Music at
  Saint Faith's



  The Summer Saturday Concerts

For the last 21 years, we have put on a series of Summer Saturday concerts at St Faith's, featuring a wide range of local soloists and ensembles. The concerts start each year on Easter Saturday and run through to
August.

For the 2013 concert schedule,  click HERE.   Click here for t
he programme of the extended 2011 season, with the archived list of concerts for previous years.

The schedule for 2017's concerts (22 April to 26 August) is HERE
The schedule for the 2018 season is HERE
Th schedule for the 2019 season is HERE

________________________________________________________________________________

Music plays an integral part in worship at St Faith's just as it has done within worship since the earliest centuries of the Christian church, and before Christ with the chanting of psalms in the Synagogue. 
The principal musical service is Solemn Eucharist on Sundays at 11.00am, and on Holy Days at various times. Evensong and Benediction are sung from time to time by
arrangement. St Faith's is one of the few churches in the diocese able to maintain a four-part choir, and is committed to the use of good quality music to serve the liturgy.

The following links provide information on music at St Faith's, music makers associated with or who perform in our church as well as details of forthcoming events.

To access an index of the Sounds of Saint Faith's, click HERE.  There are recordings of our choir and organ, as well as the voices of past incumbents and various other entertainments!



                                            


MUSIC REPORTS
Robert Woods, our Director of Music,
is writing
an occasional (!) series of reports on the musical life of St Faith's.

CLICK ON THE CLEF!

Coming sooner or later: a promised relaunch and update of this haphazard page, thanks to our new Director of Music. Watch this space.........
Keep watching...!




 Welcoming our new
Director
of Music

 

We said farewell at the end of June 2014 to our previous maestro, Daniel Rathbone.  Our new Director of Music is  ROBERT WOODS.  Robert comes to us from Holy Cross, Woodchurch on the Wirral.  He continues as a counter-tenor Lay Clerk at the Metropolitan Cathedral and accompanist to a number of local choirs.  He is Director of Music of his own choir, Mostly Madrigals (which specialises in madrigals!).



October 15th, 2014

Robert has provided us with his c.v. by way of introduction: we look foward to hearing from his regularly and wish him well as he seeks to move our music at St Faith's onwards and upwards!




Robert was born in Craigavon, Northern Ireland, in 1986. His interest in music began when he started his secondary education at the Royal School Armagh, where initially he studied trumpet. At the age of 11 he joined St. Patrick's Cathedral Choir, and commenced study of piano, voice and later organ with Canon Martin White, the then Organist and Master of the Choristers. 
 
After becoming second trumpet in the South Ulster Youth Orchestra, he was appointed as organ scholar of Armagh Cathedral, and Vicar Choral, before he also was appointed Director of Music of Tartaraghan and Diamond-Grange Parish where he grew up. During this time he gained a place in the Ulster Youth Choir, and as well as a singer and accompanist with Cantelina, the Regal Singers and the Charles Wood Singers, under direction from David Hill.
 
At the age of 18 Robert went on to study Biochemistry and Music at Keele University where he hosted his own university radio show. In 2007, he moved to Liverpool Hope University and studied Music with Politics where he was a joint Choral and Organ Scholar at the University, as well as becoming the accompanist of Frodsham and District Choral Society, Port Sunlight Choral Society and Director of Music of an a cappella group in South Liverpool called "Mostly Madrigals".
 
In 2009 Robert was a soloist with Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra for the opening of the Universities new Capstone building. He is currently the accompanist for Southport Bach Choir, Director of Music of St. Faiths Great Crosby, as well as being a countertenor Lay Clerk in Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Choir, where he also plays for occasional services. In his spare time Robert enjoys studying Spanish, playing snooker and reading.


 


Our Director of Music, Daniel Rathbone, is leaving us to take up the post of Director of Music at St Luke’s Farnworth – which is much nearer to his home. We will miss Daniel, but send him our love and prayers as he moves on to his new post. He writes below.




 

My first contact with St Faith’s was to deputise for Sam Austin in May 2011. Later that year I succeeded Sam as Director of Music. Haven’t the last two and a half years flown?

 

My constant aim has been to support and enhance worship at St Faith’s with music of a high standard and a balance of old and new. I have been pleased to compose several choral pieces for St Faith’s including “They that go down to the sea” to commemorate the foundering of the Titanic, “There is no rose” for the Advent Carol Service and “Tu es Petrus” for Evensong on 29 June 2014.


The organ has been a magnificent instrument to play. It has performed perfectly for services and recitals and has a wonderful tone well matched to the building.

 

I am moving to the parish of St Luke in the historic village of Farnworth, Widnes. All local roads lead to the church on a hill top. It was founded around 1180 and was formerly the parish of St Wilfred’s on the Hill until rededicated in 1859. A Saxon cross stands near the church entrance. The church has many connections with the Bold family. These include the Bold Chapel and their funeral hatchments.

 

Like St Faith’s, there is a local connection with an Archbishop of Canterbury. Richard Bancroft came from Farnworth. He was Archbishop from 1604 to 1610 and led the 39 Bishops who worked on the King James Bible.

