Music
Holy Trinity Music Blog now at http://musicfromholytrinity.blogspot.com/
Choir
For many years Holy Trinity has been fortunate in being able to maintain a fine musical tradition. The choir was under the leadership of David Williams from 1971-2008. Ian Wells became Director of Music in September 2008.
Ian Wells, who served as Assistant Organist and Choral Conductor at
Liverpool Cathedral from 1982-2007, has also taken on the role of Conductor of the Southport Bach Choir, from David Williams.
In addition, he is also Director of Music at Tower College, Rainhill, peripatetic teacher of piano, organ and keyboard at St Margaret's High School in Liverpool and Organ Tutor for Liverpool University.
He holds Fellowships from several musical institutions and performs recitals both home and abroad.
Welcome to the first edition of Trinity Music Notes.
The aim is to give prior notice of matters musical and artistic at Holy Trinity Church, Hoghton Street, Southport, as well as reporting on recent events.
Publication will be three or four times per year. Your comments, views, criticisms etc are welcome.
Grahame Walker email :grawalk@supanet.com
On Saturday, 11th February, the Church & Chapel Choirs will present a concert in the Parish Centre with most of the music associated with the theme of Love. The hope is that we will showcase some of our younger talent in the way that we do at the Cream Tea Recital. There will also be a raffle.
The date is just at the beginning of Half Term and before Lent begins and we would ask you to make a big bold entry in your shiny new 2012 diary; more importantly, take the decision to come and in the true Valentine spirit - bring someone with you! Admission is just £5 (£2 for young people 18 and under) and will include tea, coffee or soft drinks and a bite to eat at the interval. Tickets will be on sale after the Sunday morning service or you can phone (01704) 568001.
One of the issues facing Holy Trinity during 2012, is raising enough money to pay for the repairs to the pinnacles on the tower. The Choirs' are well aware of the strong support they receive from the church during the year and wanted to be amongst the first to raise funds for this cause - hence the concert.
Trinity Arts Festival 2012
Please note the dates from Friday 15th June till Sunday 1st July.
Events include a Murder Mystery; a concert by Southport Bach Choir; The Organist Entertains - Nigel Ogden from Radio 2; The Annual Art
Exhibition; a chamber concert and our biggest challenge yet - Friday Night is Light Music Night with the Orchestra Dell'arte.
There will also be the usual selection of Lunchtime Recitals.
Tickets will be on sale after Easter. Look out for further details on the Festival Website.
Apart from the two cathedrals in Liverpool, this is the only choir in the Diocese that regularly sings a full midweek Choral Evensong (Wednesdays during term time at 7.15pm), in addition to its Sunday duties. The high standard of the choir has meant that each year since 1965, it has sung the daily services at one of the UK's cathedrals for a week during the resident choir's summer vacation. Singing weeks have taken them to Carlisle, Durham, Ely, Exeter, Oxford, Hereford, Worcester, Gloucester, Lichfield, Edinburgh, Bath Abbey, York Minster, Ripon, Norwich, St Albans Abbey, Wells, Winchester, Llandaff, Peterborough, and the Queen's Chapel of St George, Windsor. The choir have also toured Holland.
In 2011 the choir sang at Peterborough Cathedral between 25th and 31st July. The choir has also sung Choral Evensong in Liverpool Cathedral in 2008 and 2010, and taken part in the Liverpool Echo Carol Concert in Liverpool Cathedral in 2009 and 2010. They sang Choral Evensong at Blackburn Cathedral in March 2011.
The boys' section of the all male choir is open to any boy in the town not already in a church choir and probationer training begins after the satisfactory passing of a simple voice test. The boys range in age from 7 to 14. Several former choristers have gone into the music profession including two current Cathedral Organists, a former bass of the King's Singers, and more recently the Junior Organ Scholar of Manchester Cathedral, now a successful church musician in Denmark.
