In the ancient village of Hackington, now a suburb approximately a mile north-east of the centre of Canterbury, St Stephen's Church is home to one of the leading church choirs in the Canterbury Diocese.
St Stephen's has a strong musical tradition with two choral services each Sunday throughout the year (except August when the choir has a well deserved break - but usually sing elsewhere for a number of days). Music is sung from across the centuries, ranging from plainsong dating back hundreds of years right through to contemporary works by composers such as John Tavener and Arvo Pärt, including works written especially for us.
Over the weekend of 10th and 11th April, St Stephen's Choir sang the services in Rochester Cathedral. See the 'Trips and Visits' section of our website for more details.
On Saturday 27th March, St Stephen's Church Choir took part in the final of the Canterbury Rota Club Top Choir Kent competition 2010. Whilst not winning competition, the judges spoke very favourably about the quality of the choir, especially the way in which the choir blended, and the energy in the singing. Congratulations to everyone involved!
St. Stephen's currently has a voluntary choir of around 40 members of various ages including children and students who sing with us during term time while studying at one of Canterbury's universities.
Rehearsals take place on Wednesdays from 6:30 - 7:30 pm for Trebles (children) and Friday's from 7:30 - 9:00 pm for the full choir (- 8:30 for Trebles).
The choir sing two services each Sunday: 10:30 am Sung Eucharist, with a seasonal setting of the Gloria (or Kyrie in Advent and Lent), Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei, and at 6:00 pm Choral Evensong, following a pattern of full choir, mens voices, ladies voices, and full cathedral style Evensong. The choir also sing for an evening Sung Eucharist on principle Feast Days.
At each service anthems are sung and, of course, we also lead the congregation in Hymn singing (of various styles) and in the singing of the psalms. Every Autumn we sing in the Royal School of Church Music Canterbury Area Festival where we join with choirs from all over the Canterbury Diocese. In recent years we have sung in several cathedrals in the South of England, including Canterbury, Portsmouth, and Bath Abbey (not strictly a Cathedral, but of Cathedral proportions!), and broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Sunday Worship.
Choir members also enjoy a good social life, with each Friday rehearsal ending in Ye Olde Beverlie - the pub over the road from the church. We have meals out and barbecues together regularly during the year and many of the choir take part in other church social activities too.
The choir is open to anyone, so if you would be interested in joining us, please contact the .
St Stephen's is proud of it's musical traditions and uses a pipe organ to accompany all services. It was last rebuilt by F. H. Brownes and Sons in 1964 with Allan Wicks, then Organist and Master of the Choristers at Canterbury Cathedral as advisor.
The organ has served the church well in a period that has seen increased demands made upon it in the range or music and accompaniment of the choir that it is called upon to realise. Like all things mechanical, time causes wear and tear and consequently in 2007 several organ builders were approached to look at the instrument and see how it could be improved. As a result of this process, Brownes were asked to draw up detailed plans to support their proposals, but plans are currently on hold while we take a more careful look at how we use the church building for worship now, and in years to come.
Forthcoming visits | Past visits
St Stephen's choir regularly sing in Cathedrals and Abbeys across Southern England, and in August 2009 the choir was resident at Bath Abbey singing Evensong on the Saturday, and Matins and Evensong on the Sunday.
Rehearsal for Evensong in Bath Abbey © 2009
On Monday 26th July 2010 St Stephen's Church Choir will be singing Choral Evensong in Canterbury Cathedral.
Show/Hide more information and Music List »
For this service, music will be sorted for you and provided on the day, however you are responsible for bringing your own robes to the Cathedral. Rehearsals will be in the Quire and wearing cassocks. Please robe in the Water Tower and be ready to sing at the stated time.
Availability form - Choir members please complete this form so that I know whether or not you are coming.
| Monday 26th July 2010 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4:15 pm | Rehearsal | |
| 5:30 pm | CHORAL EVENSONG Responses - William Smith Psalm 119 vv. 145-152 Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis - Noble in b minor Anthem - Save us, O Lord - Edward Bairstow Hymn 463ii | |
St Stephen's Church Choir will be singing in St Albans Cathedral from Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd August 2010.
Show/Hide more information and Music List »
This is a residential trip, so the plan is to travel up to St Albans on the Friday and stay Friday and Saturday nights before returning to Canterbury on Sunday evening. The closest accomodation to the Abbey is the Comfort Hotel which offers a variety of rooms, car parking and full breakfast (included in the price of the room). You can book online by following the link.
During the weekend there will be time to explore the historic city dating back to Roman times inbetween rehearsing and singing in the Cathedral. See the Music List and Rehearsal Schedule below for details of times.
For those of you on Facebook, join our St Stephen's @ St Albans group to share information and photos!
Availability form - Choir members please complete this form so that I know whether or not you are coming.
| Friday 20th August 2010 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3:00 pm | Rehearsal (Cathedral) | |
| 5:00 pm | CHORAL EVENSONG Responses - William Smith Psalm 102 Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis - Gibbons Short Service Anthem - Beati quorum via - Stanford Hymn CP 229 | |
| Saturday 21st August 2010 | ||
| 2:30 pm | Rehearsal (Cathedral) | |
| 4:00 pm | CHORAL EVENSONG Responses - William Smith Psalm 119 vv 73-88 Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis - Noble in b minor Anthem - Day by Day - Kenneth Roberts Hymn CP 325ii | |
| Sunday 22nd August 2010 | ||
| The 12th Sunday after Trinity | ||
| 10:00 am | Rehearsal (Song School) | |
| 11:15 am | SUNG EUCHARIST Kyrie de Angelis - Plainsong Shrewsbury Mass - Martin How Gradual Psalm 103 vv 1-6 Creed - Merbecke Communion Motet - Tantum ergo - de Séverac Hymns CP 558, CP 308i | |
| 5:30 pm | Rehearsal (Cathedral) | |
| 6:30 pm | CHORAL EVENSONG Responses - William Smith Psalm 119 vv 49-72 Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis - Brewer in D Anthem - Greater love - Ireland Hymns CP 457, CP 483 | |
St Stephen's Choir will be representing Canterbury in Rheims at the Twin Towns Concert on Saturday 20th November, as well as performing in a church close to Rheims on Friday 19th.
