The Southwark Diocesan Music Committee promotes sacred music across the archdiocese, offering training and advice to musicians, teachers and clergy.
The Archdiocese of Southwark is blessed with beautiful music, which is promoted across the Archdiocese.
Details on the various programmes can be found below, but you can also head to the St George's Cathedral website, which has lots more information on the music produced and how you can get involved.
Diocesan Music Committee
The Diocesan Music Committee, part of the diocesan Liturgy Commission, exists to promote sacred music across the diocese. The Committee organises workshops, training and events for parish singers, organists and directors of music throughout the year, as well as facilitating the work of the Diocesan Choir at some of the major diocesan celebrations. The Committee also produces a termly music planner to assist parishes in their music choices for Sunday masses.
Jonathan Schranz – Diocesan Director of Music
Simon Locke – Diocesan Choir Accompanist
Stephen Bick – Director of Music at St Elizabeth of Portugal, Richmond
Wilf Jones – Director of Music at Our Lady of Sorrows, Peckham
Music Planner
The music planner is released termly and lists the readings, propers and suggested hymns for every Sunday and Solemnity of the church year. Click here to download the latest planner, and to sign up to receive these by email please write to the committee at singing@rcaos.org.uk
Diocesan Choir
The Diocesan Choir is a large group of enthusiastic singers and musicians from across the diocese who meet a few times a year to support the congregational singing at major diocesan liturgies, such as the Rite of Election and Chrism Mass. There are no auditions and there is no cost to take part: before each event singers come together for a Saturday morning rehearsal to prepare, and then sing on the day, often collaborating with other musical groups such as the Cathedral Choir and Schools Singing Programme Choir. The choir is always looking for new singers, please email singing@rcaos.org.uk to sign up.
Southwark Singing Programme Choir
The Southwark Singing Programme works in partnership with many schools across the diocese, delivering whole-class singing in weekly sessions throughout the year. When partner schools come together to sing they form the Southwark Singing Programme Choir, a massed choir of hundreds of children, to support the liturgical music at major diocesan events such as the Carol Service and Chrism Mass.