As well as their duties singing liturgical music, the choir occasionally joins with the Southport Bach Choir in performances with orchestra. The boys sang the Ragazzi part in Carmina Burana in 2010, and sang in performances of Mahler's Symphony No.8 'The Symphony of a Thousand' in Liverpool Cathedral and Portugal in October 2011.
If you have a son or grandson or nephew between the ages of 7 and 11 who can sing a simple melody in tune, he may be eligible for a place. As a chorister, he would receive free musical tuition plus tremendous experience as a member of a team and have lots of fun. We also have a monthly 'pocket money' scheme (tax free!). Concentration, discipline and regular performance encourages confidence in our boys and no previous musical training is required.
The choir is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music.
The Chapel Choir
The Church also has a chapel choir of ladies who accompany the men and boys to sing the Eucharist Motets every Sunday and on other special occasions, such as Trinity Sunday, Christmas Midnight Mass and Easter Sunday, and occasional services and concerts. We would be delighted to hear from anyone who wished to be considered for the Chapel Choir.
Concerts
Throughout the year, Trinity presents special musical events, including concerts which are part of the Trinity Arts Festival (see www.trinityartsfestival.org.uk) and the Southport Bach Choir perform up to four concerts (see www.southportbachchoir.org.uk).
There are also liturgical events such as the Advent Carol Service; a service of Lessons and Carols; a sequence of words and music for Palm Sunday or performance of Stainer's Crucifixion; Festal Evensong on Easter Day and Festival Mass to celebrate Trinity Sunday.
Casterton School
The boys of The Church Choir were invited to take part in a concert given by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir at Casterton School, near Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancshire. They sang several items on their own, conducted by Ian Wells and accompanied by Prof. Ian Tracey. They were very well received by an appreciative audience.
Peterborough Cathedral - July 2011
The Church Choir's Annual Cathedral Singing Week was spent at Peterborough. They sang Evensong each day and at the Sunday Eucharist plus Evensong. The choir were accompanied by Dan Bishop, Associate Organist at Liverpool Cathedral and conducted by Ian Wells.
Many very pleasing comments were made by the clergy staff and members of the congregation and an invitation to return was made. Next year's visit will be to Gloucester Cathedral.
Weekly Services
Sundays: Holy Communion 8.30am
Sung Eucharist 10.15am
Evening Service 6.30pm
Tuesday Holy Communion 11.30am
Wednesday Choral Evensong during term time 7.15 p.m
Choir Recruitment
Our annual visits to local schools will be undertaken shortly. Boys from age 7 are welcome to come for
auditions with Mr. Wells. Please contact him on 07999 879632. Parents, grandparents, friends etc please encourage youngsters to apply
for a place in the choir where they receive a first class musical education.
The Organs
A new Makin Westmorland Custom 4-74 organ was installed in October 2010. It was dedicated by the Bishop of Warrington Rt. Rev. Richard Blackburn on Sunday 7th November.
The specification can be found at http://musicfromholytrinity.blogspot.com as can the specifications of the previous Makin and pipe organ.
There is also a Makin Majestic 2-34 Organ (purchased in 2002) that is used for accompanying choir motets on a Sunday mornings and when the choir are singing in front of the choir screen.
It is also used to accompany concerts by the Southport Bach Choir, and as a continuo instrument when an orchestra is used.
The specification can be found at http://musicfromholytrinity.blogspot.com
SUNDAYS
8.30am Holy Communion
10.15am Parish Communion (First Sundays in month are usually a Family Communion with children taking part)
10.15am Sunday School
(For 3 year olds upwards - on all except first Sundays and school holidays)
6.30pm Evening Prayer
WEEKDAYS
11.30am Tuesdays
Holy Communion
7.15pm Wednesdays
Choral Evensong
7.15pm 1st Friday in month
Book of Common Prayer Communion
OTHER SERVICES
(e.g for Saints Days): as announced
Practising members of other Christian denominations are invited to receive Holy Communion.
If you are not confirmed but would like to receive a blessing please come forward with other communicants and place your hands below the altar rail.
We hope you will join us for refreshments in the Parish Centre after the Service