Celebrating Oak Apple Day! Postponed from last December because of the snow! West Gallery Workshop and Georgian Evensong Sunday, 20 th May, 2018

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1 Welcome to our Essex and East London Area Spring Newsletter 2018 Enjoyable events to come and share with other singers throughout the year. Coming soon Sunday 20 th May 3pm West Gallery Workshop and Georgian Evensong St. Mary s Church, Wanstead pages 1 and 2 Monday 18 th June 7.30pm Question time for organists and would be organists Holy Trinity Church, Rayleigh page 3 RSCM -EEL Annual Choral Festival 2018 Chelmsford Cathedral Saturday 29 th September. A special one day Come and Sing event for choirs and individual singers led by James Davy, Master of the Music, Chelmsford Cathedral and featuring the music of Martin Shaw in the 60 th year since his death. Registration 10am Festival Service 4pm All singers welcome. Sunday 1 st July 3pm Come and Sing Evensong St Andrew s Church Hornchurch page 3 Saturday 29 th September 10am Annual Choral Festival Chelmsford Cathedral pages 1, 4 and 5 Celebrating Oak Apple Day! Postponed from last December because of the snow! West Gallery Workshop and Georgian Evensong Sunday, 20 th May, 2018 St. Mary s Church, Wanstead E11 2LN Workshop 3 p.m. Evensong 6 p.m. A seasonal celebratory workshop for singers and musicians with Dr Francis Roads musical director of the London Gallery Quire in one of the finest Georgian Churches in England, featuring West Gallery Music, followed by a Georgian Evensong led by the Rev Gordon Giles a regular contributor to Church Music Quarterly. For details of music, bookings ( 6) and further information contact: Shirley Timmins, 156 Warley Hill, Brentwood CM14 5HF shirleytimmins@btinternet.com, or (answerphone) or book on website Further information, registrations and orders for the booklet containing the music to be used for the Festival Service, to Shirley Timmins 156 Warley Hill, Brentwood, CM14 5HF, telephone (answerphone) , or shirleytimmins@btinternet.com New Director for RSCM Our new director for RSCM is Hugh Morris who will officially be taking up this role 1 st August

2 West Gallery Workshop and Georgian Evensong Sunday, 20 th May, 2018 St. Mary s Church, Wanstead E11 2LN Workshop 3 p.m. Evensong 6 p.m. The story of West Gallery Music Not only the choir in church, but also the congregation in chapel, developed the art of singing in harmony. The singers and musicians were often placed at the west end of the church, in a raised singing seat or a gallery: hence the term West Gallery music, which was devised by Thomas Hardy to refer to the sturdily independent character of the old church bands. In the end, as Hardy observed, changes of various kinds in church and village life and practice led to the demise of the singers as an independent force in English country churches: the galleries and singing seats were destroyed, the instruments were disposed of, and the manuscript music books lost. The churches came to be dominated by a harmonium or an organ, and the people sang in regimented fashion from Hymns Ancient & Modern. Oak Apple Day was passed into law in 1660 as a public holiday on 29 th May, King Charles II birthday, as a Day of Thanksgiving for the Restoration of the Monarchy and prayers for the occasion were published in the Book of Common Prayer. The public holiday was abolished in 1859 but the day is still celebrated in some towns West Gallery music is the music of English (and American) churches and chapels in the Georgian period, This music never completely died out: in the USA, the Shapenote tradition is still flourishing, and in Britain some congregations and carol parties have kept the music going until the revival of recent years. In the 18th century, very few country churches had an organ, and for music they depended on the vocal efforts of the parish clerk and congregation, who sang psalms in the metrical paraphrases of the Old Version (1562) or New Version (1696). From about 1670 on, companies of singers were formed, and the first music specially composed for such country choirs appeared about Village singers learnt to sing by note in harmony, and adopted a vigorous style of singing, often varying the point at which the voices entered, known as fuguing. From about 1740, accompanying instruments began to be used, and by 1800 there were groups of competent singers and musicians many churches. Music is available to download from For bookings ( 6) and further information contact: Shirley Timmins, 156 Warley Hill, Brentwood CM14 5HF shirleytimmins@btinternet.com, or (answerphone) Message from our Committee We are greatly in need of a Publicity Officer to join our Committee. Ann and Shirley do their best to keep things up to date, but they are both already fully involved in administration. If you feel you could help in this way, we would be delighted to hear from you. Shirley and Ann Sometimes the musicians, especially string players, played for dances on Saturday as well as for psalms and anthems on Sunday: they brought the same vernacular approach to both kinds of music. 2

