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About the trust
The trustees of the Ouseley Trust administer the funds that arose from the closure and sale of St Michael’s College, Tenbury Wells - the choir school founded by Sir Frederick Ouseley.
The object of the charity is:
'to [promote and maintain] to a high standard the choral services of the Church of England, the Church in Wales or the Church of Ireland (whether simple or elaborate) in such ways as the trustees… think fit, including… promoting the religious, musical and secular education of pupils attending any school in which instruction in the doctrines of any of the said churches is given and the performance of the liturgy is observed.'
Applications must be submitted by an institution and, in the main, this will be a cathedral, parish church, choir, college or school. They fall into five categories: courses, endowments, fees for individual choristers at recognised choir schools, the purchase of liturgical music and other projects of an innovative kind which may, in exceptional circumstances, include commissions.
In every case, the trustees look for clear evidence that a grant would serve to promote and maintain a high standard of choral service.
Up to forty grants have been awarded each year since the Trust was established, ranging from £150 for the purchase of music to £50,000 for the endowment of a cathedral choristership bearing Ouseley’s name. To date (2009) over £2 million has been distributed in this way.
Where the Trust has endowed a choristership in perpetuity, it presents the choral foundation with a medal to be worn by the Ouseley chorister during his or her year of office. The medal, struck in silver, depicts St Michael slaying a dragon in a design made by Harry Brockway and based upon the College’s badge.
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