Music and Bells

Music plays an integral part of our worship across the Benefice.

The churches at Dunsden and Harpsden have well maintained historic pipe organs (for more details see The National Pipe Organ Register (https://npor.org.uk/), while Shiplake Church has an extensive Copeman Hart electronic organ installed in 2001 (see www.berkshireorganists.org.uk/src/TBO_2002.pdf for a full description).

While the organ is used to accompany most services, each church also has access to a piano or keyboard to add variety to the music that is played, and at some services (for example the 3rd Sunday at 3 at Shiplake) a keyboard is used exclusively.

Each church has a dedicated organist to accompany the various hymns, anthems, psalms, Taizé chants, songs and carols that contribute to our worship. At Harpsden we are fortunate to have a thriving choir of around 16 members who sing regularly there but also support the monthly Benefice Services at Shiplake and Dunsden. You can hear them singing a service of 9 Lessons and Carols recorded during COVID here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ehvzxSux3Y&t=2804s.

We are always interested to welcome new members to the Harpsden choir! We meet regularly for choir practices at 12.30 on Fridays for an hour. If you interested you are welcome to come along – please contact Roger Derbyshire ([email protected]) for more details.

Bells

There are three possibilities with bells - large and small, as follows:
    Hand chimes - these will occasionally feature in services and activities.
    Hand bells - a community group (more details below).
    Tower bells - at Shiplake, with practices on Tuesdays at 7.30pm, please see here for more information.

Shiplake Handbell ringers meet on a Friday morning from 9.45 to 11.15am. Currently a group of 8 (2 men and 6 women), but would love to welcome new members. No experience is necessary, but if you can read music, it helps! We ring mostly popular tunes, enjoying some laughs along the way.
If you might be interested in joining us, please do drop in and see/hear what we do.
Contact Joanne Harris for more information by email or mobile: 07514531981.