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/