Music has been a key feature of the unique form of worship at Saint Bartholomew’s since its consecration in 1867. Many former members have gone on to successful musical careers, undoubtedly helped on their way by the free education provided at our church.
Of course, what you hear on Sunday mornings and evenings is but a fraction of the work involved in running the choir: there are rehearsals to run, training materials to buy, garments to care for, advertising costs, recruitment efforts, and countless hours of grunt work undertaken by our music directors to supply those voices that continue to give Saint Bartholomew’s its distinctive soundscape. The outlay of all this is by no means insignificant, especially when inflation sees costs continue to rise.
The Friends of the Choir scheme began as a means to offset those costs. Over the years, it has evolved into a major lifeline of the choir. Arts and culture are often the first to suffer financially in recessionary times. In this harsh economic climate it is particularly important to protect a unique tradition such as ours. We hope you will consider joining our “Friends of the Choir” scheme. Donations made to this scheme will be used solely for the maintenance of the choir and musical tradition.
Membership costs €150 per year (membership year runs from September to August), and its benefits include:
- Two complimentary tickets for all choir concerts held at Saint Bartholomew’s (or complimentary drink vouchers if the concert does not have an admission charge)
- Acknowledgement by name in all choir concert programmes
- All issues of Music @ Saint Bartholomew’s magazine published while your membership is valid, which will be sent by post
- And, new for this year: access to an online folder containing edited highlights from recent choir performances (typically 1-2 pieces of music per month)
If you would prefer to join by post, please download our form here. Details of how to pay via bank transfer (which may include setting up a standing order via direct debit if you wish) are found on this form.