A Birmingham music teacher, who has encouraged hundreds of young people to take up singing and performing in Gospel music, has been made a Fellow of the Gospel Music Industry Alliance (GMIA) that honours the most notable performers, artists, educators and contributors to the international music industry.

Ray Prince MMus, PgDip, a music teacher with Birmingham charity Services For Education – which each week teaches music to 32,000 Birmingham children – is the founder and driving force behind the Gospel Revisited Project that was created in 2017 as a grass-roots project, designed to celebrate the history and heritage of Gospel music through reinterpretation of masterpieces, in ways that would excite existing lovers of the genre, as well as engage new, diverse audiences.

Now Ray, who is first-generation Windrush and who for 20-years has been an instrumental, percussion and world music teacher in Birmingham schools for Services For Education, has been honoured by RSL Awards, the leading international awarding organisation known for its qualifications in music, performing arts and creative industries, and GMIA, the governing body for the Gospel Music Community across the UK and Ireland.

Ray is one of a handful of fellows honoured for their grassroot initiatives that have had an incomparable impact on up-and-coming performers today.

He has been awarded with an Honorary Level 7 RSL & GMIA Fellowship – a formal accolade in recognition of the remarkable impact he has had on the industry and his work in shedding more light on the talent found within the Gospel community.

Ray, who lives in Birmingham and whose Windrush generation parents inspired his love of Gospel music, has been involved with Gospel music from an early age, playing drums and percussion for many Gospel ensembles. He is known for his work in making music inviting and accessible to all and sharing his expertise and enthusiasm with young people through a busy teaching career. He has taught in Birmingham schools with Services For Education, and Birmingham Music Service before that, since 2004.

When he was first notified of the award, Ray confessed to thinking it was a hoax.

“I’m truly humbled,” he said. “I just didn’t expect this. To be recognised in this way – for doing something that I love – is quite amazing. The great thing too is that this is international recognition of the importance and role of Gospel music in Birmingham and the Midlands. It is a celebration of the way Birmingham and the region is not only keeping Gospel music alive but flourishing. It’s really important we don’t forget the heritage and the contribution that Gospel music has made.

“I’m very passionate about music and just want more people to enjoy being a part of it. As a music educator, I regularly use Gospel to inspire and demonstrate the value of music. It’s a joyous thing that improves lives, brings people together and creates a legacy,” said Ray.

ENDS

For additional information on the Gospel Revisited Project, visit www.grproject.co.uk

Gospel Revisited Project presents “Sing For Your Soul” Gospel Choir
Friday 13th & Saturday 14th December 2024, Elgar Concert Hall, University of Birmingham

A 70 strong choir developed to celebrate the music of legendary gospel choirs with classics and standards reworked. GRP will engage mind, body and soul exciting existing lovers of the genre, as well as engaging new diverse audiences.

Pictured: Ray Prince

About Services For Education:

An education and training charity based in Birmingham, Services For Education brings music and learning to life. Services For Education employs more than 200 staff delivering music tuition to children, and expert training and development to teaching and school support staff. It has annual income of £6.9m (Y/E August 2022). Part-funded by the Arts Council, England it also has its own fundraising and subsidised commercial operations.

• Services For Education’s Music Service, one of the largest in the country, works with 98% of Birmingham schools and each year teaches music to nearly 32,000 children – as well as running 113 free ensembles. It provides 27,000 musical instruments free-of-charge so all children have access to playing and enjoying music together and its Youth Proms at Symphony Hall give 4,000 young musicians the opportunity to perform to an audience of more than 10,000. It also runs music schools, has a world music department, provides private music tuition to all ages as well as working with partners to deliver music and choral opportunities to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. Its award-winning Online Music Educational Resource was completed and launched free to schools in 2021 to appeal to a young IT-connected audience attracted to learning online and to complement traditional tuition.
• Services For Education’s School Support Service provides expert training and development to teaching and support staff in nearly 600 schools in the West Midlands and increasingly across England, to improve practice and ensure teachers are best equipped to respond to developments in curriculum and policy. As a leading provider of safeguarding education, Services For Education works with 400 schools delivering training in-person and on-line. It also delivers innovative programmes to support the physical and emotional health of children and young people through Health for Life and other community-based activity. servicesforeducation.co.uk

For further information:

Public and media relations for Services For Education:
David Clarke
E: david-c@clarke-associates.co.uk;
M: 07808 735255

Issued on behalf of:

Services For Education
Unit 3 Holt Court
Holt Street
Birmingham Science Park
Aston
Birmingham B7 4AX