All Saints, Poplar

I am Sarah Best and I am going to play in All Saint’s, Poplar. Actually, my church is St Augustine’s, Kilburn, which has a fabulous organ, but is unfortunately much in need of attention. So I have decided to play in  All Saints Poplar, E14, 0EY  where I often deputise: this has an excellent organ, and a vicar and organist who have kindly let us do this.

All Saint’s was built in 1821 when the population in Poplar began to grow at the time the West India Dock was being dug out.

Originally there were galleries on three sides and a pulpit which could be cranked up for large congregations!

There was also a stained glass window behind the altar which was so criticised that apparently the artist committed suicide. It was eventually bricked up.

The church has undergone several alterations since then. In the 1920’s recession everything was simplified. The church was painted white and the adjustable pulpit removed.

The East end was damaged in the Blitz and subsequent restorations saw the galleries removed and a new organ and choir stalls put in at the West end. You can hear me saying more about the church and the organ by clicking this link or the photo of the church above.

The organ

The organ pipework came from a church in Clapham and was originally made by Hunter. The current organ was restored by Manders. The registration is given on the following link:

http://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=E00055

The piece I shall play is ‘Schmücke Dich O liebe Seele’ (Deck Thyself, My Soul, with Gladness) by Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933). This tune has been used by many composers and was originally a Bach cantata BWV 180 composed for the 20th Sunday after Trinity which falls in October and was used as a Eucharist hymn. I chose this as I thought it would show the colours of the organ.

You can hear this music by clicking the picture of the organ or clicking on the following link here,  on the picture of the organ

Sarah Best

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St Swithun’s the Evangelist, Hither Green

I am Nicky Jones an organist on the rota of organists for St Swithun’s Hither Green and Honorary Secretary of the Southwark and South London Society of Organists.

I am playing “Te Splendor et Virtus” – Chorale No 15 from Le Tombeau de Titelouze Opus 38, composed in 1942 by Marcel Dupré . Dupré was inspired by the work of Titelouze (1563-1633), French composer, poet and organist of the early baroque period. “Te Splendor et Virtus” is, like  all 16 chorales from the collection, a reworking of Titelouze’s organ settings of plain chant hymns for use during the litany. The Latin verse reads:-

You can hear (and see) me playing by clicking this link or by clicking the photo of the church. In my view this piece is really quite beautiful as well as being measured in pace, reassuring and unpretentious.  I  found too that Dupré’s very precise fingering instructions and the associated requirement for legato playing provided a real opportunity to attempt to  improve technique!

The organ

The present organ in St Swithun’s Church,Hither Green was built by Peter Conacher of Huddersfield, however, it did not begin life here. Sometime during the nineteenth century the organ was originally installed at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, home of the Duke of Marlborough. In 1891 a larger organ was built for Blenheim, by Father Willis (of Henry Willis and Sons of London); this new organ had four manuals and pedals, with seventy stops – huge for a private residence!I

It was probably two years later that the Conacher organ was installed in St. Swithun’s by Father Willis. It was installed in the north east of the church (where the pipes are today), and was a three manual instrument, with nine speaking stops on the Great, ten on the Swell and six on the Choir; the Pedal organ had just three stops (which was typical of Conacher) and there were five unison couplers. The full specification is given http://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=N16392

In 1959 Sidney George Tuddenham, then St Swithun’s organist, paid £5000 for the rebuilding of the instrument. This amounted to a reworking – and a pruning – of the existing pipework, with the result that we now have a fine, healthy two-manual organ with some excellent Solo stops – notably the Basset Horn, the Oboe, and the Tromba.

The Conacher organ is a fine instrument and is still making music to praise the Lord to this day and it is a joy to be one of the people doing so.

Nicky Jones

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Happy Christmas, everybody!

I have been Director of Music at St. John’s Church, East Dulwich twice: 1993-7 and again since 2003. The main Sunday service is a Sung Mass at 10a.m. with choir.  The junior section is twelve strong and usually sings at two services each month.  The adults (10-15, occasionally more)  are there every week.  We have an anthem and usually a psalm with a cantor, plus other bits and pieces for choir members, such as an introit and hymn descants.  Sometimes the opening music is not an organ voluntary, but an instrumental piece (often by a young person) or a choir solo or a short anthem.  The Junior Choir is well involved in these solos.  Four Junior Choir members have diocesan awards, as have also several of the adults.  We sing the Fauré Requiem at All Souls’ Tide and occasional cathedral services, sometimes with friends joining us.  Plainsong is used regularly and we cover many styles of composition, but the music is mainly traditional.

I have made the Choir my priority and am very fortunate in having a team of assistant organists who do most of the playing, by being available from time to time: Nicky Jones, Neil Stevenson, Marilyn Harper, Harry Bramma, Emily Elias, Andrew Baars and, more recently, Niall Baxter and Charlie Warren.

The organ is a three manual Walker of 1985, restored in 1995, but actually the property of Trinity Laban Conservatoire, but on permanent loan as it is surplus to Trinity‘s requirements since they moved to Greenwich.  We have had this since 2011.Click o0n the organ picture to get its specification from the National Pipe Organ Register.

Each summer there is a series of recitals: in 2016 these will be on May 7^th. (me), July 2^nd. (Emily) and September 17^th. & 24^th. (Richard Pilliner, who will be playing the Six Sonatas of J S Bach).

The Beckenham Junior Choir and Youth Voices

I started Beckenham Junior Choir in 1993 as a means of encouraging young people to sing outside school hours.  It is amazing what can be achieved!  Over the years that has been tremendous loyalty and several singers have gone on to take their music further.  Many of the singers have been pianists for the Choir as well; from time to time some of them play other instruments in our many concerts.  We have the benefit of adult musical support: Stuart Kale (international opera singer) coaches the young people and Mark Edwards is our regular guitarist.  A few Choir parents join us for some of our songs.  We sing folk music, pop music, classical repertoire with a smattering of church music.

Beckenham Youth Voices began in 2004 in response to the need to provide further singing for our 11 year olds when they would otherwise have had to leave.  The sound of this older group (aged 11-18) is very satisfying and they have been growing in confidence.

The two choirs sing a mix of musical types: folk, popular songs, items from shows or musicals, classical pieces – and even some church music! However, although the older choir joins my gathering of groups for Choral Evensong at Southwark and Rochester Cathedrals every other year, it is unusual for either group to be involved with a church service. So it was an exception that this year on the 29th November they both came together in the Advent Carol Service at St John’s. These services are much rarer than the Christmas ones that everyone knows about but are rich in themes and there is plenty of material to be used.

The event gave the young people  from Beckenham  a chance to do something different; it also took away some of the pressure on my very busy church choir.

It has been good to involve the parents of a few of the children, together with personal friends, over the last few years. Good for the parents to have an opportunity of joining in but also good for the children to hear four-part  texture which we don’t  otherwise have.

To hear an see the children doing their final rehearsal, click on the picture of the Advent candles or on the link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/0JjMyfpHeao

The film is 7 minutes long

John Webber

 Choir members

Interested in joining either of the the Choirs?

Go to http://www.beckenhamjuniorchoir.co.uk

Interested in more of John’s choir music?

John also runs an adult choir, the Elm Singers which is performing at St John’s, East Dulwich,  SE22 9AT on the 11th December 2015.

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