 

I’ll be sorry to leave St Faith’s. Thank you to the clergy, choir and parishioners who have helped me in my time here. I shall treasure your kind words and support. For my part I hope to continue developing my skills as an organist and director in my new parish.

 

Daniel Rathbone
June 2014





 



For the Archives...!

Our previous Director of Music

Mr Daniel Rathbone (tel: 07759 695683) is our ex-Director of Music at St Faith's.

I was probably about six when my interest in organ music was sparked. Saturday afternoons were spent listening to Ian Wells and Ian Tracy rehearsing at Liverpool Cathedral. There was no turning back when Ian Tracy presented me with some recordings and a book about the cathedral organ.

Soon after this I auditioned for and joined the Metropolitan Cathedral Choir as a chorister. This opened the door to a wealth of new experiences. I began to understand the discipline of music and the great rewards that came with it.

After leaving the Cathedral Choir, I had more time to work for my Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. I became more involved in voluntary work and outdoor activities including kayaking and trekking. No doubt the highlight, on completion was attending St James’s Palace and meeting the Duke of Edinburgh.

At the University of Huddersfield, I studied organ specialising in composition for a Masters degree. During my time in West Yorkshire I played in many parishes and for over two years I was Organ Scholar at Leeds Cathedral. I was pleased to be asked to compose for the reopening of the cathedral following restoration work.

I sing with the Metropolitan Cathedral Cantata Choir. I also direct and accompany them. I help to promote liturgical music in my local Deanery and volunteer part-time in a school for children with physical disabilities. I also have several piano pupils. I believe music encourages people to work together and enriches their lives in a unique way.



 
The Summer Saturday Concerts


For the lasts 21 years, we have put on a series of Summer Saturday concerts at St Faith's, featuring a wide range of local soloists and ensembles. The concerts start each year on Easter Saturday and run through to
August.
For the 2013 concert schedule,  click HERE.   Click here for t
he programme of the extended 2011 season, with the archived list of concerts for previous years.


The schedule for 2017's concerts (22 April to 26 August) is HERE
The schedule for the 2018 season is HERE
Th schedule for the 2019 season is HERE



Saint Faith's Choir
Read about our choir and its music, and plans for the future - and the ongoing recruitment drive.




Saint Faith's Organ today
A previous organist of St Faith's described the organ's specifications in 1998

Saint Faith's Organ in 1900
An early newspaper account of the instrument

ST. FAITH’S, WATERLOO. OPENING OF A NEW ORGAN.
   In celebration of the installation of a new organ, a special service was last evening held at St. Faith’s, Waterloo.  The instrument, part of the splendid gift of Mr. H. Douglas Horsfall, is a fine one, constructed by Messrs. J. W. Walker and Sons, of London.  It contains a great organ, CC to C (61 notes), with the following stops: - Open diapason, large scale 8ft., open diapason small scale 8ft., dulciama, wald flute principal 4ft., suabe flute 4ft., fifteenth 2ft.  The swell organ contains – Open diapason 8ft., stopped diapason 8ft., echo gamba 8ft., voix celeste 8ft., principal principal 4ft., horn 8ft., oboe 8ft., flute 8ft.  The whole of the interior construction is of the most improved and modern character, and the total cost is about £800, without the case, which has not yet been erected.
   The Rev. C. C. Elcum, M.A., vicar of St. Agnes’, Sefton Park, preached the sermon; and the Rev. T. H. Baxter also officiated, Psalm 150 being sung to a special setting by Mr. I. H. Stammers, organist and choirmaster of St. Agnes’ Sefton Park, who dedicated it to Mr. George E. Lewis, organist at St. Faith’s.  The Rev. C. C. Elcum preached on the work “Selah,” which, he said, had occasioned difference of opinion.  It pointed, in the general opinion, to a climax at which human language failed.  Such should be the spirit of the service that evening.
   At the close of the service Mr. I. H. Stammers played the following selections on the new organ:- Overture, “Athalia” (Handel); andante from the symphony “La Reine de France” (Haydn); sonata No. 2, Allegro Moderato Andante Finale and Fugue (Fink); Chorus of Angels (Sootson Clark); prelude and fugue in A minor (J. S. Bach); finale (Lemmens).

The Liverpool Mercury, Friday August 24 1900


The Crosby Symphony Orchestra

Our local orchestra, established in 1942, performs three times a year in St Faith's to large and appreciative audiences. The CSO's illustrated website (click on their name) provides full details of the Society's history, programmes and personalities.
CLICK HERE for the full concert schedule for 2014 and 2015, HERE for the February 2015 concert flyer and HERE for the April 2015 concert flyer.   The 2016-2017 flyer is HERE
     The February 2017 flyer is HERE


The Capriol Singers

This local choir, which started life at St Michael's Church, Blundellsands, rehearses and performs locally and elsewhere. Click on their name for their website, HERE for the Capriol Singers' facebook page and HERE for their twitter feed



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