Show/Hide more information and Music List »
Availability form - Choir members please complete this form so that I know whether or not you are coming.
The concert programmes will be posted here in due course.
St Stephen's Choir will be singing Choral Evensong on Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th of April 2011.
Show/Hide more information and Music List »
The music lists will be posted here in due course.
| Monday 12th April 2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4:00 pm | Rehearsal | |
| 5:30 pm | CHORAL EVENSONG Responses - Sarum Psalm Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis - Anthem - Solus ad victimam - Kenneth Leighton | |
| Tuesday 13th April 2011 | ||
| 4:00 pm | Rehearsal | |
| 5:30 pm | CHORAL EVENSONG Responses - Sarum Psalm Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis - Anthem - | |
On Sunday 1st May 2011 (Low Sunday) St Stephen's Church Choir will be singing the Sung Eucharist and Choral Evensong in Canterbury Cathedral.
Show/Hide more information and Music List »
For these services, music will be sorted for you and provided on the day, however you are responsible for bringing your own robes to the Cathedral. Rehearsals will be in the Quire and wearing cassocks. Please robe in the Water Tower and be ready to sing at the stated time.
The music lists will be posted here in due course.
| Sunday 1st May 2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| The Second Sunday of Easter | ||
| 10:00 am | Rehearsal | |
| 11:00 am | SUNG EUCHARIST Mass (Opus 36)- Widor Anthem - Hymns | |
| 2:15 pm | Rehearsal | |
| 3:15 pm | CHORAL EVENSONG Responses - Psalm Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis - Anthem - Hymns | |
St Stephen's Choir will be singing the services in Coventry Cathedral over the weekend of 6-7 August 2011
Show/Hide more information and Music List »
The music lists will be posted here in due course.
| Saturday 6th August 2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Transfiguration of Our Lord | ||
| 2:00 pm | Rehearsal | |
| 4:00 pm | CHORAL EVENSONG Responses - Psalm Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis - Anthem - Hymn | |
| Sunday 7th August 2011 | ||
| Second Sunday after Trinity (Proper 14) | ||
| 9:00 am | Rehearsal | |
| 10:30 am | SUNG EUCHARIST Mass (Op. 36) - Charles Widor Communion Motet - Hymns | |
| 3:00 pm | Rehearsal | |
| 4:00 pm | CHORAL EVENSONG Responses - Psalm Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis - Anthem - Hymns | |
On Wednesday 2nd June St Stephen's Church Choir will be singing Choral Evensong in Canterbury Cathedral
Show/Hide more information and Music List »
For each of these services, music will be sorted for you and provided on the day, however you are responsible for bringing your own robes to the Cathedral. Rehearsals will be in the Quire and wearing cassocks. Please robe in the Water Tower and be ready to sing at the stated time.
| Wednesday 2nd June 2010 | ||
|---|---|---|
| First EP of Corpus Christi | ||
| 4:30 pm | Rehearsal | |
| 5:30 pm | CHORAL EVENSONG Responses - William Smith Psalm 13 Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis - Gibbons Short Service Anthem - Tantum ergo - de Séverac Hymn 270 | |
St Stephen's Church Choir sang at Rochester Cathedral on Saturday in Easter Week (10th April) and the Second Sunday of Easter (11th April).
Show/Hide more information and Music List »
This trip is a non-residential trip so we will be returning home on the Saturday evening to share a meal together in Canterbury.
In order to be in Rochester in good time, we will be leaving St Stephen's an hour before the first rehearsal time shown in Rochester. See the Music List and Rehearsal Schedule below for details of times.
For those of you on Facebook, join our St Stephen's @ Rochester group to share information and photos!
| Saturday 10th April 2010 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Saturday in Easter Week | ||
| 10:00 am | Rehearsal at St Stephen's | |
| 2:00 pm | Rehearsal at Rochester Cathedral | |
| 3:15 pm | CHORAL EVENSONG Responses - William Smith Psalm 55 vv. 12-15, 17-25 Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis - Brewer in D Anthem - Arise in us - Martin Shaw Hymns 112, 116 | |
| 4:15 pm | Rehearsal at Rochester Cathedral | |
| Sunday 11th April 2010 | ||
| The Second Sunday of Easter | ||
| 8:45 am | Rehearsal at Rochester Cathedral | |
| 9:45 am | CHORAL MATINS Responses - William Smith Psalm 136 vv. 1-9 Te Deum and Jubilate - Stanford in B-flat Hymn 122 | |
| 10:30 am | SUNG EUCHARIST Shrewsbury Mass - Martin How Anthem - This joyful Eastertide - trad. arr. Wood Hymns 338, 427, 173 (t.265), 486 | |
| 2:15 pm | Rehearsal | |
| 3:15 pm | CHORAL EVENSONG Responses - William Smith Psalm 16 Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis - Stanford in B-flat Anthem - Christ the Lord is risen again - John Rutter Hymns 113, 117 | |
Details all about our visit to Bath Abbey, 1st and 2nd August 2009.
Show/Hide more information and Music List »
Details all about our visit to Portsmouth Cathedral, August 2008.
Show/Hide more information and Music List »
Some of the following links may be of interest to choir members and visitors to this site:
|
Copyright © 2010 St Stephen’s Church Choir, Canterbury