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Musical Notes from the Director of Music

In this section you can find the music list, a description of the musical instruments, some useful links and the cantors' and soloists' rota.

Congregational singing is one the special things about Saint Silas Church. The congregation sings hymns and songs from Celebration Hymnal for Everyone and a Mass setting. Cantors from the congregational lead them in a psalm and Gospel acclamation from The Complete Responsorial Psalter, There are organ voluntaries before and after Mass except in Lent. Sometimes a soloist plays or sings during communion.

7.30pm Saturday 22nd March, Holy Saturday, Vigil and First Mass of Easter Year A
Voluntaries before Mass: none
Setting: A New People’s Mass, Dom Gregory Murray
Exultet: plainsong
Vigil Psalms: 103 Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth; 15 Preserve me, O God, I take refuge in you; Ex 15 I will sing to the Lord, glorious his triumph; Is 12 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation
Gospel Acclamation: Plainsong alleluia with Easter Anthems
Litany of the Saints: Bernadette Farrell, Saints of God in Glory
Hymns and Songs: Water of Life; Ye choirs of New Jerusalem; The strife is O’er
Elevation Fanfares: Martin Black Festal Fanfares
Music During Communion: none
Voluntary after Mass: Dietrich Buxtehude 1637-1707 Praeludium in g-moll BuxWV149
Cantors Alec Swan, Pat Black, Organ Martin Black

11am Sunday 23rd March, Easter Day Year A
Voluntaries before Mass: Thomas Arne 1717-1778 Allegro in C; G F Handel 1685-1759 Organ Concerto No 6 in B Flat, Andante allegro
Setting: A New People’s Mass, Dom Gregory Murray
Psalm: 117 (118) This day was made by the Lord; we rejoice and are glad
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia, You are the Christ everlasting
Hymns and Songs: Jesus Christ is risen today; Water of life; Thine be the glory; Meekness and majesty; The day of resurrection
Elevation Fanfares: Martin Black Festal Fanfares
Music During Communion: improvisation
Voluntary after Mass: Kenneth Leighton 1929-1988 Fanfare 1967
Cantor Pat Black, Solo Keyboard Nikki Yeoh, Organ Martin Black

11am Sunday 30th March, Second Sunday of Easter, Low Sunday Year A
Voluntaries before Mass: Louis-Nicolas Clerambault 1676-1749 Livre d’Orgue 1713, Suite du 2me ton, Plein Jeu, Duo, Recit de nazard
Setting: A New People’s Mass, Dom Gregory Murray
Psalm: 117 (118) Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end (p43)
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia, You are the Christ everlasting
Hymns and Songs: All for Jesus; To God be the Glory; Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord; Let all the world in every corner sing
Elevation Fanfares: Martin Black Festal Fanfares
Music During Communion: Francois Couperin 1668-1733 Vingt-sixieme ordre La Sophie
Voluntary after Mass: Louis-Nicolas Clerambault 1676-1749 Livre d’Orgue 1713, Suite du 2me ton, Caprice sur les Grands Jeux
Cantor Pat Black, Organ Martin Black

11am Sunday 6th April, Easter 3 Year A
Voluntaries before Mass: Alex Cellier (early 20th Century) Theme et variations sur le Psaume 149 for trumpet and organ
Setting: A New People’s Mass, Dom Gregory Murray
Psalm: 15 (16) Show us, Lord, the path of Life (p44)
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia, You are the Christ everlasting
Hymns and Songs: The day of resurrection; Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendour; Be still for the presence of the Lord; Thine be the glory
Elevation Fanfares: Martin Black Festal Fanfares
Music During Communion: improvisation
Voluntary after Mass: Alex Cellier (early 20th Century) Theme et variations sur le Psaume 149 for trumpet and organ
Cantor Pat Black, Trumpet Tom Semple, Solo Keyboard Nikki Yeoh, Organ Martin Black

11am Sunday 13th April, Easter 4 Year A
Voluntaries before Mass: John Stanley 1713-1786 Cornopean Voluntary Opera Settima No VI
Setting: A New People’s Mass, Dom Gregory Murray
Psalm: 22 (23) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want (p45)
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia, You are the Christ everlasting
Hymns and Songs: O praise ye the Lord; Lord Jesus Christ; I watch the sunrise; Let all the world
Elevation Fanfares: Martin Black Festal Fanfares
Music During Communion: improvisation
Voluntary after Mass: John Stanley 1713-1786 Voluntary for the Full Organ Opera Sesta No VIII
Cantor Pat Black, Organ Martin Black

