In 2003 the St Mary’s Singers celebrate their 30th (Pearl) anniversary. In January 1973, morning worship at St Mary’s was at 10.00 a.m. (later 9.45) a short informal service of Family Worship, followed at 11.00 a.m. by traditional BCP Morning Prayer. There was a choir for Morning Prayer, as there was for Evensong, but not for Family Worship. So early in January 1973 the then Vicar, Lorys Davies, inserted a note in the weekly leaflet encouraging anyone interested in forming a group to sing at Family Worship to meet on a Saturday morning. Accordingly on a very cold, icy morning four intrepid members of the congregation attended in the Upper Room to meet Terry Doughty who worked at the BBC. Nothing difficult was attempted, just some popular songs from a collection called "New Life", containing some traditional hymns and carols but also modern songs such as, "Tomorrow shall be my dancing day", "The Lord of the dance", "Love is come again" and Sydney Carter’s "When I needed a neighbour were you there?" For the next few weeks we practised songs from this book and numbers gradually swelled to seven or eight. Then - big shock, no Terry Doughty, who had left Moseley. Lorys Davies stepped into the breech. If memory serves, a quartet of the singers ("The Family Worship Choir" it would become in those days), sang two quartets by Handel for an Old English Supper at Centre 13. The first official debut, if it can be termed that in the informal and often noisy setting of Family Worship, was on Easter Day in "Love is come again" (to the well known tune "Noel Nouvelet") with Lorraine Bullock as soloist.
Thereafter, the Family Worship Choir led the hymns and contributed an item or two regularly for the Family Worship services. Soon, as an alternative to church, we started rehearsing in the homes of those members who had a piano, the singing usually preceded by a glass of sherry. And the numbers increased! Later in the year, Lorys Davies took a break from being Director, as David Sidwell the Deputy Organist took over. David, quiet, humorous and determined, introduced the Choir to the glories of the "Church Anthem book." Some of the pieces had parts coming in separately, horror of horrors, not in block harmony! There was initially, not to put too fine a point on it, shambles after shambles as the Choir tried to get to grips with Byrd and Gibbons and austere composers of that ilk. After a few weeks the chaos gradually dispersed into some sort of order, David the patient, persistent helmsman steering us through troubled waters. And so the choir gradually progressed, even bringing anthems by Byrd, Tomkins and Gibbons into the repertoire, and by now attracting some more experienced singers to join the early enthusiasts. After a year, David was replaced as Assistant Organist by David Whelton (who achieved later fame as Manager of the Philharmonia Orchestra).
After a few months Lorys Davies again took over, and the Choir, by now sitting in the collegiate (cross) pews on the south side of the church, began a golden fun period, adding to their usual fare a wonderful selection of choral arrangements of Negro Spirituals, and the odd item by Gilbert & Sullivan for performing at some church social occasion or other. In keeping with their broadening repertoire in 1975 they were renamed the St Mary’s Singers. A highlight of this period was the opportunity to sing a Choral Evensong at Tewkesbury Abbey, on 30th June 1977, conducted by Lorys Davies with John Butt at the organ.
Without an organist for a time in 1977, Lorys Davies had to retire to take over the Robed Choir, and was succeeded by Alan Bold, assisted by Audrey Swinfen. Pressure of work made him retire at the end of 1980, when Joan Griffin took over for a while, before Josephine Mason, a University Lecturer in Music, took over. Under her professional expertise the Singers broadened and extended their repertoire considerably, tackling some more difficult anthems including some modern music, without forgetting the fun element.
For some years now the pattern of worship at St Mary’s has changed. Parish Communion has replaced Family Worship except for the first Sunday in each month. The Singers now normally sing at two Parish Communion services each month, and at Evensong on the first Sunday in each month. For special occasions such as Easter Day the Singers and the Robed Choir unite their forces. To their credit, remembering that quite a few of England’s church choirs have ceased to exist, the Singers have survived to reach their 30th anniversary. They have had their alarms, mainly due to the perpetual problem of choirs almost everywhere, finding tenors! but with intermittent infusions of new blood still thrive, in parallel with the Robed Choir. Without the regular recruitment of youngsters, the Singers are complementary to the Robed Choir, a shade more mature to be sure, but on average now more experienced. They are able to learn new repertoire more quickly than in earlier days.
They have for some years been under the Direction of the tireless Mick Perrier, who manages a full time job as Deputy Headmaster plus Directing both of St Mary’s Choirs, as well as odd jobs like being Midlands Secretary of the RSCM and Diocesan Music Advisor. Mick’s connections led to the Singers being asked for some years now to lead the opening and closing services in the cathedral for the annual 3D courses. It has also been a pleasure in the last few months to welcome back Chris Kearl, who directs the Singers from time to time and takes some of the rehearsals, as well as composing an increasingly impressive choral. The Singers are always looking for new members in all voices, but tenors, as always, would be particularly welcome.