St. Peter's Church
THE CHOIR
The Abbey Choir is in demand to sing on a number of occasions, and much of their activity reflects the nature of the Abbey as the Mother Church of the County of Shropshire, and hence most of the 'county' events are held here. The music sung comes from the rich diet of the English choral tradition and spans the centuries from plainsong to the present day. Works are commissioned on occasions, and the most recent addition to the repertoire is Richard Lloyd's 'Shrewsbury Service' - a setting of the Evensong canticles written in autumn 2005 in memory of a legendary local musician, Sam Baker.
However, the adult choir normally sings at both the main Sunday services in the Abbey each week. These are the Abbey Eucharist at 10.00am which is a traditional-style Sung Eucharist, but with a significant amount of congregational participation which symbolises our service to a large parish on the eastern side of Shrewsbury. However, there is always some specific choral music included within the liturgy at this service.
The other sung Sunday service is Choral Evensong at 3.00pm and this is firmly in the Cathedral-style. It is simply the Office of Evensong itself, the congregation is invited to sit for the singing of the psalms and the Responses, Canticles and Anthem are taken from the cathedral tradition as outlined above. Click here for the current music scheme
This choir also sings at various special services throughout the year, and on the feasts of Epiphany, Candlemas, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Ascension Day, the Abbey's Patronal Festival, SS Peter & Paul (29 June) and the parish's Patronal Festival, Holy Cross Day (14 September) a Choral Eucharist is offered at which the music is more elaborate than on a usual Sunday when particularly polyphonic or Viennese masses are often sung. On Good Friday evening the choir presents its own Choral Devotions.
Our cherished heritage as a Benedictine monastery is reflected in the choir singing a significant amount of plainchant. Evensong on one Sunday of each month (usually the first) is generally sung by the men alone, and this is frequently entirely to plainsong, and much use is especially made of this style of music in the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent.
The choir is a non-auditioned choir, and of mixed ability, but in order to cope with a large and varied repertoire it is helpful to possess some sight-reading skills. There are often vacancies for various voices, and currently we would welcome one or two sopranos. The choir rehearses 45 minutes before each service and on Friday evenings from 7.15pm to 8.45pm, after which the usual social activities tend to take place in the local hostelry!
The choirs are commissioned for the ensuing year in a special ceremony at Evensong on the first Sunday in September following the choir's summer break, and there is a farewell liturgy towards the end of July before the holidays begin.
Choir holidays are normally the month of August and the Sundays following Christmas and Easter. In half terms Sunday Evensong is usually sung by a visiting choir or is said.
The choir usually undertakes an annual visit to a cathedral and recently
these have included Salisbury and S Asaph, North Wales. These usually
coincide with the last Sunday in July each year and in 2007 we sang at
S Michael's College, Tenbury, in 2008 at S Patrick's National Cathedral,
Dublin and in 2009 at Portsmouth Cathedral. The choir also sings on occasions
at our own Diocesan Cathedral at Lichfield.
The Services
The choir currently only sings on Sundays - at the 10:00.am Abbey Eucharist
and at Choral Evensong at 3:00.pm.
Click here to view the Sunday Services.
Recordings of the Choirs
There are currently no recordings of the Abbey Choirs, but the Linden
Singers recorded a CD on the Griffin label in 2003 entitled 'Our Day of
Thanksgiving' which comprises a collection of hymnody linked by music
or text to Shropshire. This features the choir directed by David Leeke,
accompanied by Timothy Noon (the Organist of St David's Cathedral) and
Shropshire Brass singing 19 hymns with Shropshire links made in the Abbey
in January 2003.
Hymns: In our day of thanksgiving; Our blest Redeemer; Great King of Heaven;
It is a thing most wonderful; The day thou gavest; There's a wideness
in God's mercy; Lord of beauty; Ye Choirs of new Jerusalem; O Lord of
every shining constellation; The kingdom is upon you; Holy, Holy, Holy;
Ye holy angels bright; Great Shepherd of thy people hear; Once only once;
God whose city's sure foundation; When in our music; Thou art the Christ
O Lord; All creatures of our God and King.
Please contact the Abbey Shop for details of how to obtain this recording.
Visiting Choirs
The Abbey welcomes applications from suitably qualified choirs to sing
the services while the Abbey choirs are on holiday. The most popular times
are in the summer, but the weeks after Christmas and Easter and half term
breaks are all possibilities too. In recent years we have welcomed choirs
not only from Britain, but also from the USA and Australia. We are unable
to offer accommodation ourselves, but we will help with advice to those
who are interested. There is a wealth to see and do in and around Shrewsbury,
and visiting the Abbey is an unforgettable experience.