The Choir
Music at St Andrew’s Services
The Choir of St Andrew’s sings for Choral Eucharist each Sunday morning at 10.00am and for Evensong each Sunday evening at 6.00pm during school term time. In addition, hymns are sung at the Sunday 9.00am Eucharist and at the Saturday @ Six service (which has a more contemporary feeling).
There is a St Andrew’s concert programme. Details of this can be found in the St Andrew’s Music Foundation part of the website.
The Choir of St Andrew’s
The choir’s job is to lead the congregation in regular Sunday worship. We aim to do this sensitively, beautifully and with understanding, communicating a sense of energy and love of singing to enrich our liturgy. To achieve this, the choir works hard to maintain a high standard of musicianship.
The choir is a mixed SATB choir of boys, girls and adults and presently has 38 choristers, many of whom are Choral Scholars from Brighton Grammar School and Firbank Grammar School. The choir sings Choral Eucharist and Choral Evensong every Sunday during school term time, and for Holy Week. The choir sings and Advent Carol Service on the second Sunday of Advent and at Christmas time sings on Christmas Eve for the Service of Lessons and Carols and for two services on Christmas Day. Then they have a well earned break over the summer. We are also instituting an annual choir concert.
Membership of the Choir
Although the choir consists primarily of Choral Scholars, non-scholar girls and boys, and adult men and women are welcome to join, subject to audition. Apart from music reading skills, choristers should be able to blend their voices within this choir of varied ages. Although prior experience is an advantage, we look for potential in younger prospective singers and every rehearsal is as much a group singing lesson as a music learning session.
If you would like to enquire about joining the choir, the Director of Music, Mr Tom Healey, would be delighted to talk to you:
Tel. 03 9592 1357 (Home. Please leave a message).
03 9592 1240 (Church office)
Email: dom@standrewsbrighton.org.au
Choral Scholarships
The church has a close relationship with two neighbouring schools which both provide generous St Andrew’s Choral Scholarships. Brighton Grammar School has made provision for up to 27 St Andrew’s Choral Scholars. The boys can enter the school as Trebles from Year 4, moving to the Alto, Tenor or Bass sections of the choir as appropriate. The scholarships are tenable to Year 12. Firbank Grammar School provides for up to 5 St Andrew’s Choral Scholars for entry into Year 7 as Sopranos or Altos and tenable to Year 12.
Auditions for St Andrew’s Choral Scholarships are held in Term One each year for entry into the schools in the following year. The auditions are held at the respective schools under the direction of the Director of Music of the respective schools and the Director of Music of St Andrew’s Anglican Church. Candidates are asked to prepare and perform two contrasting songs and are given aural and sight singing tests. More details can be obtained by contacting the schools.
Music Staff
Tom Healey commenced as Director of Music at St Andrew’s in August of 2006. He was previously on the staff of Geelong Grammar School for many years, which included eleven years as Director of Music at the school. He was also Director of Chapel Music and a teacher of senior English and History, as well as Music. Tom brings long experience as a choral conductor, organist, singer and teacher to St Andrew’s. His choral conducting studies have included time at the Westminster Choir College, Princeton, and the University of Melbourne. He has a wealth of experience working with both youth and adult choirs, including direction of the ‘Youth Sings’ choir of the 2006 RSCM Summer School at Newman College. As an organist, he has studied with Douglas Lawrence and his appointments have included time at Trinity College (University of Melbourne), Ballarat Cathedral and St Francis’ Church Lonsdale Street, as well as assisting at Ormond College when a student there.
The Assistant Organist is Daniel Askew. Tom Willis accompanies the Sunday 9.00am Eucharist on the church’s grand piano in the Pioneer Chapel.
Saturday @ Six worship is accompanied by a band of three experienced musicians, Stuart Leigh (piano), Peter Kaye (clarinet/saxophone) and Henry Bryant (Trumpet), with Tom Healey (cantor).
The Organ
The wonderful musical space of St Andrew’s is admirably enhanced by the fine pipe organ, the ‘magnum opus’ of respected Melbourne organ builder, Steve Lawrie. The organ was installed in the newly rebuilt church in 1964 and overhauled in 1989. The main organ, comprising Great, Swell, Choir and Pedal divisions is sited in a large gallery over the main entrance to the church, with a fourth Transept and Pedal division at the other end of the church. There are 64 speaking stops spread over 4 manuals and pedals and playable from Gallery and Transept consoles.