3 Question time and Open Forum plus hands on practical advice for organists and would be organists Monday 18 th June, 7.30pm pm with James Davy and John Rippin Holy Trinity Church Rayleigh SS6 8BB This evening's event is designed to provide help, encouragement and hands on practical advice in an informal atmosphere on many aspects of playing. Bring your queries and suggestions on - e.g. - transferring from piano to organ; choosing repertoire; service playing; technical problems; handling the instrument itself; practising; in fact answers (hopefully!) to all those questions you meant to ask but somehow never have. James and John will do their best to put you on the right track. Holy Trinity Church is at the north end of High Street ( A129) at its junction with Hockley Road (B1013). Enter the church via the Parish Centre. Parking is available behind the church, entrance from Rectory Garth, a small turning off Hockley Road. Train and bus information on form with registration document. See www. rscm-eel.org.uk Please arrive any time after 7pm for a prompt start at 7.30pm. There will Please arrive anytime after 7.00 be a break for tea/coffee during the pm. for a prompt start at evening. 7.30There will be a break for Cost: Adults 7.50 ( 9 for non-rscm members) *School pupils 3 *Those under18years of age, unless accompanied by an adult responsible for them, must provide an indemnity form signed by a parent or guardian before the event begins. Please download the registration form from our website and return it to John Rippin, not later than Monday 11 th June. Address and payment details on registration form. Any queries, please John at: instrumental@rscm-eel.org.uk Come and Sing Evensong! Sunday, 1 st July, p.m p.m. (Service at 6.30 p.m.) St. Andrew s, High Street, Hornchurch RM12 6QP Directed by Andrew Losq Cost 5 An opportunity to sing Choral Evensong according to the Book of Common Prayer, especially for those who do not regularly have such an opportunity. Choirs and individual singers all very welcome. Members of St. Andrew s choir will be on hand to boost any of us who are less confident. Bring Choir robes if you have them, but if you haven t that is fine. Refreshments will be provided. The music, copies of which will be available on the day, will include Canticles Noble in B minor, O come ye servants of the Lord Tye, Be thou my vision Chilcott, Psalm 130, Responses Rose, I heard the voice of Jesus say (Kingsfold), Just as I am (Saffron Walden), Immortal Love for ever full (Bishopsthorpe). Psalm tones will be Purcell in F minor and Rimbault in F major. Further information from and bookings to Bill Brooks at william.brooks2@ntlworld.com or 12 Walden Way, Hornchurch RM11 2LB or ring

