Music
St Peter's Choir at St Paul's Cathedral, August 2023
The Choir
There is a long-standing choral tradition at St Peter’s, developed by musicians such as Vincent Trivett (Organist, 1906-1947) and Kendrick Partington (Organist, 1957-1994). Today the church choir, which is as renowned for its friendliness and warmth of welcome as it is for its high musical standards, can be heard singing in the parish every Sunday. As well as leading services at St Peter’s and All Saints’ throughout the year, the choir often sings in churches and cathedrals across the UK and abroad; particularly noteworthy visits of recent years have included those to Paris, Cologne, Riga, Westminster Abbey and most of the UK’s major cathedrals. St Peter’s employs a professional musician as Organist & Director of Music (since 2007, Dr Peter Siepmann), and the membership of the choir combines a number of students and recent graduates from the city’s two universities with volunteer singers from around the city and county. Though an amateur ensemble, the choir produces what the Nottingham Post has termed an “outstanding standard of music-making”, thanks to the commitment and hard work of its members.
For further information about the choir, including how to join, please click here.
The Organ
In modern times, the first organ to appear at St Peter’s was installed in 1812. After just shy of two hundred years service, the instrument was replaced (though with the re-use of three pipe ranks, and the beautiful Georgian case) in December 2010. The church’s organ is unique in the UK – it is the first instrument of its size to combine traditional pipework with digital sampling technology seamlessly alongside one another to such an extent. Situated in the North-East corner of the church, the organ boasts fifty-five stops arranged over four divisions. It was built by the Norfolk firm of Modular Pipe Organ Systems, using the digital technology of Rodgers. The organ was formally dedicated by the Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham on 5th February 2011.
The North Aisle organ case is of circa 1770 and one of the church’s most beautiful treasures – it was long thought to have been the work of the great organ builder, John Snetzler. In the new organ, this nave case is complemented by a contemporary counterpart, located in the chancel balcony (pictured right). The organ’s console is detached, and situated at the Eastern end of the South nave aisle.
The organ is a not only a magnificent recital instrument, but it is also able to give a firm support for congregational singing Sunday-by-Sunday, as well as providing colourful accompaniments for the choir.
Concerts
St Peter’s is an excellent concert venue and its light yet warm acoustic has proved particularly good for chamber music. The principal concert provision at St Peter’s is given by the regular series of Saturday morning ‘coffee break’ concerts. These were started in 1988 by the organist of the time, Kendrick Partington, along with his wife Mary, and have proved a popular attraction ever since.
The hour-long concerts are held at 11am on Saturday mornings, most regularly during February, June and October, but often at other times as well – details are available in church and on the parish website. Coffee and biscuits are served from 10.15am. The concerts are given by a range of local and UK performers both amateur and professional, university students, choirs, chamber orchestras, brass bands, and more. The church’s very pleasant Schimmel baby grand piano is often heard at the concerts, as is the resident chamber orchestra, saraBande. A wide range of repertoire is presented to audiences that usually number at least one hundred. The church is proud to provide the concerts free of charge, though donations to the church music fund are invited at the door.
If you would like to be added to the Concerts mailing list, please click here.