Music
History
Music has always played an important part in worship and life of the parish. Under the influence of the previous incumbent the range and style of music have broadened to include worship songs, responsorial psalms and many of the more modern hymns from various sources.
The Current Situation
The New English Hymnal is used, together with the Addison setting for Sung Eucharist and the Parish Psalter for Evensong. For the monthly All-Age Eucharist and some festivals we have an instrumental group, formed by the previous incumbent and his wife, and a small band for Grassroots services, formed by the Curate’s husband, both of which are now led by the Curate and her husband.
We currently enjoy the full-time voluntary services of an amateur musician as organist and choirmaster. No salary is paid, but he, or whoever deputises in his absence, receives fees of £60 for weddings and £50 for funerals. There is also a deputy organist and choirmaster, and the Curate’s husband, who is a professional musician, plays a regular part in all musical aspects of parish life.
We have an enthusiastic choir of around 9 men, 16 women and trebles and 13 augmenters for special occasions. There is an average attendance of 15 to 20 at Sung Eucharist and 6 to 10 at Evensong, which enables us to have not only regular sung services but anthems on special occasions such as festivals and weddings.
The BBC ‘Songs of Praise’ programme from our church for Advent 2003 was a highlight of that year.
An augmented choir of 100 voices, drawn from members of the congregation, from other churches and from local music groups, performs a major choral work in church each Passiontide. These tend to be selected from Olivet to Calvary, The Crucifixion and Fauré’s Requiem.
The church hosts a number of concerts by external performers each year. Recent events have included the Crossroads Charity Concerts organised by Dame Norma Major, the New Cambridge Singers, Hemingford Ladies Choir with Prime Brass, the Boyan Ensemble of Kiev, the Old Bridge Singers, the Huntingdon Male voice Choir, the Norwich and Ipswich Brass Band supported by the Choir of St Anne’s School and the Youth Choir of the Second Congregational Church in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Some 8 to 10 weddings a year provide the funds for the choir robes and music.
The organist/choirmaster is the Secretary of the RSCM Committee of the Ely Diocese, and several members of the choir participate in the annual RSCM Festival in Ely Cathedral and the biennial RSCM Festival in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge.
The Future
The organist/choirmaster will be retiring next Easter and the PCC is considering the appointment of a successor.
