Bury Parish Church

Bury Parish Church is fortunate in its long tradition of offering a high standard of music, both in organ playing and in its choral work.We have a substantial number of adults and younger choristers, all of whom strive for the highest standards under the leadership of the Director of Music and Organist, Mr David Scott-Thomas (pictured left).  We are also have the services of an assistant organist; John Ellis. 

The choir rehearses each Friday evening and assists the worship at both the Sunday Family Communion Service at 10.05am and Evensong at 6.30pm.

It also can be present at weddings and funerals, when requested, and provides music at concerts, services on special occasions, festivals and at events organised by, amongst others, the Prayer Book Society and The Royal School of Church Music. It sang the services for a week at Worcester Cathedral in the summer of 2005;  in addition to visiting Windsor in 2006 and Bristol in 2008. This required a good deal of fund raising by the choir to pay for transport, food and accommodation. The choir also actively supported raising money for the “Step Inside” Appeal.

Choristers are expected to be able to read music and young members are encouraged to take formal music qualifications offered by the RSCM in order to improve their knowledge and skill.

The dedication and commitment of all members is very much appreciated.

Although the choir maintains consistent numbers, the Director of Music is always keen to hear from the parents of children who would like to be part of the musical tradition at the church.

 

As reported in the December/January issue of the Parish Magazine, Pudsey Bear put in a personal appearance when the Junior Choir presented their annual Music Makers Concert on November 21^st. This most enjoyable evening raised over £200 for Children in Need.

We performed some interesting new music at the Advent Carol Service on November 29^th including a high level solo by Emma up in the clerestory.

Together with a number of adult 'Elves', the Junior Choristers went carol singing at Asda on December 5^th. They managed to spread good cheer amongst shoppers and raised around £100 for Choir School funds, despite being accompanied for part of the time by an out of tune alarm system.

It was good to be able to welcome John Ellis back in time for the Christmas services and we thank those who deputised for him during his absence.

It may just be a coincidence, but as the Greater Manchester Police Band performed their popular arrangement of Leroy Anderson's 'Sleigh Ride' at the Police Carol Service, the first of the snow that brought Bury to a standstill and postponed our Service of Nine Lessons and Carols began to fall.

Along with the re-scheduled Carol Service the Choir was on duty for all the special Christmas services.

If you watched the televised version of the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College, Cambridge on Christmas Eve you might have spotted John Clegg, one of our senior choristers, in the congregation. Much more in evidence was senior organ scholar Peter Stevens.  Bury born Peter is of course a regular recitalist at BPC and is a most welcome visitor at our choir practices and services whenever he comes home. After four years at Kings, Peter will take up the post of organ scholar at Westminster Cathedral in September.

At the end of January the Junior Choristers were taken for a post Christmas treat to Tenpin Bowling at Pilsworth.

Planning is underway for the Annual Choir Camp which will take place in June.

The Choir School continues to flourish and there are currently nineteen pupils.

Unfortunately our proposed week at a Cathedral this summer has had to be cancelled. The accommodation and associated costs were rather high and although expenses can be offset by fund raising we are conscious that this burden often falls on the same faithful few.

The choir stalls were full to bursting at Choral Evensong on 7th February when we were joined by the Voluntary Choir from Manchester Cathedral.  Following a short pre-service rehearsal we sang evensong, which included Herbert Murrill's canticles in E major and an excerpt from Haydn's 'Creation'.

David Pollard

February 2010 

 

 

 

Sing praise to the Lord! All things that give sound,

Each jubilant chord, re-echo around.

Loud organs, His glory tell forth in deep tone,

And trumpets the story of what He has done.

(Henry W. Baker, 1821-1877)

 

St. Augustine was right when he said, “Whoever sings, prays twice.” As Christians we offer worship to the Almighty with all our hearts, minds and voices. God’s gift of music is one of the greatest gifts we have; so in setting our liturgy to music we are catching just a glimpse of heaven on earth. As with all aspects of our worship, anything which deepens our contemplation and increases the beauty of our devotion is, by definition, appropriate and good. Here at Bury we strive for the best possible standards of music through our choir, organ and bell-ringing.

 

O sing unto the Lord a new song:  for he hath done marvellous things.

(Psalm 98.1)

 

What’s all this about a ‘new song’? At Bury we sing plenty of ‘new’ music – just how new depends on your point of view; but we also sing some of the oldest songs on the planet; hymns from the 1st century, written long before the English language existed, let alone the Church of England. Does the Psalmist mean that we should be singing newly composed anthems every week? Does he mean we should only perform the music of the day? Not at all. The Old Testament meaning of the word ‘new’ refers to a new song of salvation in Christ. It stands in contrast to the old song, a song of sin and death. The Jewish scriptures, including the Psalms, point to the coming of the Messiah – that is Jesus Christ, the one who makes us Christians. And he has indeed done ‘marvellous things’ in redeeming the world. That is why we sing a new song unto the Lord; that is why our worship is so special.

 

St Paul says:

 

Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

(Colossians 3:16)

 

When we praise God in church, we are not alone. Our congregations, choristers and organists – the Church Militant here on earth – are far outnumbered by the Church Triumphant in heaven. The Te Deum from the Book of Common Prayer reminds us:

 

The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee. 

The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee. 

The noble army of Martyrs praise thee.

 

The role of our music here at Bury is quite simply to glorify God, who is Alpha and Omega – the beginning and the end – made personally available to us in Jesus Christ. In doing so, we pray that we and all who worship with us will indeed catch a glimpse of heaven on earth.

 

Alpha and Omega he!

Let the organ thunder,

While the choir with peels of glee

doth rent the air asunder.

(From the Moosburg Gradual, circa 1360; tr. Percy Dearmer, 1928)

 

Each Friday night, at the beginning of choir practice, we say the Choristers’ Prayer:

 

Bless, O Lord, us thy servants,

who minister in thy temple.

Grant that what we sing with our lips,

we may believe in our hearts,

and what we believe in our hearts,

we may show forth in our lives;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

(Sir Sydney Nicholson, 1875-1947)

 

Nicholson was founder of the Royal School of Church Music, and composer of our Communion Setting in C, sung every Sunday morning at Bury Parish Church.