Road to Freedom: marking the anniversary of abolition of the slave trade

Service booklet to mark the anniversary of abolition of the slave trade” available from RSCM

An educational resource of songs and readings published by the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) is available to mark the two hundredth anniversary this year of the Act of Parliament abolishing the slave trade.   Called Road to Freedom, the service book and accompanying CD-ROM have already proved very popular with school choirs, and will be of interest to RE and music teachers alike for use in assemblies, services and concerts commemorating the anniversary.

Road to Freedom – a festival service for upper or mixed voices – is a sequence of gospel songs, spirituals and readings. It includes brand new arrangements of traditional songs such as “Amazing Grace” and familiar spirituals such as “Go Down Moses” and “Oh When the Saints”. The readings include a contemporary account of life on a 19th century tobacco plantation from William Brown, himself an American slave, and an extract from the famous “I have a dream” speech delivered by Dr Martin Luther King in 1963.

Road to Freedom has been devised with schools in mind. “Young people love singing gospel songs and spirituals,” said the RSCM’s Esther Jones. “We hope this book will give participants more than just an uplifting and inspirational musical experience: our aim is to challenge those taking part to think about the injustice of the slave trade and the struggle of the civil rights movement,” she said.

The separately available CD-ROM includes a demonstration recording of each piece along with pre-recorded backing tracks for use in rehearsals. Other educational materials on the CD-ROM include an order of service and educational quiz sheets on slavery and gospel music, along with tips on warming up singers and taking rehearsals.

Road to Freedom is published as part of the RSCM Voice for Life scheme; a structured training programme for churches and schools designed to encourage singing, and provide support and resources for teachers and choir leaders.

Notes for Editors

The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) is an educational charity and promotes the best use of music in worship, church life, and the wider community. The RSCM also publishes music and training resources, and organises courses, short workshops and activities. With over 8,500 affiliates, members and friends in over 40 countries it is an international network, supported by over 750 volunteers and a small team of staff based throughout the UK.

PDFs of RSCM news releases are generally available here (go to "News Releases").

Photographs for media use are available from the Media & Picture Gallery (go to "RSCM picture gallery").

For further enquiries contact:
Stuart Robinson:
RSCM Media Relations Organiser
srobinson@rscm.com
T: 01492 556378 / 07831 827701

or

Heather Bamber
RSCM Marketing & Communications Administrator
E: hbamber@rscm.com
T: 01722 424847 or 07786 331364

23/02/2007