Whilst
many churches have music as part of their worship, recent years have seen moves
away from the musician and more towards participation by everyone. While this
congregational involvement has undoubtedly been successful in some places, in
others it has failed to halt declining congregations. At St John’s the music is
a central feature of worship and attendance has rarely been healthier, proving
perhaps that there is more than one way to find God.
The musical tradition at St John’s dates back to the very beginning in the late 1800’s under its first organist and Master of Music Alfred James Eyre. A number of pieces still exist and his morning service in E Flat is a regular favourite. Also dating from that period is the tradition, long abandoned elsewhere, of Choral Evensong on a Sunday evening. At this service the psalms are sung to ancient plainsong melodies dating from the early part of the last Millennium rather than the more recent Anglican chant used by those few churches that retain Evensong.
St John’s Choir consists of four basses, three tenors, three altos and about ten sopranos led by Adrian Adams. There are two choir rehearsals each week: Tuesdays for juniors and Friday for everyone with a final half-hour rehearsal before each service. The choir sings twice on a Sunday at 10am and 6pm with extra sung services on feast days such as Corpus Christi, Ascension Day or Ash Wednesday. A typical year would consist of over 100 services, 200 pieces of music, nearly 50 psalms and over 275 hymns.
The two longest serving choir members Dave West and Trevor Wheble joined around the time of Adrian Adams’ arrival in 1968 having previously been at Addington Palace with the RSCM. Other choir members include Frank Millington who sang in the Queens Chapel at the Savoy for 32 years and Robert Fraser who was a chorister at Winchester Cathedral in the late 50’s. Some of our members sing or have sung with other choirs and choruses and many play musical instruments, but just as many have no other musical experience.
The music at St John’s is one aspect that brings people back again and again. From the two hundred that packed the church on Christmas Eve at midnight to the faithful few who come to Evensong on a cold night when there’s a good film on the TV, the choir is an ever-present reminder of power of music to move the soul. Long may it continue.