St Matthew's Choir

St Matthew's Choir is a traditional mixed SATB choir of about 20 members including juniors. We sing anthems every Sunday, except during the summer holidays. We are affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music, whose motto is from St Paul's 1st Letter to the Church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 14: 15): "I will sing with the spirit and with the understanding". For examples of anthems and other music sung, see the List of Recent and Proposed Music.

St Matthew's Choir with Fr Ralph, (front right) Lindsay Bridgwater, (at the organ)

guest soloist Peter Kerswell (front left) and Philip Buckmaster, (centre).

The Reredos behind the Altar is covered with a purple cloth, as it was Palm Sunday evening when this photograph was taken

Choir Sound bytes:

Please note: these recordings were simply recorded through the stereo PA system during services, and have also been compressed because of the need to keep files small for use on the Internet.

If ye love me, keep my commandments - Tallis (1.29Mb)

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed (excerpt) from Handel's Messiah (0.98Mb)

Choir members enjoying a curry supper social!

St Matthew's Organ

Music at St Matthew's

About our Director of Music

Philip Buckmaster studied music under Tony Russell and Gillian Ward Russell before attending the Colchester Institute School of Music, where he was awarded an honours degree, studying the organ under John Cooper and Harrison Oxley and gaining the ARCO diploma, the piano under Ruth Harte, conducting under Chris Phelps, harmony and counterpoint under Alan Bullard, also playing the violin in the orchestra and singing in the chamber choir under conductor Ian Ray. He then followed a specialist course for music teachers at Kingston University, and now enjoys a varied career in and around London, playing, teaching, directing, composing and arranging. He has been Director of Music at St Matthew's since 1990 and Conductor of Feltham Choral Society since 1991. In 2005 he founded the Ashford Baroque Ensemble, which performs music from c.1575 - 1775, and which has quickly gained a reputation for excellence. He is married with two children.

Organ Scholar

We currently have a vacancy for an Organ Scholar.

Applications are invited. Please email: philipbuckmaster@msn.com 

A personal Mission Statement from Philip Buckmaster - Director of Music

I have noticed how churches with flourishing congregations usually have good quality music - or is it the other way round? Does good quality music attract new people to a church? I believe it does. Each congregation will have its own preferred style of music. At St Matthew's, the emphasis is on the classical music heritage of the Anglican tradition, but not exclusively so. I myself have played keyboards in a contemporary Christian band, so I have had experience in both 'camps', and I like to encourage the best of any style that is suitable for worship. Our youth service (1st Sunday in the month) is more geared towards the contemporary worship song, and I have arranged most of these for 4-part choir and instruments. We are very selective in our choice of songs, and I believe we must be careful to avoid using popular music in church just because it is in fashion or easy to listen to. St Paul said, "I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not ready for it". (1 Corinthians, 3:2) I do think that our young (and not so young!) people should become familiar with good classical hymns, anthems and liturgical music, as well the best of the more 'popular' style. As Christians we are to aspire towards heaven, not to be content with transient, earthly things. Many people say that the beauty and spiritual depth of classical music gives us a glimpse of heaven. I would agree.

So what is my mission statement for the music at St Matthew's? Perhaps I'd sum it up by something like this:

We aspire towards Heaven in our lives and in our music, by offering to God our best, and trying to reflect his glory, power, peace and love by using the musical gifts that he has given us.

List of Recent and Proposed Music

e-mail: Music Enquiries

Interested in singing?

The Senior Choir rehearses on Fridays evenings from 8.00 to about 9.30. Some members like to go to the pub afterwards for a pint (or whatever) and a chat, but this is not compulsory! The ability to follow music to some degree is essential, due to the amount of music we sing. Why not come along and try?

The Junior Choir from 7.30 to 8.30 on Fridays, with the Seniors joining at 8.00. We welcome boys and girls who have either been in the Training Choir, or who have had some previous experience of singing, or who are older than the Training Choir age.

The Junior Training Choir is for children of about 6-9 years old who would like to sing a variety of Christian music styles. Practices are on Fridays from 7.00-7.30. It is hoped that in due course some of the Training Choir members will join the Junior Choir, but this is not compulsory. The Training Choir sing from time to time at the youth service on the first Sunday in the month or on other suitable occasions.

If you are interested, please come along to a Sunday service and see Philip afterwards, or e-mail: music@stmatthewashford.org.uk

St. Matthew's organ was built by Lewis & Co. and is said to have been moved here from Alexandra Palace in 1902. Although relatively small, it has much fine pipework. For example, the Viole de Gambe/Voix Celestes combination is particularly successful; adding the Flautina to this creates an interesting solo for choral preludes. The Great Flute 4' and the Swell Stopped Diapason have a fine, delicate sound, and the Swell Geigen Diapason chorus is also very pleasant. The strong Trumpet also gives a good definition in the bass when coupled down to the pedals. The manual action is good, (excellent on the swell) albeit a little heavy when coupled. We hope to add a mixture when funds allow. The organ is the main instrument for accompanying worship. It is listed in the National Pipe Organ Register. The specification is as follows:

Great:

Open diapason 8

Clarabella 8

Dulciana 8

Octave 4

Flute 4

Super Octave 2

Swell: (enclosed, balanced pedal)

Geigen Diapason 8

Stopped Diapason 8

Viole de Gambe 8

Voix Celestes 8

Geigen Principal 4

Flautina 2

Trumpet 8

Pedal:

Sub Bass 16

Flute Bass 8

Fifteenth 4 (added c.1971)

Manual range: C - g3

Pedal range: C - f1 (radiating & concave)

Couplers: Swell to Great, Great to Pedal, Swell to Pedal. 3 Combination pedals to Great/Pedal, 3 to Swell. These have been reset to reflect current registration practice. Mechanical action to keyboards, electric to pedals.

St Matthew's Instrumental Group

At the youth service on the first Sunday in the month, a growing instrumental group accompanies most of the more contemporary popular worship songs.

The complete line-up consists of: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Cornet/Trumpet, Tenor Horn, Violin, Double Bass/Bass Guitar, Guitar & Piano. We also now have a pair of Timpani at our disposal!

Ashford Baroque Ensemble

The Ashford Baroque Ensemble, directed from the harpsichord by Philip Buckmaster, rehearses fortnightly at

St Matthew's Church on Monday evenings from 7.30 - 9.30. Although it is a separate group and not a church activity, the ensemble gives many of its concerts here and plays from time to time in services. Please click on the following link to see more information: Ashford Baroque Ensemble

Concerts

St Matthew's Church and its Church Hall are popular concert venues for Ashford Baroque Ensemble, Spelthorne Choral Society (formerly Ashford CS), Feltham Choral Society and several other groups. Short recitals are given after Choral Evensong (second Sunday in the month), and other concerts, ranging from solo recitals to jazz bands are organised from time to time.