Welcome to St Mary's choir blog

The church has both an adult and junior choir. We are affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music(RSCM). The junior choir are provided with tuition to enable them to gain their RSCM medals. The RSCM Singing Awards celebrate singers’ achievements and progress, through formal examinations at three levels; Bronze, Silver and Gold ( Bronze award is roughly equivalent to ABRSM grade 4. Similarly Silver roughly equates to grade 6 and Gold to grade 8).

The senior choir is a four part harmony choir with its main responsibility to sing at the 10am Sunday service, including an anthem.

Our choirs do not require any fees to belong to them or for any training. New members to both the senior and junior choir are always welcome whatever their standard. If you are interested in joining us please contact our Director of Music (Joanna) via the  Contact Us page.

Sunday, 13 January 2019

Sunday 6th January 2019 Epiphany

It Came Upon The Midnight Clear   Richard Stores-Willis  Arr. Barry Rose   Edmund H Sears

Edmund Sears (1810 - 1876) was a pastor of the Unitarian Church in Wayland, Massachusetts.  He wrote the poem in 1849, published in The Christian Register on 29th December 1849.

Edmund Sear from Wikipedia
The poem is usually sung to Arthur Sullivan's "Noel", adapted from an English melody in 1874, but the choir sang the American tune "Carol" written by Richard Stores-Willis (1819-1900) written in 1850.

Richard Stores-Willis
Barry Rose (Born 1934) was late to music, giving up a career in insurance to study organ at The Royal Academy of Music in London. Still studying he was the first appointed organist and choirmaster of Guildford Cathedral when it opening in 1961. He then moved to St Paul's Cathedral.




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