Music Personnel

Nicolas Sherwood, the parish Director of Music, gained a B.A. at Exeter University. He also holds a P.G.C.E., A.R.C.O. and A.R.C.M. (organ performance). He has deputised at St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey and is involved in various choirs. He also teaches singing, piano and organ both privately and for the London Borough of Newham. He is the conductor of the Brentwood Choral Society.

Noel Charles has  been appointed to the  post of Assistant Director of Music.

Choirs

The Sunday morning Eucharists at Christ Church and St. Mary’s are essentially congregational services, in that the responses and the hymns are sung by all. However, the congregations are led in both churches by a committed and enthusiastic choir comprising both adults and children.

The Parish choir sings Choral Evensong (BCP) on Sunday evenings usually with an anthem or choral setting of the canticles or both, on major festivals.

The junior choir has strong links with the Church school and many of the junior choir attend the Church school.

The combined Parish choir sings more complex works to a good standard for special occasions throughout the Church year: at the Advent carol service, the Christmas carol services, Education Sunday, Palm Sunday and Holy Week, the Patronal festivals and the Sunday of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. Faure’s Requiem is sung on All Souls’ Day and a Requiem mass on Remembrance Sunday.

The choir also sings at Evensong at Southwark cathedral on a biennial basis.

Choir practice takes place on Friday evenings (junior choir 7p.m -8.15p.m., a small payment is made for attendance and the Adult choir meets at 7.45p.m.-9p.m.)

The choir welcomes new members to sing at either church.

The Organs

St. Mary’s has a two manual instrument, rebuilt and enlarged in 1974 from a fully enclosed exhibition instrument by Hill, which speaks well in the acoustics of this fine Georgian building.

In 2008, the Parish, with the assistance of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, bought and restored an historic three manual and pedal organ which was installed in Christ Church. Built by William Hill in 1878 for St.. Mary Magdalene, Manningham, Bradford it was rescued and restored when that church became redundant.

The inaugural recital to mark its installation was given by Thomas Trotter in September 2008.

The Organ Appeal’s patron, Lord Jenkin of Roding at the Thomas Trotter Recital

Concerts and recitals

Both churches host regular concerts and recitals by various ensembles. A semi-staged production of Dido and Aeneas attracted favourable criticism.

Community links are forged by musical performances in Christ Church during the annual Wanstead Festival.

We hope to establish the parish as a local centre of excellence for the musical education of people of all ages in piano, organ and theory and in choral and solo singing. The organs at both churches are under-used for practice and the Parish is supportive of those wishing to gain access to practise.