St Robert’s has a traditional robed choir which has been affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) since 1981. At present it has an adult and children membership. The children work towards gaining their awards in the RSCM ‘Voice for Life’ training scheme.
The Choir plays a full part in leading the worship at the 9.15am services (except for the All-Age service); we also sing Choral Evensong on the second Sunday each month, and, usually, a joint benefice Choral Service when there is a fifth Sunday in the month. The late night Office of Compline is sung at 9.00pm on the third Thursday of the month after choir practice.
We also sing for other Festival and occasional services – Advent and Christmas carol services, Candlemas Service of Light, Christmas midnight Mass, Holy Week Compline, Harvest Festival and other services. Once or twice a year, the Choir also joins with other choirs in the Harrogate Deanery to sing choral services at special times. From time to time, we give concerts at St Robert’s – at the Flower Festivals and on other fund-raising occasions – sometimes joining forces with Pannal Primary School choir. Once a year we perform a major choral work as a devotional offering on Palm Sunday or Good Friday. Gabriel Fauré’s ‘Requiem’, Sir John Stainer’s ‘Crucifixion’, John Maunder’s ‘Olivet to Calvary’, Charles Wood’s ‘St Mark Passion’ and Eric Thiman’s ‘The Last Supper’ have all been performed, as well as other works. We sang Sir John Rutter’s ‘Requiem’ on Good Friday, 2018, along with other seasonal items by the same composer and on Palm Sunday, 2022 we presented ‘The Cross of Christ’ a choral devotional sequence for Passiontide.
The choir rehearses weekly on a Thursday evening, except at Half-term and during the Summer holidays; children from 7.00 to 7.50pm and adults from 7.30 to 8.45pm – frequently followed (voluntarily) by a visit to the Black Swan to lubricate tired vocal chords!
The Choir has an active social life and members regularly get together for a meal, drink or perhaps a visit to a show or other performance. Following the Christmas Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, an evening party, hosted by choir members, has become a most enjoyable tradition. Every two years, the Choir organises a Mid-summer Barbecue for church members, their families, friends and neighbours in aid of church funds……always a successful and fun occasion.
If you are interested in you and/or your child(ren) joining the Choir, or would simply like to find out more about their activity, please contact the Director of Music, Kevin Paynes; 07903 399171 kevin.paynes111@gmail.com or Sarah Paynes; 07808 370529 sarah.paynes64@gmail.com.
COMMISSIONED AND DEDICATED MUSIC
Choir member, Peter Stretton commissioned a new motet for the choir, in memory of his wife Lis, from musician and composer Kieran Fitzsimons. Lis was particularly fond of settings of the Ave Verum – a 14th century communion hymn for the Feast of Corpus Christi, and Peter asked Kieran for a setting of this text. The delightful result for four part choir and organ was given its premiere at the Parish Communion on Pentecost 2019 followed ten days later by a performance at the choral eucharist on the Feast of Corpus Christi. Here is this performance, given by St Robert’s choir.
At present, for our Parish Communion, we regularly use The St Robert’s Mass, written during ‘lockdown’ by Nigel Duce (currently our principal organist); this alternates with the St Thomas Mass by David Thorne, and the St Anne’s Mass by Sir James MacMillan. Settings of the Preces & Responses, Evening Canticles and several anthems/motets have been composed by David Ward-Campbell, a former organist, currently organist and choirmaster at All Saints’ Ripley, who continues to play for us from time to time. Less frequently (most recently on a 2023 visit to sing the week-end services at Ripon Cathedral), we sing the ‘Missa Brevissima’ Communion setting dedicated to former choirmaster ‘Iain Ward-Campbell and the choir of St Roberts, Pannal’ by the late Thomas Tunnard, erstwhile organist of Birmingham Cathedral.
CHOIR CD
What better present for a music-loving friend or family member, could there be than THE CHOIR’S CD?! Tracks drawn from your favourites – take a look. They are on sale now at only £5 – just speak to Sarah Paynes….or give her a ring on 07808 370529. If it’s for a present, you can get one or more already beautifully gift wrapped and ready to be presented to the lucky recipient.