MUSIC
	Music for the Month of September 2008 Sunday 7 Trinity XVI Sung Eucharist Gounod, Messe Brève en Ut 10.30 a.m. Motet: Jesu, joy of man’s desiring — J.S. Bach Hymns: 424, 26, 444, 537 Organ: Prelude in E flat (‘St Anne’) BWV 552 — J.S. Bach Evensong Canticles: Chants Reponses: Ferial 6.30 p.m. Psalm: 149 Anthem: Glory to Thee my God this night — Tallis Hymns: 40, 608, 20 Sunday 14 Holy Cross (Trinity XVII) Mattins Te Deum: Stanford in B flat Responses: Ferial 10.30 a.m. Psalm: 146 Hymns: 109, 480, 557 Organ: Rhapsody No 2 — Howells Sung Eucharist Shepherd, Addington Service 6.30 p.m. Motet: The call — Vaughan Williams Hymns: 492, 421, 112, 125 Sunday 21 St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Trinity XVIII) Sung Eucharist Macmillan, Galloway Mass 10.30 a.m. Motet: O for a closer walk with God — Stanford Hymns: 456, 612, 380, 430 Organ: Introduction and Fugue — Rheinberger Evensong Nunc Dimittis: Burgon Responses: Ferial 6.30 p.m. Psalm: 119 vv 33 - 40 Hymns: 385, 455, 467 Sunday 21 Trinity XIX Sung Eucharist Darke in F 10.30 a.m. Motet: Turn back O man — Holst Hymns: 538, 563, 626, 398 Organ: Carillon de Westminster — Vierne Compline Psalms: 123, 124 6.30 p.m. Hymns: 628, 34 Phil Ypres-Smith, Director of Music
Director of Music Phil Ypres-Smith	Phil Ypres-Smith began his musical career studying organ and singing at Birmingham School of Music, where he worked closely with the vocal department as an accompanist. He was also a student at the Opera School and, in following years, was invited to return as a visiting lecturer, coach, repetiteur and Musical Director. His Musical Direction for the Opera School has included Don Giovanni, Alcina, Albert Herring and many Workshop productions. Philip is an active singer (with a fine Counter Tenor voice). He is also a Singing Teacher and Vocal Coach. He accompanies in solo, instrumental and continuo works and has sung and accompanied for radio. Over the years, Philip has led many musical and choral groups and, as well as Director of Music at St. George's, he is Music Director for Midland Music Makers.
Organ	The original organ at St George's was a small two manual and pedal instrument in the west gallery, built by William Hill, who, it appears, went to some trouble to secure what was evidently a prestigious contract. Little is known about this organ, though it is reported to have had a particularly beautiful cremona stop. With the organ went a small, and originally professional, gallery choir, adequate no doubt for the liturgical needs of a middle-class, suburban parish church in the 1830s. By 1883 a critical visiting journalist reported that 'the singing was conducted by a choir of male and female voices, who sang in a congregational and unscientific manner, and the people joined in with a will. ... To go with the enlargement of the church in 1885, a new and more ambitious start was made; with a robed choir ( originally men and boys, though it is now mixed) to use the new choir stalls, the appointment of an experienced and highly qualified organist, C.J.B. Meacham, and a completely new organ. By the standards of 1890, the existing organ was old-fashioned, too small (the internal volume of the church had V been more than doubled) and, on all ecclesiological principles, at the wrong end of the church. It was advertised for sale in 1890, but it is not known what became of it. The new organ was a large three manual and pedal instrument built by Brindley and Foster of Sheffield to Meacham's lavish and enlightened specification, a framed copy of which hangs in the organ vestry. The 42 speaking stops envisaged included five ranks of mixtures on the Swell and no less than seven on the Great. It stood, and stands, in an exceptionally spacious, lofty and open organ chamber, on the south side of the chancel, the base of a tower and spire designed by the architect but never built. The action was Brindley and Foster's exhaust tubular pneumatic on ventil chests. A fine and lavishly carved oak case was made by Bridgeman of Lichfield to the design of the church's architect J.A. Chatwin (also responsible for the organ case at St Mary, Warwick among others). Meacham, beginning a tradition of long tenures, remained organist and choirmaster for 42 years, till his death in 1930. For reasons of cost, the full original scheme for the organ was never built, though some stops were added in a rebuild by Ingram and Co. of Hereford in 1938. -After serious war damage the organ was again rebuilt by Nicholsons (then of Worcester) in 1956, with electro-pneumatic action. In 1976- 7 the same firm restored it, with the addition of some stops previously prepared for, and lowered the original sharp pitch. The 1980s saw considerable physical and tonal reorganisation, and the addition of much second-hand pipework from St Mark's Cheatham Hill, Manchester , Erdington parish church, Christ Church, Oxford and Birmingham Town Hall, among other sources. This was done by the then organist, David Bruce-Payne, with the assistance of some knowledgeable students. In 1996-8 the electrical switch gear was replaced by a solid-state system, new manual keyboards were fitted, and a 32' Contra Trombone was added, by David Gallichan.  Specification of Present Organ Justin Pinkess
Choir	Along with the organ has gone the maintenance of the tradition of the choir, now mixed in age and sex, which sings a wide repertoire of liturgical music, motets and anthems at all the main services, including some by St George's own composers. The tradition of long and distinguished tenures was continued by, among others, Leonard Gibbons (17 years) and David Bruce-Payne (23), during whose time many visits were made to sing services at cathedrals. The present Director of Music is Phil Ypres-Smith. New singers are always welcome in all parts. Choir practice Thursday 6:45 p.m.
Concerts and Recitals	Besides the music at services, the church's good acoustics, described as 'spacious' by the Chief Music Critic of The Birmingham Post, make St George's a favoured venue for concerts and recitals.
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