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This week
Music at St Michael’s (13/10/2024)
The mass setting at choral eucharist this morning is Charles Villiers Stanford’s Communion Service in B flat and F major. The original setting (in B flat) was written in 1879, to text from the Book of Common Prayer, with the Benedictus and Agnus Dei (in F major) being added later (1909). From a similar period, the motet is “Christus factus est”, composed by Anton Bruckner in 1884. The text is taken from Paul’s letter to the Philippians:
Christ became obedient for us unto death, even to the death, death on the cross. Therefore God exalted him and gave him a name which is above all names.
The quiet and sombre mood of the opening sentence of the text contrasts with triumphant second section, which Bruckner marks with a slow and dramatic crescendo, interspersed with short quiet sections. It reaches its high climax at “quod est super omne” (which is above all), repeating the phrase in a long diminuendo to the end of the piece.
The next Half-Term Singing Day will be on Wednesday, 30th October, 9.30-3pm, at St Michael’s. It offers singing, games and other activities for children in years 3 to 9 (ages 7 to 14), led by a team of experienced, enthusiastic and friendly adults, including our music scholars and guests from the University Chamber Choir. If you’d like to sign up, or if you know of families that might be interested, please click or share the link below.
Chichester psalms, canticles and anthems. The August bank holiday weekend 2024, and the choir heads east on the M27 to visit a renowned ecclesiastical venue… Read about the choir’s recent visit to Chichester Cathedral on the parish blog here:
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