11am Sunday 20th April, Easter 5 Year A
Voluntaries before Mass: Francois Couperin1668-1733 Livre d’Orgue 1690 Trio a 2 dessus de Chromhorne et la basse de Tierce, Tierce en Taille, Dialogue en trio du Cornet et de la Tierce – 5e, 6e et 8e couplets du Gloria
Setting: A New People’s Mass, Dom Gregory Murray
Psalm: 32 (33) May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you (p46)
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia, You are the Christ everlasting
Hymns and Songs: Rejoice, the Lord is King; At the name of Jesus; Meekness and Majesty; Good Christians, all rejoice and sing
Elevation Fanfares: Martin Black Festal Fanfares
Music During Communion: improvisation
Voluntary after Mass: Francois Couperin1668-1733 Livre d’Orgue 1690 Dialogue sure les trompettes, clarion et tierces du grand clavier et le bourdon avec le larigot du positif – 4e couplets du Gloria
Cantor Pat Black, Keyboard Nikki Yeoh, Organ Martin Black

11am Sunday 27th April, Easter 6 Year A
Voluntaries before Mass: Joseph Rheinberger 1839-1901 Monologues Op 162, Andantino in E flat minor, Andante amabile in G
Setting: A New People’s Mass, Dom Gregory Murray
Psalm: 65 (66) Cry out with joy to God, all the earth (p47, version at the bottom of the page)
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia, You are the Christ everlasting
Hymns and Songs: Praise, my soul, the king of heaven; Ye choirs of new Jerusalem; This is my body, broken for you; Tell out, my soul
Elevation Fanfares: Martin Black Festal Fanfares
Music During Communion: improvisation
Voluntary after Mass: Joseph Rheinberger 1839-1901 Monologues Op 162, Poco agitato in A minor
Cantor Pat Black, Keyboard Nikki Yeoh, Organ Martin Black

11am Sunday 4th May, Ascension Year A
Voluntaries before Mass: Louis Marchand 1669-1732, Livre d’Orgue 1732 (posthumous) Basse de Cromorne, Fond d'orgue, Trio, Basse de Trompette
Setting: A New People’s Mass, Dom Gregory Murray
Psalm: 46 (47) God goes up with shouts of joy, the Lord goes up with trumpet blast (p48)
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia, You are the Christ everlasting
Hymns and Songs: Alleluia, sing to Jesus; Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendour; Majesty; Crown him with many crowns
Elevation Fanfares: Martin Black Festal Fanfares
Music During Communion:
Voluntary after Mass: Louis Marchand 1669-1732, Livre d’Orgue 1732 (posthumous) Dialogue
Cantor Pat Black, Keyboard Nikki Yeoh, Organ Martin Black

11am Sunday 11th May, Pentecost Year A
Voluntaries before Mass: Nicolas de Grigny 1672-1703 Livre d’Orgue 1699 Veni Creator Spiritus: Dialogue sur les grands Jeux, Duo, Recit de Cromorne
Setting: A New People’s Mass, Dom Gregory Murray
Psalm: 103 (104) Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth (p52)
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia, Now we are called to go forth
Hymns and Songs: Good Christians, all rejoice and sing; Come down, O love divine; Breathe on me, breath of God; Walk in the light
Elevation Fanfares: Martin Black Festal Fanfares
Music During Communion:
Voluntary after Mass: Marc-Antoine Charpentier 1645-1704 Te Deum Rondeau
Trumpet Tom SempleCantor Pat Black, Organ Martin Black

11am Sunday 18th May, Trinity Year A
Voluntaries before Mass: John Taverner 1490-1545 In nomine, John Redford ?-1547 O Lux on the faburden, Blitheman c1510-1591 Gloria tibi Trinitas, Orlando Gibbons 1583-1625 A Voluntary of 4 Parts
Setting: A New People’s Mass, Dom Gregory Murray
Psalm: To you praise and glory for evermore (p54)
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia, Father, we praise you as Lord
Hymns and Songs: Thou whose almighty word; Holy, holy, holy; Spirit of the living God; Firmly I believe and truly
Elevation Fanfares: Martin Black Ordinary Fanfares
Music During Communion:
Voluntary after Mass: G F Handel 1685-1749 Second Overture in Solomon (Sinfonia, The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba) 1749
Cantor Sharon Yeoh, Keyboard Nikki Yeoh, Organ Martin Black

