwork designed by Matthew Rice (see image). They not only make excellent mementos of a memorable evening of music, but also excellent Christmas stocking fillers!

The Charity started in 1989 with the active support of HRH The Prince of Wales (Now His Majesty The King) with two aims: to arrange concerts in rural churches of exceptional beauty and interest, and to raise funds to assist those churches with the costs of their repair and maintenance.

Over its 34 years’ existence, the Charity has visited more than 60 churches and made donations totalling more than £600,000. Our concerts have featured some of the greatest musical performers of our time, and have also provided a platform to young and emerging musicians.

We have a long-standing collaboration with the English Chamber Orchestra, and in 2021 we launched a partnership with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama to give their prizewinning students the opportunity to perform at our concerts.

In 2023, we held our first-ever concert in Devon, and in 2024 we are delighted to be making our debut in East Sussex. Our grants come out of the proceeds of our concerts and go towards helping churches to keep open and well maintained, and have been used to carry out the restoration of monuments, repair of roofs, renewal of stonework, to name a few. Above all, we want these buildings to come alive with music and community gatherings.