Music at St Mary's
Since the first choir was founded in 1123, music has filled this magnificent mediaeval church of St Mary, Warwick. Choral singing is one of Britain’s richest traditions and a vibrant, living heritage which is often the preserve of our great cathedrals. The fine choirs of this church are precious; they transform and inspire worship and enrich the community of Warwick.
The English choral tradition remains central to music at St Mary’s Church and today’s flourishing choirs enjoy an international reputation.
St Mary’s Church is a popular venue for a range of high quality concerts and other events, welcoming performers from across the UK and the world.
The Boy Choristers
The first evidence of a choir at St Mary’s dates from 1123. The charter establishing the Collegiate Church of St Mary provided for 6 “Quaeresters” and 6 “Vicars-Choral”. This remained the situation until 1544, when the dissolution of the College was ordered by King Henry VIII. Despite destroying the choir-school, the King founded what is now Warwick School, which then provided the choristers until well into the 17th Century. After that the Choir had its ups and downs until the modern Choir – with boys – was set up in 1882. At the end of the 19th Century, the appointment of Dr Allen Blackall saw the consolidation of previous good work, and he raised standards to rival the best in the district. Since his departure in 1945, several Directors of Music at St Mary’s have gone on to Cathedral posts – including at St Edmundsbury, Sheffield, and Guildford, and in Texas, USA.
Today’s Choir is no longer limited to 6 boys and 6 men. The boys are drawn from a variety of local schools, and travel to sing at St Mary’s from as far afield as Coventry, Stratford-upon-Avon, Solihull, and Leamington Spa. There are a number of scholarships available for choristers who attend Warwick School, but the majority of the boys attend voluntarily (although the choristers do receive Choir Pay each term!).
The Choir’s first overseas tour was to Germany in 1965, and it was the first Parish Church Choir to visit the United States of America (in 1968) and Russia (in 1996). It has sung services in the cathedrals of Chichester, Winchester, Salisbury, Bristol, Gloucester, Worcester, Hereford, Blackburn, Canterbury, Norwich, Lichfield, Durham, St Paul’s, Southwark, and Lincoln, as well as at Westminster Abbey and St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. A visit to Texas in August 2000 was the Choir’s fourth visit to the USA, and other international tours have taken the Choir to Dublin (2008), and Leipzig (2015). The Choir is regularly invited to make broadcasts on BBC Radio and TV, has won BBC Radio competitions, and boasts a number of former BBC ‘Choristers of the Year’ among its alumni. The Choir has recorded a number of CDs, most recently ‘Music for Our Lady’ (Regent Records, 2010), ‘Christmas from Warwick’ (2013), and ‘Gaudeamus omnes’ (Regent Records, 2014) – celebrating Warwick’s 1100 years.
The Director of Music is always pleased to meet prospective choristers and their parents. For further information, please see How to join the Choirs or contact:
Oliver Hancock, Director of Music
+44 (0)1926 403940 (option 2)
musicadmin@stmaryswarwick.org.uk
The Girls’ Choir
The St Mary’s Girls’ Choir was founded in 1990 by the then Director of Music, Simon Lole. The Girls sing Evensong at St Mary’s on Wednesdays during term time and join the Gentlemen for occasional Sundays. The combined choir of Boys, Girls, and Men sings for services at major festivals and concerts, and the Girls have also made guest appearances with Collegium.
The Girls, aged eight to eighteen, come from a range of schools and the social life of the Choir is an important aspect of choir membership. The Girls are particularly well known locally for giving their services to support a wide range of charities and other fund-raising events.
Numerous visits have been undertaken, including to York Minster, Exeter, Southwark, St Paul’s, Truro, Ely, and Salisbury cathedrals, as well as Westminster Abbey and St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. The Choir has toured France, Dublin, and Germany.
The Girls’ Choir has broadcast on BBC Radio and TV and has featured on a number of CDs.
The Director of Music is always pleased to meet prospective choristers and their parents. For further information, please see How to join the Choirs or contact:
Oliver Hancock, Director of Music
+44 (0)1926 403940 (option 2)
musicadmin@stmaryswarwick.org.uk
The Gentlemen of the Choir
The Gentlemen are all experienced musicians and are committed unpaid volunteers. Most are in full-time occupation, ranging from teaching and social work to positions in the computer and motor industries. Teenagers, who have continued to sing in the “back row” following service in the treble line, sing alongside senior citizens, and the social life of the Choir is all the healthier for the broad range of experience brought to it.
St Mary’s Scholars
St Mary’s Scholars is the deputy adult choir of St Mary’s Collegiate Church, singing for services on up to six Sundays every year, as well as on Warwick Victorian Evening and during Holy Week. It has also sung in churches further afield and given occasional concerts. The repertoire encompasses a broad range of church music: plainchant and mediaeval music frequently “rub shoulders” with contemporary music, and the choir has given several first performances in addition to standard repertoire from Tallis to Tavener.
