Introduction

Welcome to our Music page. The music at All Saints’ reflects the varied types of worship being offered at the different services.

What Happens When ...

First Sunday

On the first Sunday each month at the 10 a.m. non-eucharistic all-age service, there is an informal music group of singers and insrumentalists.

Other Sundays

On most other Sundays at 10, there is a Eucharist based on Order 1 of Common Worship, At these servics, our choir leads the music-making. We sing the congregational St Mark setting by Malcolm Archer, having previously used the New People’s Mass by Gregory Murray.

Once a month we have instead the service of Morning Prayer, also taken from Common Worship. At this service we sing the appointed psalm to an Anglican chant.

Each week the choir sings a short anthem by such composers as Bach, Farrant, Hurford, Marcello, Purcell, Schubert and Tallis. A setting of Psalm 23 has recently been written for us by Celia Redgate. Hymns are taken from Hymns Ancient and Modern Revised (1950 edition), plus a number of contemporary publications. There are five or six special evening services with music per year, mainly at Christmas and Easter. The choir also sings at weddings.

Choir Practice

Choir practice is on most Friday evenings, from 6 to 8 for juniors (aged nine upwards) and 7.15 to 8 for adults. Juniors study for the graduated awards of the Royal School of Church Music, their rate of pay depending on the level attained. This provides children with an opportunity, in a relaxed way, to learn the basics of music.

The Music Team

• Director of Music, Dr Robin Rees
  (author of Weary And Ill At Ease: A Survey of Clergy and Organists);
• our three organists, who take it in turns to play; and finally
• our choir members, many of whom also sing or play in the first-Sunday music group.

The Organ

The organ, originally a three-rank two-manual Compton dating from the 1930s and installed at the church in the mid-1970s, was rebuilt and enlarged in 2001 by David Wells.

Great

• Open diapason playable at 8', 4', 2', mixture 1¹/₃' and 1')
• Stopped diapason playable at 8', 4'
• Gemshorn (sw) playable at 8', 2²/₃'

Swell

• Hohl flute playable at 8', 4', 2²/₃', 2'
• Gemshorn playable at 8', 4', 2', 1¹/₃, 1'
• Trumpet playable at 8', 4'

Pedal

• Bourdon 16, plus the main Great and Swell ranks playable at 8' and 4'

Couplers

• Gt > Ped; Sw >Ped; Sw > Gt (throughout)
• Ped > Gt; Ped > Sw (melodic bass, up to g')

One of our ‘extra’ services:
Robin’s wedding
at Sandford Church

Would you like to know more?

Then please send Robin an email.