Music outreach, social inclusion and human flourishing: evaluating the Liverpool Cathedral schools’ singing programme

Abstract

This article evaluates the educational, cultural, social and wellbeing value of the Liverpool Cathedral Schools Singing Programme (SSP) as a catalyst for human flourishing among primary-aged children in one of the UK’s most socioeconomically disadvantaged regions. Drawing on a mixed-methods design, including ethnographic observation, reflexive pupil choir journals, stakeholder interviews and parental questionnaires, the study examines the transformative potential of cathedral-based choral outreach for children from communities with limited access to high-quality music education. Theoretically anchored in the sociocultural framework of human flourishing and informed by music education and community music scholarship, the article argues that structured, inclusive choral participation can nurture children’s musical development, cultural capital, emotional resilience and social cohesion, contributing meaningfully to their holistic development. The findings offer implications for music education policy and practice and for the evolving civic role of cathedral institutions as agents of cultural inclusion and community renewal.