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Home Contents Contact Calendar Help at Special Times Music Association St Mary's Music Association
 
Andrew Malcolm, Director of Music, David Cook, Assistant Organist, Caroline Goulder, SMMA Chairman
Saint Mary's Music Association exists to support the director of music by
encouraging and maintaining a wide variety of musical activities and events in
the parish and by providing practical, administrative and financial assistance.
Membership is open to all, contact the parish office for further details st.mary's@virgin.net About 40 adults and 16 children, the choir sings in the morning service on
all but the fourth Sunday of the month and at evensong on the second
and third Sundays and occasionally in a Cathedral. Settings of the Eucharist and
Canticles, motets and anthems form the choir's main contribution to worship, but
its music-making is not confined to services; several concerts are given each
year, sometimes in aid of a charity, sometimes for choir funds. Performances have included Faure's Requiem, Bach's St. Luke's Passion, Stainer's
Crucifixion, Monteverdi's Beatus Vir, Vivaldi's Gloria, Pergolesi's
Magnificat, Handel's Coronation Anthems, Haydn's Nelson Mass,
Mozart's Requiem,
and, with the Bad Wildungen Stadkirche Choir, Mozart's Coronation Mass: six
tapes have been made.
Juniors practice on Fridays 6.30-8.15 and adults on Fridays 7.30-9.00. The
choir is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music and the juniors work
through the ribbon tests to attain seniority, which is reflected in the
remuneration that they receive. [see
The Diocese of
Chelmsford - Music - Bishops' Chorister Award and
The Royal School of Church Music
] Regular social events are organised for both juniors and adults. See
Junior Choir The Instrumentalists, strings, woodwind, brass, and keyboard, play for the
monthly Family Service on the fourth Sunday Morning. The Brass Group
occasionally joins the Choir for concerts or major services and rehearses on
Mondays from 5.30-6.30. The Woodwind Group rehearses on the first and third
Sunday at 11.30 and the String Group rehearse on the fourth Sunday at 11.am.
The organ, which is large and impressive, is a descendant of one built in
1824 by John Vincent at a cost of £800. It was rebuilt in 1885 by T. C.
Lewis. Several rebuilds have subsequently taken place; the second phase of
the latest has been recently completed. The wind supply system has been
refurbished and the various actions renewed. The organ is now a
four-manual instrument, with five keyboard divisions, Solo, Swell, Great, Choir
and Bombarde. The most dramatic feature is a strong fanfare trumpet en
chamade - the Trompeta Real - which continues down to the Pedal Organ
at 16-foot pitch, to provide a very solid foundation for the full organ. Certainly one
of the best in the diocese, the organ is a very versatile example of the
romantic genre and is able to play any of the recitalist's repertoire.
Organ Specifications at NPOR site
(This page may take some time to load) St
Mary's Choir, under the direction of Andrew Malcolm, numbers about 40
adults and 15 juniors. The choir sings regularly at the 10.00a.m.
Eucharist, two Evensongs each month and several concerts a year in aid
of a charity or music
funds. In addition the choir sings Evensong once or twice a year in a
cathedral. Recent visits have been to
Coventry, Peterborough, Norwich, St Alban's and Canterbury with
overseas visits to Germany and Belgium. We
are always happy to welcome new members to our friendly choir
particularly at present to the tenor line.
For further information about music at St Mary's contact
music@stmaryssaffronwalden.org |
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