Music
Music Department
Cathedral Choir
Choral Scholarships
Youth Choir
Organ
Music Groups
MUSIC DEPARTMENT [top of page]
Graeme Vernon , Neil page, Chris Burton
Neil Page BA(Dunelm) FTCL LRAM ARCO Director of Music
Following his initial choral experience as a choral scholar in the choirs of Durham Cathedral and Trinity College Cambridge, Neil Page studied singing as a post-graduate student at the Royal Academy of Music. Having been Director of Music at Hurstpierpoint College and Malvern College, in 1985 he was appointed Director of Music at Uppingham School and Conductor of the 200-voice Nottingham Harmonic Society Chorus. He has conducted all the major works of the choral repertoire working with several of the principal British orchestras including the RPO, RLPO, CBSO, Halle and BBC Concert Orchestra.. In 2003 he was appointed Director of Music at St Barnabas Cathedral and oversaw the introduction and development of the choral scholarship scheme. He has been a diploma and grade examiner for the ABRSM for over 30 years in which capacity he has toured throughout Africa and South East Asia. He is Honorary Choral Adviser to the Hong Kong Children's Choir. In recognition of his work with youth and adult choirs he has been awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Fellowship.
Christopher Burton BA MMus Assistant Director of Music and Conductor Youth Choir
Christopher was educated in Nottingham and held a gap year position at Trent College, St Barnabas Cathedral and St Mary's High Pavement before reading music at the university of Exeter. He graduated in July 2007 with a first class honours degree in music with a commendation for distinction in performance. As a result, he was given funding from Exeter to read Music at postgraduate level where he went onto a gain a Masters of Music degree. He returned to Nottingham to take up the position of Assistant Director of Music at St Barnabas Cathedral and Director of Music at St Joseph's Prep. School. Alongside these duties, Chris runs his own private piano teaching practise and is the Director of Music for the locally renowned Radcliffe Male Voice Choir.
Graeme Vernon ARMCM Director of Parish Music
Graeme Vernon was educated in Nottingham before moving to Manchester where he studied organ at the Royal Manchester College of Music, gaining the ARMCM diploma. Whilst in Manchester he was organist and choirmaster at St Michael and all Angels, Lawton Moor, Wythenshaw, and later at the church of St Martin's, Marple Bridge, Cheshire.
Returning to Nottingham he joined the parish of St Augustine of Canterbury, New Basford as organist and later choirmaster until the church closed and was invited to St Barnabas Cathedral as assistant to Peter Smedley - to take over the parish mass and to assist at the High Mass. Graeme continues at the 10.00 mass, working with a small group of singers to provide a simple congregational sung mass; also assisting Neil Page and Chris Burton at diocesan celebrations.
ST BARNABAS CATHEDRAL CHOIR [top of page]
There has been a choir at St Barnabas' ever since the Pugin-designed church opened in 1844; at that time it was the largest Catholic Church to be built in England since the Reformation. The first Director of Music, Edmund Hart-Turpin, who went on to be co-founder of the Royal College of Organists and Organist of St Bride's Church Fleet Street, was the first conductor of the Nottingham (Sacred) Harmonic Society Chorus. Over the years the Choir has gone through reincarnations according to fluctuations in requirements and tastes of the Catholic Church. A photograph taken in 1894 shows a mixed-voice adult choir of about 30 singers at a time when it was quite common for their ranks to be swelled of a Sunday by members of visiting opera companies. A distinguished tradition of Gregorian Chant has been maintained not least by Peter Smedley who reformed the boys choir in 1955 directing an all-male choir until 1979 when the choir once again became an adult ensemble
.
In 2003 the reconstruction of the Choir and the generosity of the Diocese made it possible to introduce choral scholars - students from The University of Nottingham, who in a very short time made a dramatic impact upon the choral standard and repertoire. Schola Cantorum, the Cathedral's Chamber Choir is a group of 24 singers drawn largely from current and former choral scholars. In addition to regular concerts in the Cathedral, they have visited Hong Kong (2005 & 2009), Italy, including singing in St Peter's Basilica Rome (2007 & 2008) and Munich(2009). They will be returning to Bavaria in 2011. Two CDs of a capella choral music have also been issued. Today the choir repertoire is extensive and ranges from the great masters of the Reformation (Palestrina, Lassus, Victoria, Byrd etc) through the masses of Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Widor and Vierne to recent composers such as Judith Bingham, James McMillan and Gabriel Jackson. The Mass of St Barnabas was composed for us in 2009 by Antony Le Fleming and a new Missa Brevis by our composer-in-residence, Alex Patterson, was introduced in the Summer of 2010.
