MUSIC
Our Choir
The choir at St Philip & St James is a traditional, robed four-part choir of around 25 singers, affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music. Each Sunday, they enrich our 10am service with beautiful music, and twice a month they lead Choral Evensong at 6pm. Anthems are sung at every service, and the choir has a wide and varied repertoire of evening canticles and responses.
During Lent, the choir sings the atmospheric services of Compline and Tenebrae. In recent years, they have had the privilege of singing Evensong in cathedrals such as Exeter, Worcester and Salisbury.
We warmly welcome children over the age of 8 to join our main choir and discover the joy of singing together. On the fourth Sunday of the month, we also have a special choir for younger children aged 3–8, who process in, sing a hymn, and then enjoy their time at children’s church. Our Director of Music, Russell, brings a wealth of experience in teaching and inspiring singers of all ages and abilities.
If you’d like to find out more or come along, we’d be delighted to hear from you!
Children’s choir
The children in the choir receive theory lessons and follow the RSCM Voices for Life scheme. The Director of Music is assisted by chorister parents in this role.
Rehearsals
New members from the age of 8 upwards are always welcome. Practices are on Friday evenings in the Church from 7.30pm – 9.00pm. Children from 7.00pm, leaving at 8.15pm.
Our Music group
The Music Group leads worship at the morning service on the 1st Sunday of each month. At these services we sing contemporary worship songs and modern settings of traditional hymns. All ages are welcome and singers do not need to be able to read music – an enthusiasm for singing and the ability to hold a melody is all that is required. Rehearsals are on the Friday evening preceding the first Sunday of the month, 6pm-7pm.
We have a growing number of instrumentalists and people who play instruments are always welcome. On occasions the choir and the music group combine to perform at large festivals and in larger choral works. If you’d like to know more, please contact Russell our Director of Music (details below)
Director of Music - Russell Burton
Russell Burton is a freelance musician based in Cheltenham where he is the Director of Music at St. Philip an St. James' Church, Leckhampton.
Having spent many years of his professional life working in Independent schools, twice as the Director of Music he moved to Gloucester to become a Lay Clerk and Chorister Singing Teacher; he has also conducted many choirs and tutored several professional singers.
Russell has been an examiner for ABRSM for over twenty years and has toured many countries on their behalf.
Born in The Lake District he studied at what is now the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire graduating with distinction and diplomas on the piano and organ,