Church Music

Esther has been involved in church music since joining the choir of All Saints, Crowborough at the age of nine. She held an organ scholarship at University College, Oxford, where she also directed the chapel choir. She was organist of St Giles, Ashtead from 2000-2006 and is currently Director of Music at Christ Church, Epsom Common - a thriving parish church that has a mixed adult choir, junior choir and music group.

Esther has worked for the Royal School of Church Music since 1999 and was editor of Church Music Quarterly until 2007. She has been involved in a wide range of RSCM Education initiatives and contributed to publications including the Voice for Life Choir Trainer's Book and the Voice for Life Songbook. From 2007-2009 she was Director of the Church Music Skills programme, a pioneering new distance-learning course for church musicians and is commissioning editor of the Complete Church Organist series.

In 2006 Esther became the first Stanley Vann Scholar in recognition for her acheivements in and commitment to Anglican Church Music.

Esther has experience with a broad range of musical styles, from traditional plainsong and Anglican choral music, to music from Taize and the Iona communities, and contemporary worship song repertoire. She is available as a freelance church music consultant and can also offer a wide range of training workshops. She is also available to play the organ, conduct or sing at weddings, funerals and memorial services.

Upcoming projects include:

- a series of RSCM training days for organists and choir directors (see www.rscm.com/courses for further details)

- project officer for the Church of England's Resourcing Schools' Worship project

Past projects include:

- keynote speaker at the Sound of Worship conference in Bristol in March 2011

- Course Director on the Sarum College Singing Break in February 2011

- musical director at the Chester Diocesan Conference in July 2010

- a three-day Voice for Life course for young choristers in February 2010

- singing workshop at Transforming Collective Worship conference in Ely in June 2009

- workshops for church choir directors at the Association of British Choral Directors convention in August 2009

- presenter at the RSCM International Summer School and Conference in Canterbury in August 2008

- part of the music team at the Lambeth Conference 2008