The Choir

Morecambe Parish Church Choir, Christmas 2004

A warm welcome to our Choir page

One thing I have learnt over the years since starting in my role as organist and choirmaster is that you can never and should never be complacent where church choirs are concerned. A group that requires from its members such commitment and dedication must be cherished and encouraged. We must always have an eye towards the future – be on the lookout for new blood, but must also nurture and encourage those we have - at all ages and stages. We must bring in young people, but also appreciate the tremendous work carried out by those of more mature years, often over so many years. If we were to sit back and think to ourselves how fortunate we are here at MPC to even have a choir in this age when sadly so many have folded, decline would quickly follow.

Secular choirs too require commitment, meet on a weekly basis, perhaps preparing for a concert at the end of term. They enjoy the fellowship and look forward to that ‘buzz’ of performance. They are striving to please their audience and through that get a great sense of satisfaction themselves. There are many similarities, and I certainly wouldn’t deny that there is often a ‘buzz’ in the vestry after something like the carol service – and so there should be! I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. But with a church choir, there are important differences. We are not doing what we do primarily for the buzz of the performance – we are doing it in the service of God, to enrich the worship, to touch people and draw them closer to him. This can sometimes be with a rousing hymn or big majestic anthem or it can be in a quiet, meditative chant.  Music has a unique way of being able to touch the participant – and that participant can be singing, actively listening or even just allowing it to wash over and around them. It can make us feel elated or reduce us to tears.

Over the past year we have striven to do this, using music of differing styles and moods.  Monthly choral evensong has attracted quite a few people and hopefully those attending have appreciated the variety of music we have offered. For the July service, we joined forces with another choir, “Cantoris Ambrosiana”. We also enjoy the fellowship following the service as refreshments are now served – thanks to Janet.

In September, we were very pleased to welcome six new junior choristers, indeed we could not believe how many turned up for our first practice of the year. The vestry seemed to be overflowing with children. Over the year, several people have helped us out in one way or another and we are very grateful to them, particularly our organists who have made evensongs possible, Keith, Douglas, Stephen and David and also Robert and Eileen who regularly travel from Leyland to sing with us.

So much work goes on behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly and I feel lucky to have such a supportive team, organising the music, sewing, photocopying and generally running around. Linda’s drama expertise in writing and working with our children was appreciated at the Remembrance Sunday service and on Christmas Day.

Our affiliation to the Royal School of Church Music brings many benefits. In April we ran a ‘Young People’s Singing Day’ and in May hosted  ‘Come and Sing the Rutter Requiem’, welcoming people from around the diocese. The ‘Meet Eat and Sing’ at Preston provided a wonderful evening of fellowship, food and music. We had such fun when we scoured the area afterwards trying to give away trays of leftover meat and potato pie. At the time, Gary was away on sabbatical, so at 10.30pm we discovered that the homeless shelter in Lancaster was closed, but were told that there was a building where ‘they tend to hang out at this time of year’. At this point, we ended up under the surveillance of the local police, who must have thought we were acting suspiciously. We were of course! Anyway, the policemen were very glad of some pie to brighten up their shift! Next stop, Morecambe fire station. The firemen were slightly (!) taken aback to find several women badgering them to accept some meat and potato pie – by this time it was 11.00pm. Join the choir for a challenge!

Back in January, Torun was presented with her Dean’s (Bronze) Award at Blackburn Cathedral. Several of us went to support her. The exams set by the RSCM demand hard work and dedication, requiring musical knowledge and Christian understanding. This year we have been able to extend our ‘Voice for Life’ training to adults. Our young people too continue to enjoy the challenge of learning more about music, singing and their Christian faith. There are tremendous opportunities for them to reach their musical potential at a high level and several of them opted to go on courses during the year – at Whitby and Morland. We are most grateful to the PCC for financial support. We have a long association with Morland Choristers’ Camp and its success is well known.  We took a full coach from church to Carlisle, where everyone enjoyed looking around the city and then attending Choral Evensong at the Cathedral sung by the Morland Choristers. As always, the singing at that service and at the Penrith concert was excellent. Canon Markham founded the camp in 1971 and this was to be his last, as we heard with sadness of his death on December 29^th, aged 97.

Our head chorister Daisy, along with Richard, is a member of RSCM Northern Cathedral singers and she was lucky enough to sing at St Paul’s Cathedral at the annual celebration service and was then invited to sing on the cathedral course at Canterbury, an experience which will, I am sure, last in her memory.

We have a growing congregation for our Service of Nine Lesson and Carols. Each year we try to find some new carols to sing, whilst at the same time giving everyone a chance to sing the old favourites. It is always a very special time of year for the choir, as members who have moved to pastures new come back to sing with us. 

In February we organised another Hotpot Supper, Games and Quiz night in the Memorial Hall, this time with homemade hotpot! Many were there to enjoy it. As ever, the Choir Barbeque rounded off the social year for our members and their families – always great fun for all. Early in 2007, we started to run a monthly ‘Fairtrade’ stall in the Memorial Hall following the Sunday morning service, and this has proved to be very popular. Thank you to the people who (wo)man the stall!

During the autumn term, we said goodbye to May and June Smith – with a sense of sadness at the end of an era but also of thankfulness for their wonderful service over so many years. We presented them with retirement gifts and thanked them both for their dedication and ministry to the choir and our church. It is lovely that we still see them each week – they’ve just moved seats!

Marilyn Prescott 

Email marilyn.prescott@googlemail.com for further details.  

Choir practice is on Thursday evenings:

Juniors - 6.45 pm

Seniors - 7.30 pm.

(excluding school holidays)

We sing at the Sunday morning Eucharist every week, do a monthly Choral Evensong and special occasional services. All voice parts are welcome.

 

 Updated: 23.04.08