- Home
- :
- Church Life
- :
- Music
This week
Music at St Michael’s (05/12/2024)
The motet this morning is “O God, the King of glory”, by Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695), a setting of the collect for the Sunday after Ascension from the Book of Common Prayer. Purcell is one of the England’s finest English composers and it is always a joy to sing and hear his music.
At evensong the introit is “Let my prayer come up” by William Harris, a piece the composer wrote especially for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The responses are by Bernard Rose (1916-1996), and the canticles, in E, are by Herbert Murrill (1909 – 1952). The anthem is “Jubilate Deo” by Benjamin Britten, another piece with royal connections, as it was commissioned by Prince Philip in 1961, and included at his request in his funeral service in 2021.
To read about the choir’s visit to Portsmouth Cathedral – the first of our recent cathedral visits to include junior choristers – follow this link to Ann Scott Russell’s report:
The pictures opposite show the choir from the Easter Family Service, and Esme (7), receiving her RSCM White Medal that day. The choir included our junior choristers, and some previous members of the choir, who were visiting Southampton for Easter
Join our Junior Choir
Our Junior Choristers start from Year 3 and Youth Singers from Year 7.
find out moreHalf-Term Singing Days
Open singing days run during half terms for those in years 3 and over.
find out moreListen to the Choir
Listen to audio and video recordings of the St Michael and All Angels’ Choir.
find out moreAbout us
We sing Choral Eucharists Evensongs, Carol Services,
The Family Service…We rehearse on Wednesdays from 7.30–9.00pm (6.30–7.45pm for younger singers) and before services. The choir doesn’t sing at St Michael’s immediately after Christmas and Easter, or during the school summer holiday, when cathedral visits are sometimes arranged.
Director of music: Andrew Hanley
The Choir and COVID-19
During COVID times, it was hard to keep singing! Yet as a choir, we found it more important than ever. We worked hard to keep a choral sound available, and keep practising. Virtual anthems and hymns were produced for services. We ran a “virtual pub” after Zoom-based choir practices, complete with the occasional “pub” quiz, and birthday and special occasion celebrations. From the first service featuring our recordings (Palm Sunday, 2020) through to the end of the second lockdown in May 2021, well over 100 recordings of our hymns, anthems, and psalms were used in our services.
You can view the recordings of these virtual anthems on the YouTube “NSABparish” channel. virtual anthems on YouTube