The full Cathedral Choir rehearses on Fridays 7.30-8.45pm and Sundays 10.15-11.am prior to singing at the 11.15am High Mass.
Singers wishing to be considered for membership are required to take an audition in which vocal, aural and sight-singing skills will be assessed.
For further information contact the Director of Music:
neil_page@hotmail.com Tel:07740 644439
CHORAL SCHOLARSHIPS [top of page]
Choral Scholarships (SATB) are available to students in full-time education in Nottingham. They attend all rehearsals and Masses sung by the full Cathedral Choir and in addition sing for up to two Sunday 6pm Masses per month during term. Attendance during Holy Week and Christmas is by arrangement. Scholars are entitled to one "free" weekend a term. The Choral Scholars are automatically members of the Cathedral chamber choir Schola Cantorum of some 24 singers which includes other members of the full choir, most of whom are former St Barnabas scholars. Scholars are often called upon to sing for weddings (for which additional fees are payable) and a regular concert programme is maintained throughout the year. Recent performances have included The 40-part motet Spem in Alium (Tallis), Benjamin Britten's War Requiem (with the Nottingham Harmonic Society), A Ceremony of Carols and Eine Deutsches Requiem (Brahms).
For further information and to arrange an audition please contact The Director of Music, Mr Neil Page: neil_page@hotmail.comTel 07740 644439
ST BARNABAS CATHEDRAL YOUTH CHOIR [top of page]
There are currently about 20 member in the Youth Choir ranging from 8 -16. These children travel from parishes across the diocese. The choir provides each child with a free musical education helping them and encouraging them to learn a musical instrument and understand and enjoy music. During rehearsals questions, led by the Director of Music, are asked about each piece, encouraging children to participate in answering questions helping them to learn new musical terminology and musical notation. With the help of a professional voice coach, each member receives help with voice projection and singing during rehearsals.
The Youth Choir sing at the Sunday 6pm Mass once a month during term time and have a vast repertoire of both sacred and secular pieces. They join the Cathedral Choir at Christmas to partake in the Annual Christmas Spectacular and also perform their own concert at the end of the summer term.
The choir meet in Cathedral Hall during term time on Fridays 6-7pm and is always keen to welcome new members.
For further information either come along on a Friday night or contact:
Christopher Burton MMus BA Assistant Director of Music
Mobile: 07984469431
Email: chrisburton628@hotmail.com
Or
Katharine Choonara LRSM ATCL DipABRSM Associate Conductor Youth Choir
Mobile: 07793204437
Email: k_choonara@hotmail.com
ORGAN [top of page]
Built. 1913 Norman & Beard Rebuilt: 1989 by Hill, Norman & Beard,1980 Henry Willis, 1995 Henry Groves & Son.
Action: Multiplex transmission system. 64 channel piston memory system. Digital memory player.
Great |
Swell |
Double Diapason 16 |
Lieblich Bourdon 16 |
Choir |
Pedal |
Viola da Gamba 8 Tremulant |
Contra Trombone 32 |
MUSIC GROUPS [top of page]
The Music Group currently rehearse in the Cathedral House on Friday evenings between 7-9pm. Accomplished instrumentalists and singers, with good reading skills are welcome to arrange a trial with the Cathedral's Director of music. The Music Group lead music at the Sunday 6pm mass once a month. The group is currently made up of 5 members consisting of guitar, flute, violin and singers.
For further information please contact:
Neil Page BA FTCL LRAM ARCO Director of Music
Parish Singers
This small group of singers lead music at the 10am Parish Mass every Sunday morning. Under the direction of Graeme Vernon, they lead the hymn singing and music in up to 4 parts for all main parts of the mass. A cantor chosen from the group sings the psalm and alleluia from the lectern. They rehearse at 9.20am on a Sunday morning. New members are welcome to come along. The ability to read music is desirable but not essential.
For further information please contact:
Graeme Vernon ARMCM Director of Parish Music
Mobile: 07979990993
