Director of Music nominated for RSCM award

Elizabeth Trenchard

The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) has announced that Elizabeth Trenchard, Director of Music and Organist at St John the Evangelist Cambridge, is to receive an Honorary Award in recognition of her significant contribution to church music.

The citation for Elizabeth’s RSCM Nicholson Award reads:

“Elizabeth Trenchard has been director of music and organist at St John the Evangelist, Cambridge for 25 years. She runs a flourishing choir with numerous choristers and adult singers and keenly promotes and supports RSCM events and opportunities. Her enthusiasm for Voice for Life exams has seen St John the Evangelist acting as a partner exam venue for candidates in and around Cambridgeshire.”

The RSCM Council confers Honorary Awards annually in various categories, at international level and also to those who give faithful service in a more local setting. Recipients come from across the world and across the traditions of church music, all reflecting the RSCM’s commitment to enabling the flourishing of church music in a diverse set of communities and local settings.

Elizabeth Trenchard says:

“I am delighted and honoured have been nominated for this award and would like to thank everyone for the support and encouragement which has enabled me to achieve this.”

Revd Canon James Shakespeare, Vicar of St John the Evangelist Cambridge, said:

“This award is so well deserved and we offer Elizabeth our hearty congratulations! We see the fruits of her work in the beautiful organ music and thriving choir here at St John’s, but I know that her commitment to the RSCM’s learning programmes is also helping to inspire young people in the wider diocese with a lifelong love of church music.”

The award will be presented at Salisbury Cathedral in September 2026.

The St John the Evangelist Cambridge Choir sings at the 10am service each Sunday. They also make occasional visits to other churches and will be singing Choral Evensong at St Peter’s Babraham at 5pm on Sunday 28 June. They are also giving a summer concert at St John the Evangelist Cambridge on Thursday 2 July, at 6.30pm. Admission to the concert is free, with raffle tickets and refreshments on sale in the interval. You can find out more about the choir, which welcomes new singers of any age, via this website link: www.stjohntheevangelistcambridge.org/Groups/403413/St_Johns_Choir.aspx.

RSCM Information: https://www.rscm.org.uk/honorary-awards-2026/

17/06/2026

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If you are planning your first visit to St John’s, welcome! We hope the information below will help you.

Our Sunday morning services begin at 10.00am. When you arrive, you will be greeted by one of our welcoming team who will help you find somewhere to sit and will give you a service booklet and a hymn book. Please see our ‘Sunday services’ page for more details of services and times.
We serve tea, coffee and biscuits after the morning service and we hope very much that you will stay for a chat. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access through powered double doors, and an accessible toilet. We have a small car park, and there is free parking on a Sunday in the surrounding streets. You may wish to arrive 10-15 minutes early if you need a parking space close to the church.

You can expect:
- A warm welcome, with everything you need to follow the service easily;
- Beautiful music in the English choral tradition at both Sunday services, led by the St John's choir and organist;
- A talk or sermon, usually focused on the readings we have heard;
- On Sunday and Wednesday mornings, tea or coffee afterwards and time to chat with others.

What about children?
We have a regular Children’s Church on Sunday mornings for 4-11 year-olds. The children learn about the same Bible readings we are hearing in church, with games, activities and prayers. We also have an All-Age service, where everybody worships together, on the first Sunday of each month. Find out more about Children's Ministry.