Welcome to the Saint Mary 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 senior choir is a SATB choir with its main responsibility to sing at the 10am Sunday service, including an anthem. See below for more details.
Our choirs do not require any fees to belong to them. 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, 22 January 2023
Sunday 22nd January 2023 Third Sunday of Epiphany
Sunday, 15 January 2023
Sunday 15th January 2023 Epiphany
The Lamb Music John Tavener (1944 - 2013), Words William Blake (1757-1827)
Tavener was born in Wembley, London. He was a music scholar at Highgate School, where a fellow scholar was John Rutter. The school choir was often used by the BBC when they needed a boys' choir. He began to compose whilst at school and was also a pianist good enough to perform with the National Youth Orchestra. In 1961 he was organist and choirmaster at St John's Presbyterian church, Kensington, a post he held for 13 years. He went to the Royal Academy of Music in 1962 where he decided to concentrate on composition and gave up the piano.![]() |
William Blake Wikipedia |
Monday, 9 January 2023
Sunday 8th January 2023 Epiphany
His compositions cover a wide variety of musical genres but he is well know by all choirs who must have some Rutter in their repertoire. He formed the Cambridge Singers and spends his time composing and conducting.
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John Rutter from Wikipedia |
Sunday, 4 December 2022
Sunday 4th December 2022 Advent 2
How Beautiful Upon the Mountains from "Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion"
Stainer was born in Southwark, London, the son of a cabinet maker. He was a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral at the age of 10 and at 16, appointed organist at St Michael's College, Tenbury. In 1960, he became organist at Magdalen College, Oxford. He was allowed to study for a degree so long as it did not interfere with his duties and in 1864 gained his BA, and 2 years later his MA. He was eventually an examiner for Oxford music degrees.
In 1872 he was appointed organist at St Paul's cathedral, in 1877 an honorary fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, and an examiner for the Doctor of Music degrees for Cambridge and London Universities. He received his knighthood from Queen Victoria in 1888.
John Stainer (Wikimedia Commons) |
Saturday, 3 December 2022
Sunday 27th November 2022 Advent 1
Sunday, 20 November 2022
Sunday 20th November 2022 Christ The King
Above All Praise And Majesty is a joyful,majestic piece suitable for Christ The King, Ascension and Easter.
Felix Mendelssohn is a German born composer, organist, conductor and pianist. He was a grandson of the philosopher, Moses Mendelssohn and so born into a prominent Jewish family. However he was brought up without religion until the age of seven when he was baptised as a Reformed Christian. he was recognised early as a musical prodigy, but his family did not seek to capitalise on his talent. Mendelssohn revived interest in the music of J S Bach. He had quite conservative tastes in his composition which set him apart from his contemporaries, such as Liszt, Wagner and Berlioz. He founded the Leipzig Conservatoire.
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From Wikipedia |
Sunday, 13 November 2022
Sunday 13th November 2022 Remembrance Sunday
My Soul, There is a Country, from Songs of Farewell by C H H Parry (1818-1918) Words Henry Vaughan (1622-1695)
This is the first of Parry's "Songs of Farewell" written about the needless suffering in war. It changes tempo from slow and somber to a more lilting, uplifting, dance like quality, back and forth during the piece. The choir sang it accompanied by our Director of Music.
C H H Parry was born in Bournemouth in 1848 into a rich family and was educated at Eton where he also gained his music degree. He went to study further at Oxford. His music influenced other great English composers such as Elgar and Vaughan Williams. He wrote his best music in his later years and this include his Songs of Farewell. He died in Rustington in 1918, just before the end of the Great War.