faith! - Pam Hair

Sacred choral music is the spiritual language that most speaks to Pam Hair.

For Pam Hair, the words of a hymn are as significant to her faith as the words of Scripture.

“I feel closer to God when I’m singing than when I’m doing anything else,” she said. “When singing really good music, it just takes everything you have and you’re giving God your best.”

That experience is likely why Pam is so beloved as director of St. Martin’s Royal School of Church Music program, an international Anglican music organization designed to teach young choristers the complexities of sacred choral music. For 34 years, Pam has taken her own experience with church music and used it to help young choristers learn the meaning of a hymn as much as the technical skills required to be a chorister.

And that fits perfectly with the goal of the Royal School of Church Music program’s motto to “grant that what we sing with our lips, we may believe in our hearts, and that what we believe in our hearts, we may show forth in our lives.”

When Pam first discovered the Royal School of Church Music during graduate school here in Columbia, it was almost as if she had found her native language.

“Everything just made sense,” she said. “I loved it.”

Having grown up in the Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church, Pam had long struggled with the denomination’s conservative point of view, which instinctively she felt did not match up with her understanding of the meaning behind the stories she heard in church as a child.

“As a child, I found church very boring. There was no liturgy, no seasons of the church year, so I felt a real disconnect.”

Her earnest search for a new home started as a college student, and continued after graduation. At her first teaching job in Sumter, she attended an Episcopal Church a few times, and then after meeting her future husband, Richard, who happened to be from her hometown of Rock Hill, she learned even more about the Episcopal Church.

A cradle Episcopalian – Episcopal lingo for someone who became a member of the Episcopal Church by birth – Richard was firmly planted in the denomination and shared its importance to him with Pam.

After marrying, the couple moved to Columbia for Pam to attend graduate school. Interestingly, she had decided to change her focus from instrumental to choral, and her advisor happened to be on the vestry at St. Michael and All Angels’ Episcopal Church. He told Pam they were looking for a children’s choir director and took her to meet the parish’s rector, the late Rev. Philip Whitehead.

“I had no clue what the Royal School was,” she said.

But Philip was not concerned. “We’ll get you classes,” she recalled him telling her.

That is where Pam’s journey with the Royal School of Church Music began. Soon after, she officially joined the Episcopal Church and was confirmed at St. Michael.

She attended the Royal School’s first summer session – a major component of RSCM is attending summer trainings at places such as Duke Divinity School, where the American offices of the Royal School are based – and knew immediately she was where she was supposed to be.

“The quality was so very high … and I loved learning why we did what we did,” she said. “It is the biggest privilege and blessing to do that work, and so joyous.”

Pam quickly joined the staff of the RSCM program as a summer counselor, a position she has held each summer since 1996. This year will be her first year to serve as registrar rather than a program counselor.

Pam, 63, felt the choristers needed a counselor staying in the dorms with them who was closer to their age. She also believed her years of experience with the program would allow her to serve the organization well as its registrar.

Pam said she especially loves working with church choristers because the ethos around the Royal School and its teachings is very affirming – which she also believes describes St. Martin’s, where she, Richard and their now-adult daughter Maggie have been members since 2011.

“St. Martin’s welcomes everyone, and as a child, I didn’t feel like everyone was welcomed,” she said. RSCM of America is also very affirming of all children,” much like in the theater community, where Pam has also spent a lot of time as both a teacher and director of a variety of productions at Killian Elementary School, where she has taught for 26 years. The inclusivity in those communities is essential to Pam’s faith experience.

“I was raised to believe the Gospels and at St. Martin’s, we do the Gospels,” she said.

Pam finds that same sense of purpose in singing as well.

The ancient history behind much of Anglican hymnody also speaks to Pam. She feels she is joining with voices that have been singing the same melodies for centuries.

“ ‘Transcendent’ is a good word to describe the experience,” she said. “Certain kinds of music are very much like that. I get goosebumps when I sing certain kinds of music.”

She loves helping children experience that as well, and “sometimes they do” even if they are young and still forming their faith, she said.

Which takes her back to the RSCM motto of singing with the Spirit and then understanding what the Spirit is saying – a responsibility she finds incredibly rewarding, especially when she sees the work click with a chorister.

“I love helping children like that,” she said.

“It’s just a part of me,” she said. “It is my home.”

Age: 16

Grade: Junior at Cardinal Newman School

How long have you been a part of RSCM?

I have been singing with Ms. Pam and the RSCM choir since I was 8 years old at St. Michael and All Angels’ Episcopal Church. When Ms. Pam moved to St. Martin's, I followed and continued with her and the choir here. When COVID hit, I stepped away, but rejoined last fall.

What do you enjoy about RSCM?

I enjoy so many things about RSCM that it's hard to choose what to talk about, but, overall, I like the community it builds and all the other things besides singing that it teaches. RSCM is so much more than just singing and church music. It also teaches members how to read music, music theory, church service order and the church calendar. The choir also takes you to cool places to sing with cool people and to build even more connections.

What has it taught you about church music?

RSCM teaches the importance of different types of songs in service and the meanings behind each one. When we're learning the songs, we aren't just learning the words and how to sing them. We are also learning the history of the song, why we sing this type of song at a particular time in the church year and what it has to do with the church lessons for the day.

Would you encourage friends to take part? 

I would recommend RSCM to anyone who wants to sing church music. To them, their kids, anyone. It's a wonderful experience with wonderful people and teaches you so much.

Age: 18

Grade: Senior at Spring Hill High School

How long have you been a part of RSCM?

I have been a part of RSCM for three years. My family joined St. Martin’s when I was a sophomore, and I’ve been involved ever since.

What do you enjoy about RSCM?

I truly enjoy the opportunity to sing and grow with others who share my love of music. RSCM has allowed me to make lifelong friendships while being part of something meaningful. Singing in such a welcoming and supportive environment has been one of the highlights of my high school experience.

What has RSCM taught you about church music?

RSCM has taught me the depth of church music, exposing me to hymns, anthems and traditions I might never have encountered otherwise. It’s helped me appreciate the role of music in worship and how it brings people together to express faith. It has also given me opportunities to develop as a musician and a leader in ways I never imagined.

Would you encourage friends to take part?

Absolutely. RSCM is an incredible experience for anyone who loves music or wants to be part of a community that values tradition and growth. It’s not just about singing—it’s about learning, connecting and growing in faith. I would strongly encourage my friends to join, as it’s been such a transformative part of my life.

All of this would not have been possible without Pam Hair. Her leadership and support have meant so much to me and have made RSCM a truly special experience.