St Stephen’s Church Choir sang Choral Evensong in Canterbury Cathedral on Thursday 16th February, the on which the Cathedral commemorates Saints and Martyrs of our own time.  The quality of singing was excellent and the choir received many positive comments from the congregation.  Well done to everyone who was involved.  Below is a recording of Psalm 84 sung during the service:

St Stephen’s Choir are excited to have been offered a place in the final of the Top Choir Kent competition, run by Canterbury Rotary Club, for the third year running.

Established in 2010, the competition invites choirs from across Kent to audition. Each year, eight choirs are chosen for the live final held in the Shirley Hall, Canterbury – this year on Saturday 31st March at 6.30pm. Tickets are available from the Marlowe Theatre box office – for more details and to book, please follow this link.

According to the organisers, this year saw a very high quality of entries so the final should be a fantastic evening of choral music. St Stephen’s Choir will be singing Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine and Bob Chilcott’s Gloria from his ‘Little Jazz Mass’.

More details about the competition can be found on the official website.

St Stephen's in the snow

Over the next couple of weeks we have a number of commitments as a choir; I know it’s a busy time of year with work parties, family visiting and so forth, but please endeavour to be at as much as you can!

Wednesday 14th December 2011

6:30 pm

Carol Singing at Barton Mill Court (Meet 6.15 at Church or 6.30 at Barton Mill)

Friday 16th December 2011

7:30 pm

Full Choir Practice

Sunday 18th December 2011

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

10:30 am

Sung Eucharist

6:00 pm

Choral Evensong (Full choir)

Tuesday 20th December 2011

7:30 pm

Christmas Party at Steve’s house

Wednesday 21st December 2011

7:30 pm

Full Choir Practice

9:00 pm

Carol Singing in Ye Olde Beverlie

Friday 23rd December 2011

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Full Choir Practice

7:00 pm

Carol Service

Saturday 24th December 2011

Christmas Eve

2:00 pm

Crib Service

5:15 pm

Community Carol Singing (Meet in Cathedral Chapter House)

11:30 pm

Midnight Mass

Sunday 25th December 2011

Christmas Day

10.30 am

Sung Eucharist

The Quire of Westminster Abbey

To make it easier to get to London when we’re singing in Westminster Abbey, I’ll be booking a coach – however, you need to sign up for a place on the coach by Sunday 13th November so that I can book the appropriate size vehicle! I can’t guarantee anyone a place if you book after then. If you are intending to sing but don’t require transport, please fill out the form and tick the appropriate box saying this.

Click here to go directly to the form

Thanks!

This weekend has been extremely busy for the choir, with our Choir Concert on Saturday evening, Dedication Festival Eucharist on Sunday and singing for the County Harvest Festival in Canterbury Cathedral. Below are a few highlights from the rehearsal for the Cathedral service – video clips from Saturday’s concert will be available soon! (Yes, I know I still have to finish the video clips from Coventry but the beginning of this term has been very busy at school, including a visit from Ofsted!)

• Psalm 65
• Look at the world – John Rutter
• Descant to ‘Lord of beauty, thine the splendour’

Inside Coventry Cathedral

St Stephen’s Church Choir are singing the services in Coventry Cathedral this coming weekend, Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th August 2011.

Music will include anthems by Howells, Lauridsen, Harris, Bairstow and Stephen Barker, Organist and Choirmaster of St Stephen’s. Canticles will be sung to settings by Stanford (in C) and Brewer (in D) and the setting of the Mass on Sunday morning will be Widor.

Visit our Coventry page for more information.

Westminster Abbey

St Stephen’s Church Choir have been invited to sing Choral Evensong in Westminster Abbey on Monday 2nd January 2012. Westminster Abbey has been the place of Coronation for every English monarch since the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and was recently seen by an estimated 2 billion people who watched the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in April this year.

More information to come soon, but put the date in your diary now!

Videos from the Jazz Mass are available to watch on YouTube! You can go direct to our channel or watch below!

Part one: Includes opening hymn (Give me joy in my heart), Kyrie and Gloria

Part two: Includes Gradual Psalm and Sermon

Part three: Includes Intercessions, Peace and Offertory hymn (Take Five / Sing of the Lord’s Goodness)

Part four: Includes Eucharistic Prayer, including Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei

Part five: Includes final hymn (O when the Saints) and recessional

On Friday 20th May St Stephen’s Choir sang a special service accompanied by the Very Big Penguin Band as part of the Sounds New contemporary music festival. You can listen to recordings of parts of the service by clicking on the links below:

• Procession and Opening hymn: Give me joy in my heart
• Kyrie – from ‘A Little Jazz mass’ – Bob Chilcott
• Gloria – from ‘A Little Jazz mass’ – Bob Chilcott
• Gradual Psalm 34 vv. 1-8
• Offertory hymn: Sing of the Lord’s Goodness
• Sanctus – from ‘A Little Jazz mass’ – Bob Chilcott
• Benedictus – from ‘A Little Jazz mass’ – Bob Chilcott
• Agnus Dei – from ‘A Little Jazz mass’ – Bob Chilcott
• Post-Communion hymn: O When the Saints go Marching in

Video of the service will be available on YouTube in the next week or so!