The Choir at St. Mary’s is fortunate in having a very good reputation in its field and sings at all the regular services at St. Mary’s Church. We have a traditional robed choir but they also sing informally at several services. The choir and music are present at weekly services and special services. The choir also sings at weddings and funerals, when asked.
Singing away from Datchet
The choir also occasionally visits and sings at other churches in The Southern Grouping of The Burnham & Slough Deanery. Notably however pre covid, the Choir has led the Services for Weekends in Bath Abbey and also in Gloucester, Winchester, Lichfield, Wells and Worcester Cathedrals in recent years. The Choirs Administrator at Winchester Cathedral emailed us afterwards with the following comments
Dear St Mary's Datchet Choir
Thank you very much for your email and I am so pleased that, from your point of view, the weekend here went well.I have heard nothing but glowing reports of the choir’s singing and how much you all contributed to the worship, so do please pass on our thanks to everyone. If you would like to come again at some point, we would be delighted to have you !Every good wish and many thank
All the Cathedrals we have visited have invited the Choir back for return visits. Sadly our visit to Chichester was deferred due to the Covid Pandemic , but we are now ready to return . Cathedrals we are hoping to visit in the future include Ely and Chichester and Lincoln.
Junior Choir
Children are actively encouraged to join the choir. The choir provides an increasingly rare opportunity for children to regularly perform music to a high standard and learn a wide range of musical skills.
On first joining the choir choristers are expected to attend a rehearsal once a week and an agreed number of Sunday services each month. After this period of basic training , choristers are invited to join the full choir, and are acknowledged as members in a special blessing at one of the main Sunday services, where they receive their surplice. As full choristers they are encouraged to attend the full choir practice on Thursdays and weekly Sunday services. However in the modern world it is recognised that a weekly attendance at such is not always possible, and the Music Director will make arrangements where possible for children to remain junior choristers with a reduced time commitment.
We are currently recruiting for junior members - please contact Andrew Piggott via the Parish Office
Musical Training
The choristers at St. Mary’s are trained according to the training schemes provided by the Royal School of Church Music – to which the choir is affiliated. At each stage of a chorister’s progress through the choir they will receive thorough musical training and will have the opportunity to attend courses run by the RSCM.
If your child is interested in joining the choir please contact the Director of Music, Andrew Piggott on via the Parish Office (01753 580467 or [email protected] in the first instance.
Adult Choir
Adults interested in singing regularly in the choir are always welcome. We are particularly in need of Basses and Tenors at the moment , but any voice part is always warmly welcomed. The time commitment is not as great as some other choirs amounting to one weekly rehearsal ( Thursday evening 6:45 pm start) and one rehearsal before services. Services are usually one morning service weekly, and one Choral Evensong monthly. In addition there are a number of special services throughout the year Those who are unable to make a weekly commitment are always welcome to join us for Choral Evensong, or special services where a more challenging range of music is sung, and often a larger choir is necessary, or when regular singers are away.
We are currently looking for more men to join our choir - Tenor and Bass, but any one is most welcome. If you are interested in singing at St. Mary’s please feel free to contact the Director of Music, Andrew Piggott via the church office for further information or come to one of our regular services.