Fiona’s decision to launch the East London School of Classical Music grew into a thriving outreach that uses music education to serve children, families, refugees, and vulnerable communities while building meaningful connections with the Adventist Church.
When Fiona was first asked in 2014 to lead a new music outreach project in East London, she hesitated.
The idea had come from leaders of the East London Seventh-day Adventist churches who were discussing how to create centers of influence in their communities. Health and education were mentioned. Then someone suggested a music school. Pastor David Burnett, who knew Fiona from her work directing large choirs and orchestras—including 25 years of annual Messiah performances—put her name forward.
At first, she was unsure. “I had thought about starting something in North London,” she said. “But that didn’t work out.”
Still, she lived in East London. After prayer and reflection, she agreed.
On April 5, 2015, the East London School of Classical Music (ELSOM) opened its doors at Clapton Seventh-day Adventist Church in the London Borough of Hackney. They began with four teachers and about ten students. Recruitment happened mostly by word of mouth and church announcements.
From the beginning, the vision had two pathways: strengthening music within the Adventist Church and reaching the wider community.
At first, most students came from local congregations, but after a simple website launched in 2016, more non-Adventist families began enrolling. Then the pandemic changed everything.
While many programs paused, ELSOM continued. An IT-specialist parent helped set up Google Classroom so students could submit music theory assignments and arrange online lessons. About half the students adapted to the new format. “We didn’t want the children doing nothing,” Fiona explained. “Music gave them structure and hope.”
During that same period, another outreach was operating in the church building: the E5 Baby Bank, which supported more than 300 struggling families with food, clothing, and essentials. As families entered the building, they heard classical music drifting down the hallway.
“Classical music has a therapeutic effect,” Fiona said. “Parents would ask about the sound.”
Referrals began coming from social services, mental health support agencies, and family support networks. Fiona personally accepted several children referred through the Baby Bank, many from refugee or vulnerable backgrounds.
In 2021, ELSOM registered as a charity, formally strengthening its mission to provide classical music education for disadvantaged families. Grants from the South England Conference, the British Union Conference, and external funding bodies began helping to subsidize lessons.
Today, the school has grown from ten students to 150. Twelve teachers now serve, some in person and some online, with students joining not only from East London but from Wales, Scotland, and beyond.
One of the school’s largest achievements came in 2024, when the Arts Council awarded 10,000 British Pounds for a 17-week orchestra project for children and youth aged eight to nineteen. Fifty-three young people participated. Two performances followed: one at the Clapton Seventh-day Adventist Church and another at the Royal College of Music.
In April 2025, ELSOM celebrated its tenth anniversary with a week of special events. The highlight came when a member of the Royal Family—the Duchess of Gloucester—visited the Clapton Church, listened to a twenty-minute orchestra performance, and spent an hour visiting with the students.
Behind the scenes, partnerships continue to grow. Through a connection with the organization “Nucleo,” ELSOM has received more than thirty donated instruments—violins, violas, woodwinds, brass, keyboards, and even a white double bass. A cousin of Fiona’s helped secure the long-term loan of a full set of timpani, saving the charity hundreds of pounds in rental fees per concert.
“At the moment,” Fiona laughs, “my living room looks like a music warehouse.”
But space has become the school’s greatest limitation. Operating primarily on Sundays and limited weekday evenings at the church, ELSOM has waiting lists and receives new inquiries every week. Fiona and her team are currently exploring the lease of a larger space.
“Our mission is to reach more communities,” she said. “Music is the medium. Through classical music, people who are not of our faith come to know who we are.”
Students range in age from five to eighty-five. Some are beginners holding a violin for the first time. Others are retirees studying advanced music theory. A new initiative called “Generations United” now brings together seniors, carers, children, and families in choirs and orchestras, loaning instruments so finances do not become a barrier.
For Fiona, the purpose remains simple: “It’s about passing on opportunities we were given to those who otherwise might never have them.”
This quarter, your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help minister to children and families through another community-based project: “Safe Space2Be” hubs—spaces developed in community schools in partnership with local Adventist churches. These welcoming environments will provide chaplaincy care, mentoring, well-being support, and practical outreach to students and their families. Each hub will function as a small center of influence where communities can encounter compassion, stability, and the love of Christ in practical ways. Thank you for supporting this ministry by giving generously.
