Promoting, improving and maintaining opportunities for the professional development of everyone leading singing, amateur and professional, in the classroom and the community.
Our vision is of a world where well-led choral singing enriches everyone’s lives and where abcd enables every leader of choral singing in the UK easily to access appropriate support for their development.
The Association of British Choral Directors (abcd) is the leading UK organisation devoted entirely to supporting everyone leading choral music. We are committed to promoting, improving and maintaining opportunities for the professional development of all those leading singing of any kind, whether in the classroom or in the community. Our members represent nearly 2000 choral groups and include teachers, composers, singers and students, leading singing of all kinds.
Our history
Our roots go back to July 1986, when a weekend of choral activity was held in Oxford, in response to a demand from leading British choral directors, composers and publishers for an organisation for the individuals leading and composing choral music. That weekend formed our very first Convention and arising out of that event, the Association developed, with key founders including our President Sir John Rutter and Oxford University Press Music department, led by Andrew Potter.
Since that first weekend, the organisation has grown into the leading organisation in the UK supporting everyone leading choirs, of all kinds. It pioneered choral conducting training outside of formal education settings, the first course being held in 1999. Our training opportunities range from Initial to Advanced, and from one-day online courses, to live extended courses taking place over several months. We also work with composers and publishers to promote choral music of all kinds, including repertoire and singing days across the country.
abcd was a Flagship organisation for Sing Up, the Music Manifesto National Singing Programme, and ran its Leading from the Front projects across the country, combining CPD days, mentoring teachers, and working with the whole school community. Today, our online CPD courses reach teachers of all kinds across the country and internationally.
All our events and courses are open to everyone, but our membership is our core, who include both individual and business members. Anyone involved in singing can join and our members range from teachers who have reluctantly taken on their school music to household names.
We’re proud to be members of
Our formal aims
abcd is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee and its formal purpose is to promote, improve and maintain the education, training and development of choral directors with a view to improving standards in all sectors of choral activity by:
- the organisation of regional and national training courses and conventions;
- commissioning and publishing regular newsletters and other items of information;
- the encouragement of both the composition of choral music and a closer contact between choral composers and conductors;
- co-operation and liaison with other relevant regional, national and international organisations with aims and objectives complementary to those of the Association.
Support our work
abcd is a busy, active organisation. We exist without any core funding. Most of our revenue comes from our members’ subscriptions, project funding from Trusts and Foundations, and small surpluses made on our courses and events. As we emerge from the pandemic, in order to continue to grow and to fulfil our ambitions, we need your help. Any donation, however large or small, makes a difference.