St Luke’s Choir Alumni Evensong

St Luke’s choir alumni Evensong  

On Sunday 24th November it was a joy to welcome back past members of St Luke’s choir. We had thirty-five guests join our current choir to sing Evensong, plus more friends in the congregation. There were a range of singers from across the last forty years. Music included Wesley’s epic ‘Blessed be the God and Father’, and a psalm chant written by Ellie Jestico, a former member of the choir.   

Our guests arrived for lunch in the vestry (kindly made by Julie), where choristers past and present, as well as clergy, could share stories and memories. There were recounts of tours, particularly memorable (and sometimes disastrous) performances, as well as a chance to remember friends who are no longer with us. One of the main questions seemed to be which pubs the choir drinks in now!   

With items relating to the choir from the archive on display, it gave people a chance to learn more about our history. John Goss (1800-1880) became the first organist appointed to oversee the music at St Luke’s. His choir consisted of some unruly local children, who sung from the gallery. This gradually built up over the years, and by the time John Ireland (1879-1962) took over, there was a full choir of men and boys who sung Evensong daily. The choir continued to thrive, but after WWII it became harder to fund and recruit singers, and it gradually folded. Nevertheless, in 1985, the decision was taken to restart the choir with mixed voices, enabling John Halsey to lay solid foundations for a restored tradition. It was lovely to welcome him to the event, as well as singers who were in the choir during this time.   

Evensongs with large groups of people who haven’t sung together before can be challenging, especially with only a short rehearsal on the day. However, given the fact that people were singing with friends, and in a space we all know well, the result was amazingly nostalgic and musical. Christopher Kevill-Davies commented “It was such a treat to hear the choir at Evensong and to see so many old friends and faces. A splendid thing to have done. I was frog marched to be in the choir photo and that was a great pleasure for me and a privilege”.    

It certainly felt fitting to finish by singing these words from Ireland’s hymn My Song is Love Unknown: Here might I stay and sing: no story so divine; never was love, dear King, never was grief like Thine! This is my Friend, in Whose sweet praise I all my days could gladly spend.  

Thank you to everyone who helped to organise and took part. Until the next time…!   

Billie Hylton