11am Sunday 25th May, Corpus Christi Year A
Voluntaries before Mass: Charles Tournemire 1870-1939 Petites Fleurs Musicales op 66 1933/4 In Festo Corporis Christi
Setting: A New People’s Mass, Dom Gregory Murray
Psalm: 147 O praise the Lord, Jerusalem (p55)
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia, Help those you saved by your blood
Hymns and Songs: O praise ye the Lord; Soul of my saviour; Be still for the presence of the Lord; To God be the Glory
Elevation Fanfares: Martin Black Festal Fanfares
Benediction Fanfares: Martin Black Benediction Fanfares
Voluntary after Mass: William Walton 1902-1983 March from Richard III 1963
Cantor Pat Black, Organ Martin Black

The Musical Instruments

The organ at Saint Silas was originally built by John Byfield in the mid-eighteenth century. In 1854 it was rebuilt by Gray and Davison in St Thomas' Regent Street (also known as Archbishop Tenison's Chapel Kingly Street, Kingly Street being between Regent Street and Carnaby Street). Dorothy L Sayers was famously church warden there; and it was there that Dr John Birch, subsequently organist of All Saints' Margaret Street, the Temple Church and Chichester Cathedral, held his first organist's post.

St Thomas' was made redundant in 1954 and the organ was purchased by Saint Silas' in 1966. N P Mander Limited removed it, overhauling, cleaning and rebuilding it at the west end of the gallery in Saint Silas' with new electro-pneumatic action and a new detached console. The Great Large Open Diapason was transferred to the the Pedal as a Principal 8' to give the Pedal better definition, and a two-rank Mixture was prepared for on the Great to make up for its loss, but it has never been provided. It was also intended to extend the Pedal Principal down to 16' as an Open Metal, so the Gray and Davison Open Wood 16' rank was not brought to Saint Silas', but the extension has not been made - the Open Metal 16' ends at tenor C. Otherwise the organ has the same specification it had when rebuilt by Gray and Davison. The organ is in its Gray and Davison 1854 case, with extra panels by Thomas Cole of Barnsbury to cover where the orginal console was removed. The opening recital was given by Nicholas Jackson on 24 January 1967.

When the hall was built under the original gallery and the gallery was extended eastwards, the organ console was moved to the new south-east corner of the gallery, and in 1980 a faculty was granted to move the organ to the west of the gallery and the console to the south east of the church, but this was not done.

The organ is a small but well-specified example of one of the best nineteenth century organ builders in an almost unchanged state, with an impressive case from that period. The airtight seals, though, are deteriorating so several notes are missing from each stop, especially in the bass; and the electric action of the keyboards is so light (a 1960's reaction to the heavy tracker actions of the time) that it is difficult not to smudge adjacent notes when playing. Members of the congregation who remember the previous organ at Saint Silas' say it was too loud for the building, and the current organ is not quite loud enough, perhaps in overcompensation. Had the planned Great two rank Mixture and the bottom octave of the Pedal Open Metal been added, it might have been better able to accompany a large congregation.

Compass: Manuals CC-C Pedal CCC-F. Pitch a="451" (about half a semitone above orchestral pitch)

Swell Organ: Lieblich Bourdon 16', Open Diapason 8', Gedact 8', Salicional 8', Celeste 8', Principal 4', Mixture II, Oboe 8', Cornopean 8', Tremulant, Octave Coupler.

Great Organ: Open Diapason 8', Stopped Diapason 8', Dulciana 8', Principal 4', Flute 4', Twelfth 2 2/3', Fifteenth 2', Mixture II (prepared for), Clarinet 8', Trumpet 8', Swell to Great.

Pedal Organ: Open Metal 16' (bottom octave prepared for, the rest from Principal), Bourdon 16', Echo Bourdon 16' (from Swell), Principal 8', Flute 8' (from Bourdon), Flute 4' (from Bourdon), Swell to Pedal, Great to Pedal, Great and Pedal Combinations Coupled.

Three adjustable thumb pistons to each manual, reversible thumb piston to Great to Pedal.

The piano at Saint Silas is a baby grand Geissler. Its attractive sunburst music stand suggests it is probably from the 1920s or 1930s. It was given to Saint Silas by All Saints, Margaret Street and was restored in late 2005 in memory of Nancy Brock.

The Yamaha P250 Digital Piano, with its wide variety of voices, is used for communion improvisations, for harpsichord music and, in conjunction with the baby grand, to accompany communion songs. It was given in April 2006 by a kind and generous supporter of the music at Saint Silas.