Welcome to the Music Home Page of Saint Ives Parish Church. Here you will find details of the organs, choir, and music in our worship, together with a history of the organs in the church.
All Saints’ church re-established a four-part robed choir in September 2001. Prior to that, an ad hoc group of singers had been formed for special occasions to sing communion motets and carol services. We are very pleased now to have a permanent choir to lead our worship, especially at the 10.15 Sung Eucharist. Although we now have fourteen singers, we would welcome new members, so if you would like to join the choir, please contact the Organist and Choirmaster, David Yeandle (tel. 01480 301737). The choir is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music and the Organist and Choirmaster is a member of the Ely RSCM Committee. Our choristers take part in the music festivals at Ely Cathedral and King's College Cambridge.
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This picture (2001) shows the Choir in its old blue cassocks and
surplices.
Back row (l. to r.): Malcolm Cockcroft, John
Rhodes, David Yeandle, Peter Murrills, Gerry Hazell |
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This picture (Easter Day 2004) shows the Choir in its new albs,
complete with RSCM medallions.
Back row (l. to r.): John Rhodes, Gordon
Dixon, David Yeandle, Peter Murrills, Gerry Hazell, Malcolm Cockcroft,
Bill Falconer |
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Fifty Years a ChoristerOn Easter Day 2004, Peter Murrills celebrated fifty years as a chorister in All Saints’ Church Choir, St Ives. During the Sung Mass, he was presented by the Vicar, Fr. James Pullen, on behalf of the church, with a specially engraved RSCM long service medal, and afterwards was given gifts from the Choir and Organist. An individual letter of congratulation from the Bishop of Ely was also received on this very special occasion for Peter, who knew nothing of the plans in advance. |
The Choir has concentrated on building up a repertoire of mainly simple, but effective, choral music, including traditional anthems, but also some more modern chant, alongside plainsong and Anglican chant. Our repertoire includes: Thou visitest the earth (Greene), Cantate Domino (Pitoni), Locus iste (Bruckner), Surrexit Christus (Taizé), Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of all hearts (Purcell), Gabriel's Message (Basque Carol), O little one sweet, O little one mild (harm. J.S. Bach), The Three Kings (Peter Cornelius), The Infant King (Basque Noël), responsorial Nunc Dimittis, Sweet was the song the Virgin sang, the Common Worship Litany and Litany of the Saints (traditional chant), gradual psalms from the new Common Worship Psalter (Anglican chant), the St. John Passion (plainchant), In the heart where love is abiding (Ubi Caritas - plainchant, arr. John Barnard), This joyful Eastertide, O Sons and Daughters, Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire (Attwood), Peruvian Gloria (with instruments), Veni lumen cordium (Taizé), Sanctus from Schubert's Deutsche Messe, Lead me, Lord (S.S. Wesley), God be in my head (Walford Davies), The Earth is the Lord's (arr. Sykes), Laudate Dominum (Pitoni), Matin Responsory (Palestrina), The Truth from Above (arr. R Vaughan Williams), A Lovely Rose is sprung (Margaret Lyell), Nativity Carol (John Rutter), Up good Christen Folk and listen, Ave Maria/O Lord my God to thee (Arcadelt), Ave Verum Corpus (Mozart and Elgar).
Two full choral evensongs were held in 2003, when All Saints' Choir was augmented by singers from other local churches:
Here you can read some of the Choir Notes published in the Parish Magazine For All Saints.
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AnthemsWe aim to sing many more of the hundred anthems in the New Church Anthem Book as time goes on and to explore new music, singing an anthem a month, at least, and introducing some more modern liturgical music, such as Taizé and Iona style chants, and responsorial psalms for Common Worship. A wonderful source of free choral music is provided in the Choral Public Domain Library, from which we also draw our music. |
The LiturgyThe main setting of the Eucharist used at all Sung Masses is the New People’s Mass by Dom Gregory Murray. This is complemented by Acclamations from St Mary's Mass and other Common Worship material written by the Organist. If you wish to download in pdf format the first two pages of Acclamations, please click here. Send an email to the composer (David.Yeandle@ntlworld.com) if you would like to use the whole set in your worship. This will be sent free of charge. To listen to them as a MIDI file, click here. On festivals we sing the Sanctus, Benedictus and Acclamations from the Gathering Mass by Paul Inwood and during Lent we use the setting Mass of the Bread of Life by Margaret Rizza. |
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Hymn BooksAfter using the English Hymnal (1933) as the main hymn book for fifty or more years, the church purchased Hymns Old and New Complete Anglican Edition as its principal hymn book in 2001. We are currently exploring some of the newer and less well known hymns in this rich treasury of 978 hymns and songs as well as maintaining the traditional Anglican repertoire both from the new book and by using the English Hymnal on some Sundays, especially for hymns, the words of which have been spoiled out of political correctness in the new book. We aim to be all-embracing in our musical tastes, singing everything from Gregorian chant to Graham Kendrick and beyond. Our Anglo-Catholic ethos does not preclude us from enjoying Wesleyan and non-conformist hymns alongside the riches of Anglican and Roman Catholic hymnody. |
The OrganThe present instrument was built by James J. Binns of Leeds in 1926, incorporating some earlier pipework. It was placed in the North Chapel. The organ pipes which are visible in the Rood Screen of 1894 remain from a previous instrument and do not speak. The traditional drawstop, detached console has three manuals and a 30-note pedalboard. It is situated on the north side of the Chancel, with the player facing east. The organ was overhauled by J.J. Binns and Co. in 1952. The firm ceased trading in 1953. The next major overhaul, and modernisation, of the organ was carried out by Messrs Cousans of Lincoln in 1982. This work included the replacement of the instrument's original tubular-pneumatic action with electro-pneumatic action and the replacement of the 16ft. Swell Lieblich Bourdon by a three-rank mixture. The organ is currently maintained by Ian Carter of Cousans Organs. |
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The facing pipes are mainly from the Great 8ft Open Diapason. Not all speak. Entry to the soundboards and pipes is gained by removing the pipes on the right of the middle tower and using a ladder!
Detail of the Swell and coupler drawstops |
The console is traditionally set out, with drawstops, manual and pedal combination pistons. The octave couplers are situated above the Swell manual. The pedalboard is radiating and concave and has 30 notes. There is a mechanical balanced swell pedal.
Detail of the Choir, Great, and Pedal drawstops |
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History of the OrgansA history of the organs at St Ives Parish Church can be found here. You can also find detailed stoplists of earlier organs on the National Pipe Organ Register, by using the address index and typing in St Ives. Star OrganThe organ is featured in a "Star Organ" article by Andrew Hayden in the August 2004 issue of The Organ magazine, in which it is stated that much of the 1894 Gern pipework still exists. Details at http://www.theorganmag.com/ . |
| Great Organ | Swell Organ | Choir Organ |
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| Pedal Organ | Couplers | Octave Couplers (above Swell) | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The organ incorporates some pipework from earlier instruments, which may explain why it has such an unusually large number of manual 8' flute stops for an organ of this size. The Choir Double Flute is a double-tongued pipe (cf. German Doppelflöte); "double" here does not suggest sub-octave pitch. The Swell Mixture replaced a 16' Lieblich Bourdon. It is hoped that a Great Mixture can be incorporated in the future as well as a 2' on the Choir.
3 adjustable thumb pistons each to Great and Swell
3 adjustable thumb pistons to Choir
3 adjustable toe pistons to Pedal and Swell
2 levels of memory for all pistons
Reversible thumb and toe pistons to Swell to Great and Great to Pedal couplers
Setter piston
Balanced swell pedal
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