Rehearsals generally take place on Tuesday evenings (7.30-9.30pm). Membership is by audition and the choir is formed from a wide pool of singers from all walks of life.
If you are aged 18 or over, can sight-read confidently and would be interested in the opportunity of singing in St Mary’s, please contact the Assistant Director of Music for more information, or to arrange an audition:
Mark Swinton, Assistant Director of Music
+44 (0)1926 403940 (option 3)
adofm@stmaryswarwick.org.uk
Collegium
Collegium was formed by Simon Lole, then Director of Music for St Mary’s, in 1986. After continuing to develop under the leadership of subsequent Directors of Music, it is now conducted by Oliver Hancock.
The choir usually gives three main concerts a year in St Mary’s Church, and also occasionally takes part in services and gives performances in Warwick and elsewhere. It has engaged in a variety of other activities, including visits to Verden, Warwick’s twin town in Germany, participating in a BBC ‘Top Ten Hymns’ broadcast from Birmingham Town Hall, and also contributing to a recording of Christmas music produced by the St Mary’s Choirs. Collegium participated in a BBC ‘Songs of Praise’ broadcast from St Mary’s Church, and formed part of the ‘Murallennium’ choral celebration of the millennium in Warwick Castle.
Collegium has joined with other local choirs and orchestras, presenting Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, Berlioz’s Messe Solennelle, Philip Wilby’s A Passion for our Times, and Handel’s Messiah (including two joint performances with St Katharine’s Church, Braunschweig, Germany) and Alexander’s Feast. More recently, Collegium joined the Choeur Josquin des Pres of Villebon-sur-Yvette, near Paris, for a performance of Finlandia and Fauré’s Requiem.
If you are interested in joining, please email the Chairman:
Mary Clark, Collegium Committee Chairman
whitebirk@icloud.com
The Music Staff
Director of Music
Oliver Hancock is Director of Music at the Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick. He first started learning the organ under the watchful eye of his father, continuing his studies through school in Sussex, before becoming Organ Scholar at Jesus College, Oxford, where he read for a degree in Music. In 2008, Oliver was appointed Assistant Organist to Ely Cathedral Girls’ Choir, where he accompanied the choir on their first tour to Paris, their fifth-anniversary broadcast of BBC Radio 3 Choral Evensong, and their CD Penitence & Redemption (Regent Records). During his time at Ely, Oliver was one of the first students to take the MMus in Choral Studies degree at the University of Cambridge in 2010, and for the academic year 2011-2012 he was also Graduate Organ Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. With Selwyn College Chapel Choir, he recorded a CD of music by Alan Bullard – Wondrous Cross (Regent Records) – and undertook a tour of the East cost of the USA. He returned to the South as Sub-Organist at Portsmouth Cathedral, and School Organist at The Portsmouth Grammar School – the first to hold this combined post. In 2013, he directed the girl choristers and scholars on tour in Malta and Gozo, and in a tour of Italy in July 2015 which included an award-winning performance as part of the Florence International Choirs Festival. As well as accompanying all major School services, and taking part in concerts, tours, and recordings, Oliver was responsible for Theory and Aural Skills tuition, as well as teaching A-Level harmony and counterpoint.
As well as the USA, Oliver has toured much of mainland Europe, both as conductor and accompanist, and has broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and 4. He is the Founder and Director of the Nelson Consort, an eight-part choir specialising in a cappella choral music (nelsonconsort.co.uk). He remains an active recitalist, performing recently in St Paul’s Cathedral, London, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral in Malta, Westminster and Truro Cathedrals, Tallinn Cathedral in Estonia, in and around Milan, and Kerpen in Germany. Oliver is an Examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists.
Assistant Director of Music
Mark Swinton was educated at the King's School Chester and studied for the Music degrees at the University of York. Awarded the Fellowship diploma of the Royal College of Organists in 2006, he has given numerous recitals at venues throughout the UK. He has also performed in France, Spain and Holland both as a soloist and an accompanist.
In 2003 he was appointed Organist at Clifton College, Bristol, where he played for daily Chapel services, accompanied the Chapel choirs in their regular round of services, concerts and tours and masterminded a recital series featuring the College's splendid 1911 Harrison organ. His own recitals there included complete performances of Messiaen's La Nativite du Seigneur and L'Ascension, as well as the first performance of a work written for him by Bryan Boulter.
In 2005 he became Assistant Organist at Bath Abbey where he accompanied and helped to direct the acclaimed Choirs of Boys, Girls and Men under the direction of Dr Peter King. He was Organist at Kendal Parish Church from September 2008. He has also directed Kendal South Choir in their programme of concerts.
Mark was appointed Assistant Director of Music at the Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick in October 2011.