Sponsor a Hymn
To help with fund-raising towards the cost of the church lighting scheme, the PCC has agreed that each Sunday, the last hymn at Parish Mass may be one that is sponsored by a member of the congregation. To find out more, please view the form below...
Monthly Music Lists
The Choir at St. Augustine's
St Augustine’s has a long and impressive musical history, which continues today. The choir, which was the first surpliced choir in Birmingham, sings twice each Sunday - at the Parish Mass and Evensong. They are one of the few parish choirs to keep the church music of Victorian England alive, and music by Wesley, Stanford and other, perhaps, forgotten composers has been performed recently.
The role of the choir is to enhance the liturgy, and today a close-knit and committed team work extremely hard each week to make this happen. At the moment, a lot of new music is being explored, including items which have probably been sat in the vestry for 20 years and only used a handful of times. Have a look at our music list to see what we’re doing this month.
We are currently looking for new members in all voice parts. If you are interesting in joining us, please get it in touch. We’re a friendly group and you are guaranteed to receive a warm welcome. We rehearse on Friday evenings in church at 7pm for about an hour. We follow roughly school term times, singing throughout the year except during August and the weeks following Christmas and Easter.
Thomas Keogh - Director of Music
**Christmas 2012 Update**
Two new Choristers have been admitted to St Augustine's Choir. During Parish Mass on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Adam and Chloë were admitted to the choir as full choristers by our vicar, Fr. Matthew and Director of Music, Thomas Keogh. The two new members of the choir took their Chorister Oath and were presented with certificates and surplices. We welcome them to the choir and this important aspect of our worship a St Augustine's.
The Junior Choir at St. Augustine's
A new project for the choir is the launch of a junior choir. Singing in a choir is unlike any other activity. The benefits of singing in a choir are endless, but some of the main ones which come to mind are: enjoyment of music and new friendships, a free musical education, opportunities to develop the Christian faith (children from families with little or no religious inclination are also very welcome to join the choir), and important life skills such as self-discipline, high standards and sense of achievement. Being a chorister will also help with their general education as they will be required to read (in other languages as well as English), and will provide them with the team working skills they will need in the future.
Thomas Keogh - Director of Music
MUSICAL DIRECTORS | |
1868 - 1913 | |
1913 - 1919 | |
1919 - 1955 | Thomas William North |
1956 - 1960 | |
1960 - 1965 | Roy Massey |
1965 - 1972 | Derek Williams |
1973 - 1975 | Peter Godden |
1975 - 1979 | Nigel Argust |
1979 - 1987 | Norman Dyson |
1985 - 2004 | Christopher Harker |
2004 - 2008 | Darren Hogg |
2008 - 2012 | Paul Richards |
2012... | Thomas Keogh |
Our Previous Musical Directors
St. Augustine's is very proud of its musical tradition and its previous Musical Directors. Our previous Musical Director, Paul Richards, announced his retirement in 2012, after a period of 4 years. Paul has given the church great service over these past years and we wish him well in his retirement, at the same time hoping that he will continue to visit us to see how his successor - Thomas Keogh - gets on with the baton.
PEDAL | ||
01 | Open Diapason | 16 |
02 | Violone | 16 |
03 | Bourdon | 16 |
04 | Quint | 10 2/3 |
05 | Bass Flute | 8 |
06 | Octave | 8 |
07 | Fifteenth | 4 |
08 | Trombone | 16 |
09 | Clarion | 8 |
GREAT | ||
10 | Double Open Diapason | 16 |
11 | Open Diapason No.1 | 8 |
12 | Open Diapason No.2 | 8 |
13 | Open Diapason No.3 | 8 |
14 | Claribel Flute | 8 |
15 | Principal No.1 | 4 |
16 | Principal No.2 | 4 |
17 | Harmonic Flute | 4 |
18 | Twelfth | 2 2/3 |
19 | Fifteenth | 2 |
20 | Mixture | IV |
21 | Posaune | 8 |
SWELL | ||
22 | Double Diapason | 16 |
23 | Open Diapason | 8 |
24 | Salicional | 8 |
25 | Stopped Diapason | 8 |
26 | Vox Angelica | 8 |
27 | Principal | 4 |
28 | Fifteenth | 2 |
29 | Mixture | II |
30 | Double Trumpet | 16 |
31 | Cornopean | 8 |
32 | Oboe | 8 |
33 | Clarion | 4 |
34 | Tremulant | |
CHOIR | ||
35 | Geigen Principal | 8 |
36 | Viole d'Orchestre | 8 |
37 | Lieblich Gedact | 8 |
38 | Echo Dulciana | 8 |
39 | Suabe Flute | 4 |
40 | Salicet | 4 |
41 | Piccolo | 2 |
42 | Larigot | 1/1.3 |
43 | Clarinet | 8 |
44 | Posaune | 8 |
45 | Tremulant | |
The Organ at St. Augustine's Church
The first organ at St. Augustines was constructed in 1869 by William Hill and Son of London as a two manual instrument. In 1914, after forty-five years of service and as a memorial to Mr Alfred Gaul (Mus. Bac.) The organ was rebuilt by the firm of Frederick Rothwell of London at a cost of nearly £1,000.
A new electric blower with new stop additions were added along with a new console constructed in the rothwell style. In 1935 the organ was overhauled and given a new blowing system and several tonal additions, the organ is now a three manual instrument.
In 1956 the organ was rebuilt by Nicholson & Co of Worcester. new action and the Rothwell console was replaced.
In 1976 the organ was cleaned and the electrics were overhauled. The great posaune was put on a seperate sound chest and re-voiced on a higher wind preasure turning the stop in a solo loud reed. The great mixture was remodelled into a four rank mixture and rename as Fortniture IV. A Larigot was also added to the choir manual.
In 2005 a survey of the organ was done by Paul Hale and a campaign was started to raise funds to rebuild the organ.
