Music at St. Augustine's Church

Music forms an important part of our worship. Click on the links below to see our monthly music lists.

Jan 2012 | Feb 2012
From the Director of Music: "As you can see, there is no Choral Evensong in February. This will be the case for the whole of Lent, due to illness/operations/recuperation of a number of key singers in the Choir."

Music in 2010 (zipped) | Music in 2011 (zipped)

The Works of Samuel Wesley

To help with fund-raising towards the cost of the church lighting scheme, the PCC has agreed that each Sunday, the last hymn at Parish Mass may be one that is sponsored by a member of the congregation. To find out more, please view the form below...

'Sponsor a Hymn' form

The Choir of St. Augustine's Church

Contrary to expectations, the choir is comprised of non-professional musicians whom I call enthusiasts rather than amateurs. Although only around twenty in number it manages to perform many different settings at both the 10.30am and 6.30pm Services.

Choral Evensong - with Benediction and an introit included on Festivals - is sung every week, excepting Low Sunday and the Sunday after Christmas Day, as is the 10.30am Parish Mass. August is taken as the choir holiday.

Psalms are generally sung to Anglican chants with an occasional plainchant with faux-bourdons. The proper plainsong office hymns precede the Magnificat.

On Festivals, Benediction and an Introit are included at Evensong, which is Solemn, with incense. At all Evensongs the Canticles are sung to a setting and there is an anthem.

Examination of the monthly music list shows the diversity of music in general use with little or no repetition -an inception almost unique in a parish church, and also indicative of the large library and all periods explored, up to and including the present day.

During Lent, at the morning service, the organ is silent except for the hymns. All else is unaccompanied, and no voluntaries; even notes and chords have to be found by other means - usually, I am glad to say, successfully! This is testing but very valuable for the choir's concentration and confidence.

St Augustine's was the first robed choir in Birmingham; occasionally we turn back the clock and try to imagine what Evensong may have been like in the days of the Oxford movement re-creating - as far as we can - the atmosphere as we perform classic Victorian anthems, which are sometimes long but certainly great fun. I know some of you will disapprove and even scoff, but take another un-biased look, and try a little careful editing and be pleasantly surprised at Goss's 'Wilderness', at Steggall's 'Remember now thy Creator', Ouseley's 'Jerusalem on high' and Stainer's 'How beautiful upon the mountains' - they have got something... and I think it's well worth the effort to preserve and perform them.

We try to keep to English settings, especially the Communion ones. There is a wealth of these, lying neglected and unused, on dusty shelves up and down the country ever likely to become extinct. It is also important to help to keep the "Anglo" in Anglo-Catholic.

The choir is under the supervision of the Musical Director who is aided by three competent organists. Rehearsals are twice weekly for sopranos, with one full practice on Friday. These are only about an hour long but are intensive - as needs be for the amount of music to be performed. The Sunday services are both preceded by a forty minute 'warm up. All choir members are dedicated and loyal. Some of the men travel many miles each week though the ladies and our talented teenage girls tend to live a little closer.

In all of this we are most fortunate in having a Vicar who is both very supportive and knowledgeable. Prior to his appointment here he was Priest Vicar at Llandaff Cathedral (Cardiff) and was in overall charge of the music there - as of course he is here.

As for the future... We hope and trust that we can, in essence, continue all we are trying to do; but falling numbers, a lack of interest in this type of music, no young choir men in the offing, general apathy, creeping anno domini - need I go on ? Whatever is going to happen to this great heritage of English Church Music is not very clear and sadly it does not look too promising outside the large Cathedral foundations, and even their futures are not totally assured.

If you have read thus far, I thank you for your interest, and if you, or someone you may know of would be interested in joining us, although we are not able to reward you with cash - something which some of larger compatriots may do (but we don't want 'Rent-a-choir') we can offer you friendship and enjoyment, and a chance to sing 'to the Glory of God and the refreshment of man' which is as it should be; BUT to do it properly is a big commitment and the only voluntary part is joining!

Paul Richards (Director of Music)