Our lively and active robed choir has about 20 adult members and 10 children (forming our Song School), led by our Director of Music, Ben de Souza, and Organist, David Price. The repertoire is diverse – from the seventeenth century to the present day, and from simple to moderately difficult.
The choir sings for most Sunday morning communion services, as well as Choral Evensong twice a month, and occasionally Sung Compline. They also sing at special services such as Nine Lessons and Carols, Christmas Eve Midnight Communion and the Easter Vigil, as well as at weddings and funerals.
Recently the choir has sung joint Evensong services with several local churches and schools, and enjoys an annual Evensong in celebration of International Women’s Day.
The choir is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music and the younger members follow the RSCM Voice for Life Scheme; some of them also attend external RSCM courses or take external RSCM examinations, and our choristers have won RSCM scholarships or bursaries in recent years. The choir sings at a Cathedral or Abbey each summer, and over the last few years have sung at Portsmouth, Guildford, Southwark, Chelmsford, Bristol and Coventry cathedrals, as well as Southwell Minster, Bath Abbey and Tewkesbury Abbey. Future visits include Chichester Cathedral (2025) and Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford (2026). These opportunities have a positive effect on team building and also encourage the improvement of standards and repertoire, as well as being very enjoyable.
The choir also has an active social life and supports fundraising and other groups in the church.
There is also a small band of instrumentalists and singers which plays monthly for our less formal All Age ‘Bread & Wine’ service on the 1st Sunday of the month and for other informal services through the year.
If you’re interested in joining either our choir or band, please contact [email protected].