Choir & Organ

 The Choir

St.Margaret’s has a traditional robed choir of men, women and children which, along with the organ, leads the singing and provides additional music at a number of services. The choir sings for at least one service every Sunday morning (except on the fourth Sunday of each month), and also at choral evensong on the 4th Sunday. Hymn singing and much of the choral music at these services is accompanied by the organ.

We sing a wide variety of music ranging from the medieval to the modern, and while we strive to obtain the highest standard of performance that we are capable of, the emphasis is on enjoyment and aiding the worship in our Church. We ask that choristers attend as regularly as possible, while recognising that we have to be flexible in order to accommodate other commitments that they may have.

Choir practice is in the Church from 7.00pm till 8.30pm every Thursday.

Why join the St Margaret’s Church Choir?

As a church and choir we believe that the universal language of music enriches the lives and worship of all.

People of all ages are welcome to join the choir at St.Margaret's. Children are especially welcome.

We hope to engage and inspire children to develop both a love of music and their talent as musicians. This in turn will increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.

Music contributes to a child’s personal and social development, citizenship and health in many ways. Singing is at the heart of music making. Children learn to work as a team and build up good relationships with other people whilst developing their ability to sing in tune.

Music forms the basis of many social activities and has a vital role to play in building self-confidence.

Singing in a choir, either as a member or as a soloist, is sometimes one of the most memorable things young people do. Singing helps to develop the disciplined skills of recognising pulse and pitch, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and musical notation. As children get older they learn to maintain their concentration for longer. Listening, creating or performing music is often a moving and even spiritual experience.

We encourage children to reflect on the important effect that music has on their own and other people’s moods, senses and quality of life. In addition music contributes significantly to the improvement of:

• English:- actively promoting the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening
• Language skills:- through singing songs, with attention to diction, meaning, rhythm and rhyme
• Mathematics:- by studying music, observing patterns and processes, as the rhythm and structure of music is mathematically based
• Health & wellbeing:- through exercise of the major muscle groups in the upper body, increasing the oxygenation of the blood, and improving overall alertness. In addition it is linked to longevity, stress reduction, development of links in the brain and general health maintenance.

And what's more it is fun, free ...and children get paid!