Music for Holy Trinity Church
Many congratulations!
Jack Mustard (now a member of our Men’s Choir having moved from the Youth Choir) has passed the ABRSM Grade 5 Singing Performance Exam with Distinction. Many congratulations to him for this super achievement.
Vicky Wood has recently gained an LRSM (Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music) for Singing. The examination consisted of a 45-minute song recital, from memory (piano accompanist: Sara Wood) and a written paper discussing the form, poetry and interconnection of the fourteen songs. Congratulations to our Assistant Director of Music.
An enormous congratulations and well done to both Jack and Vicky!
HOLY TRINITY CHURCH MUSIC
‘In God we trust. All others must bring data’ (W. Edwards Deming)
Here are some choral statistics as we reach the end of a half term:
In October, our 39 choristers across 4 choirs practised for a combined total of 11
hours.
They sang for 6 services with a tally of 24 different anthems, including psalms and
canticles, and 17 congregational hymns.
Of the composers who wrote the 24 anthems, the youngest was Michael Higgins,
born in 1981, and the earliest was Thomas Tallis, 1505-1585.
Number of biscuits and amount of cake consumed: unquantified.
In addition, the biscuit stock was raided seemingly by a hungry bishop during the
House of Bishops meeting in early October. Choristers unimpressed.
Sunday 2nd November
5.30pm: Service of remembrance for loved ones who have died
(Men’s Choir)
Sunday 9th November
10.45am: Act of Remembrance (War Memorial) followed by service in church
(Choristers’ Mums’ Choir)
Sunday 16th November
11am: Parish Eucharist (Youth & Men’s Choirs)
Sunday 23rd November
11am: Parish Eucharist (Choristers’ Mums’ Choir)
Sunday 30th November
11am: Parish Eucharist with Christingle (Alter Chorum)
Available on YouTube (Cookham Choirs)
FOR THOSE WE LOVE BUT SEE NO MORE
Music and prayer for All Souls and Remembrance
https://youtu.be/Up5al4LjARA?si=ASk2hfecYnwtpEzg
Sunday 30th November 5.30pm ADVENT CAROL SERVICE
A special start to the festive season – with hymns, carols and readings.
Available on YouTube: YOU RAISE ME UP With love and best wishes to Joyce Banks in her new home
https://youtu.be/-RwpLFqedGA?si=t0yvFCNqp2JpkgdM
Holy Trinity Church Choirs
The Youth Choir, Men’s Choir, Choristers’ Mums’ Choir and Alter Chorum (for ladies aged sixty and over) between them sing for the morning service (11am) each Sunday and two Sunday evening (6.30pm) services a month during term-time. Singing between three and six anthems on any Sunday – plus responses, canticles, psalms and communion settings as required – the repertoire of the choirs is extensive and varied. Music at Holy Trinity is maintained to a high and constant standard.
Holy Trinity holds four annual carol services – for Advent, Christmas, Epiphany & Easter – and upholds the unique tradition of a Carol Service on Christmas Day (6.30pm). This tradition began in 1955 when Christmas Day fell on a Sunday. The vicar at the time, Reverend Michael Westropp, deemed that a carol service on the Sunday either before or after Christmas Day would be too far removed. Thus, he initiated the holding of the Carol Service on Christmas Day itself. Met with little support from many congregation members in the first instance, he persevered, and the popularity of this celebration grew.
In recent years the supporting of charity through the retiring collections at the carol services (Advent, Christmas Day & Epiphany) has been maintained. As a result, the services have raised in excess of £10,000 in total for various local and national charities.
Recordings, radio and television appearances and visits to cathedrals and neighbouring churches have been a feature of the music at Holy Trinity throughout Sara Wood’s time as Director and Organist. In recent times, online musical offerings on YouTube have also become a staple fixture of the choirs’ output.
CHOIR PRACTICES:
Tuesday
5.50 – 6.25pm: Alter Chorum*
6.30 – 7.05pm: Youth Choir
Wednesday
6.55 – 7.30pm: Choristers’ Mums’ Choir
Wednesday or Saturday: Men’s Choir
*every other week
Services at Holy Trinity are supported by the use of the fine three-manual Walker pipe organ and a Bluthner boudoir grand piano.