Thriving four-part Choir
In the church vestry hangs a wonderful collection of photographs of the choir – the oldest of which dates from 1892. They chart the progress of the choir from the days when only men and boys sang, until the present day when it is made up of sopranos, altos, tenors and basses. In many photos there are small boys who used to sing the upper voice parts, as tradition used to dictate.
Times have changed, the St Swithun’s choir is now just an adult one. Many who visit our services are impressed that a small parish church has such a thriving four-part choir to lead the worship at the 9.30 am Eucharist service and join in, when required, at the many other special services, weddings and funerals.
Singing with joy
It is a big commitment belonging to the choir. Members also fully participate in the life of the church, as well as just turning up to sing on Sundays. Regularly attending choir practice is important to work on the considerable amount of music sung. That is why it does help if members can read music to speed up the learning process.
The phrase, “He who sings prays twice”, often attributed to St. Augustine, means that singing enhances prayer by engaging the heart and mind more deeply than spoken words alone. Singing can lead to a more profound and joyful form of prayer because it requires greater attention to the words, melody, and metre, and can lead to a greater emotional connection with the message being expressed. Members of the St Swithun’s Church choir completely agree with this and that’s what keeps them singing with such joy.
The Choir are available for Weddings and Funerals.
Want to know more?
If you would like to know more about our wonderful Choir, please drop us a line.