Musical Life at St. Mary's

Music has always played a large part in worship at St Mary’s.

The 35-strong choir of men, women and children sing two services each Sunday. including a full choral evensong. It also performs concerts and church operas, and regularly tours cathedrals.

The choir has often sung services at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, and St Alban’s Abbey in Hertfordshire. It has toured Sweden twice (inc;uding spending new year in Lapland!), toured New York and Prague and visited St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin as well as numerous venues in the UK.

The choir’s repertoire is very wide, stretching from medieval music up to the present-day. In the past two years it has commissioned new settings of the Evensong Canticles from the English composers David Bedford and Andrew Gant. It has also recorded a musical adaptation of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, specially written for St Mary’s by the Director of Music, Richard Morrison.

There is no audition to join the choir, and new members are always made to feel welcome.

Children may join from the age of 6. Many junior members go on to study music at college or university, and several now earn their living as professional performers, returning to sing with the choir as commitments permit.

The main Choir Practice is usually on Tuesdays 7.30-9.00pm. For more information about joining the choir, contact the Director of Music, Richard Morrison, on (020) 8202 8028 or email music@hendonstmary.co.uk

Click here for an interview with Harry Dodd, celebrating 46 years in the choir.

Click here for tributes to Richard Belton.

More below .....

St Mary’s is privileged to have a new 25-stop pipe organ, built in 2000 for the church by the internationally renowned organ builder Peter Collins. There are now regular recitals given by some of the world’s best players.

Click here for details of Peter Collins

Richard Morrison

The choir singing evensong in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, July 2000

Click here for more choir pictures.....

 


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