Funds for the Royal Society of Musicians
1 December 2025
Funds for The Royal Society of Musicians were boosted to the tune of £8,883.99 at last November’s performance of Messiah from Scratch®.
Performances by The Really Big Chorus raise funds for charities wherever we sing. In 1978, we established a partnership between TRBC and the British Heart Foundation which continued until Messiah from Scratch® 2024. Giving the BHF exclusive control over the concert programme (advertising, distribution and sales), enabled them to raise something approaching half a million pounds over the years. This feat was recognised when Don and Ann Monro were acclaimed ‘Heart Heroes’ in the 2010 BHF annual awards. We received a second nomination for this accolade in 2024.
Other charities supported over the years include the Alzheimer’s Society, Barts Cancer Research, Combat Stress, Leukaemia Research and Save the Children.
As we drew to the end of our first 50 years, our thoughts turned to a new charity partner. We worked first with The Royal Society of Musicians in May 2024, and the connections were very apparent. Not only was Handel a founder subscriber to the ‘Fund for Decay’d Musicians’ (the Society’s original name), but he also gave many performances of Messiah in aid of the charity. In 1784, George III attended a large-scale Messiah at Westminster Abbey to benefit the Fund and suggested an annual performance. This tradition continued for almost 50 years until Messiah fell somewhat out of fashion.
With TRBC’s tradition of charity support, the links between Messiah from Scratch® and the RSM are clear. Going forwards, the charity will once again benefit exclusively from programme sales and advertising at an annual large-scale performance Messiah, and the sum raised on 9 November 2025 was a terrific beginning. Life would be immeasurably poorer without music, and we owe a great deal to our professional musicians. We are always quick to applaud their talents at concerts and recitals, but the day-to-day life of a musician goes unnoticed and can be very stressful. The tiniest injury to one finger, for example, can mean no work for months.
The RSM is there for our professional musicians in times of need. Proudly raising funds for the Royal Society of Musicians at Messiah from Scratch® will therefore be our aim for many years to come. This will help them to continue their support for the musicians we value so highly.