4 RSCM-EEL Area Choral Festival 2018 Saturday, 29 th September, 2018 Celebrating Martin Shaw. A Special One-day Come and Sing Event for Choirs and Individual Singers led by James Davy, Master of Music, Chelmsford Cathedral Registration 10am Festival Service 4pm All singers welcome. Further information, registrations and orders for the booklet containing the music to be used in the Festival to Shirley Timmins, 156 Warley Hill, Brentwood, CM14 5HF, telephone (answerphone) or shirleytimmins@btinternet.com MARTIN SHAW In 1935, Martin Shaw, composer and great friend of Ralph Vaughan Williams was appointed for two years as Director of Music for the Diocese of Chelmsford. He stayed for ten years. Born in 1875 in London, he was the eldest of the nine children of James Shaw, a church organist, and his wife Charlotte Elizabeth, a trained pianist. His brother, Geoffrey, also became an organist and composer, specialising in Anglican church music. Martin Shaw attended a local school before entering the Royal College of Music where he studied under Sir Charles Villiers Stanford and met fellow students, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst and John Ireland. At about this time he wrote, I felt vaguely dissatisfied, I knew that something I instinctively wanted was not there, though it was not till long afterwards that I discovered what it was. I will borrow from The Times critic a word which describes it most adequately: Englishness It later became his special mission to restore to English church music the quality of being English. In 1908 he met Percy Dearmer who objected to the sentimentality of popular Victorian church music and wanted a new style of Anglican hymnody. With Dearmer, Shaw edited The English Carol Book and several editions of Songs of Praise. These editions reflected the folk revival that was going on in English music at the time, led by Cecil Sharp. With Vaughan Williams he edited The English Hymnal. From this time on for fifty more years he was to become increasingly involved in the renaissance in church music. Martin Shaw and Ralph Vaughan Williams with singers at the Three Choirs Festival, 4

5 In 1928 he was to edit the Oxford Book of Carols. He was directly responsible for incorporating folk tunes with hymns that have lasted. For instance Bunessan with Morning has broken and Royal Oak with All things bright and Beautiful. He was deeply interested in improving congregational song and choral singing in small parishes and was an early organiser of hymn festivals. He moved to Southwold at about the time of the second World War and died there in His works include the hymn tunes, Little Cornard, Marching, and Gentle Jesus and a wealth of Church music including the rousing anthem With a voice of singing. It is most fitting therefore that in this the 60 th anniversary of the year of his death we should base our Area Festival on his music. Chelmsford Cathedral too will be celebrating this anniversary with a concert of the works of Shaw and Parry on 23 rd June. Martin Shaw with Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten. GRAHAM WADLEY Graham Wadley was awarded the British Empire Medal BEM in the Queen's New Year Honours for services to Church Music. This covers over 50 years as organist at St Mary the Virgin Wivenhoe where Graham still continues as Director of Music and very much involved with music for the church and community. Graham's work for the RSCM is also recognised. This includes over 40 years at local level within the EEL area and also more recently an eight year period as a trustee and member of RSCM Council. The award is to be presented by the Lord Lieutenant of Essex in County Hall early May to be shortly followed by a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace later in May. 5

6 Chorister Awards Ceremony 2018 The annual Chorister Awards Presentation Ceremony, which is held alternately and Brentwood and Chelmsford Cathedrals, is always a splendid event. This year, it was Brentwood s turn, when on 20 th January 19 Bishops and 9 Deans Choristers (representing five affiliations: Brentwood Cathedral, Chingford Parish Church, St Edward Romford, St Nicholas Witham and St Peter South Weald) received their medallions and certificates from the Bishops and Deans of both cathedrals. The ceremony, set within the context of Choral Vespers, was most ably sung by the successful candidates together with the Cathedral Choir, all under the inspiring direction of Master of Music, Andrew Wright. The service marked the culmination, not only of the candidates achievements in the awards examinations, but also all the wonderful singing they continue to do week by week in their various choirs not to forget the hours of rehearsal they put in on the day itself. Congratulations to all Our New Website During 2017 we launched our new Website at and we are grateful to Eddie Hall of Datapartners for all the hard work that has gone into the creation of our new site, along with everyone else who contributed to getting the site up and running. This is still the first phase of the website, so additional content and tweaking will be an ongoing process. If you have any ideas for content you would like to see on the website, please send your suggestions to admin@rscm-eel.org.uk Afternoon rehearsals under the masterful direction of Andrew Wright. Watch this space-coming events:- Autumn Gospel Workshop at Rivenhall details to follow The Bishops and Deans of Bentwood and Chelmsford with the successful candidates proudly wearing their hard-won medallions. 6