Some while ago, while recovering from my last bout of enforced absence from school, I thought it would be a useful exercise to go through the old choir photographs and arrange them in some sort of date order to give an idea of how St. Mary’s Choir has developed in the time since photographic records began. It was a wonderful experience.
The first photograph is one only given to me some eight years ago by a Mrs. Shirra. She was in her eighties then (and is, sadly, no longer with us now) but a lively-minded soul who had worshipped all her life at St. Mary’s. She it was who gave the church her grand piano when she had to move from her house to more modest accommodation as age took its toll. What was fascinating about the photograph was that it looked so new. And yet it depicted Mrs. Shirra’s two brothers Charles and Edward as new St. Mary’s choristers - in 1906! Wow, what a find.
The others move through the 1920s to the 70’s, formal, serious looking photographs of fine choirs of men and boys who had all made their contribution to the musical reputation that the church has enjoyed over the past century.
Then we arrive at 1978 and the first photographs taken in my time here. They show a still fine choir (but this time in colour!) but begin to depict more than the formal poses. They show cricket matches, trips out, choir holidays, excitement and ... fun.
By the time they reach the ’90s they show girls too.
The photographs show the change that has happened over the past 25 years, from a choir which was formal and serious, to one which celebrates the joy of the young people who form such a large part of it, ministering to their needs and nurturing them both in their faith and their in their enjoyment of friendships through a widening range of opportunities.
For most of my time at St. Mary’s the Choir has been the only real youth club that the church has possessed. It has dedicated itself both to the provision of the best music it can for worship and to the spiritual and personal development of all its members.
Many former choristers, even from the 50’s and 60’s, return to see how things are going now and uniformly express how much the choir meant to them in their youth. It has led to some permanent relationships: one thinks of Lucy and Richard Cranmore and more recently Robert and Clare Carey, married after meeting through the choir!
Some of St. Mary’s Choristers have gone on to great things musically: Lawrence Martin as a professional violinist; David Briggs as a Cathedral Organist and international recitalist; Robert Carey as Director of Music at Manchester Grammar School; John Butt, a former Assistant Organist is now Fellow at Kings College Cambridge, having been a Professor of Music in the USA; Iain Simcock, who played the organ on the first record the choir ever made, became Assistant at Westminster Cathedral and a Choral Director in Hamburg.
Many people tell me that they appreciate the music in St. Mary’s. For some it is a major reason they come; for some the liturgy is enhanced by the music and they go away fulfilled and enriched by the experience; for some it helps them come nearer to the presence of God; for others still it helps weld them into a worshipping community. For the vast majority the Church would be the poorer without it. So what do we need to ensure that those coming within our walls in the future are going to share the experiences of those who have gone before?
We need our young people to recognise that the choir is a wonderful way of making a real contribution to worship that is also great fun and offers opportunities which they cannot get through any other activity in the Church - indeed, in many cases, through any other activity outside as well.
The fact that you are reading this suggests that you have more than a passing interest in St. Mary’s! You may well be a regular, committed member of this worshipping community. If you have children, what experience of St. Mary’s do you want them to have? Do you want them to be passive recipients of what the church offers - or do you want them to be vital cogs in the engine that drives it?
What will they remember most of their time at St. Mary’s when they have grown up?
Do think seriously about encouraging YOUR child to become a member of the choir. They can try with no obligation (we have a probationary period) and we really can fit round most family commitments and outside interests. Now would be a wonderful time to give it a try - with activities and music to learn in preparation for the next major event in the Church’s calendar.
What can you do now?
We do hope that you will respond positively to what you have read. Remember, most children need your active encouragement, they don’t often recognise opportunities for themselves. And for boys - they only have a 5-6 year window of opportunity to experience the glories of singing treble. After that, it is gone forever. A salutary thought!