Music
Music is central to the worshipping life of St Marylebone.
The Parish of St Marylebone enjoys a vibrant musical life. The Parish Church has a fine four-manual Rieger organ (1987), a five-stop two-two manual and pedal board Škrabl Chamber Organ (2021), Blüthner Grand piano, a Yamaha upright practice piano in the Choir Vestry, a 10-voice professional adult choir, and a Youth Choir made up of children aged 8–15.
St Marylebone Parish Church Choir
The choir is made up of some of London’s finest professional singers. The full choir consists of 10 voices and makes a distinctive contribution to the worship and life of the Parish church. During the Sunday morning Eucharist the choir sings a wide-ranging repertoire of Latin and English Mass settings, drawing on the music from the Anglican and Catholic Church Music traditions. There is a particular focus on the Classical and Romantic Mass repertories with a variety of Renaissance and twentieth-century settings. Contact the Director of Music below for more information!
Email Director of music
Junior Choir
The St Marylebone Junior Choir was formed in March 2007, to offer a high-quality musical education to the young people that attend the church. It forms a healthy link between the Parish church’s professional music department and the Young Church. Open to all children aged 9 and above, rehearsals take place on Sundays in the Parish Church from 9.30 am to 10.10 am in the Crypt Hall. The choir is directed by our Assistant Director of Music, who prepares them to sing once a month as part of the Sunday Morning Sung Eucharist. Contact our Assistant Director of Music below to find out more!
Email Assistant Director of Music
The Director of Music
Described as ‘a force to be reckoned with’ (Opera Magazine), Bertie Baigent’s twin disciplines of conducting and composition give him a fresh, distinctive approach to creating and performing music. In June 2022, he won the Grand Prix, Classical Prize, and Symphonic Prize at the International Conducting Competition Rotterdam, working with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century. He has also been Music Director of Waterperry Opera Festival since 2017, and is Assistant Conductor with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
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The Assistant Director of Music
William Fairbairn has been Organist and Teacher of Music at St Paul's School since 2018, a post which he holds alongside his position as Assistant Director of Music. Previously, he has held the Organ Scholarships at Truro Cathedral, All Saints’ Fulham, and St. Catharine’s College Cambridge, where he also studied music. Whilst at Cambridge, he played for the College Chapel Choir, and the St. Catharine’s College Girls’ Choir, accompanying them in their weekly round of services, radio broadcasts, recordings, and global tours.
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The Organ Scholar
The 1987 Rieger Instrument in St Marylebone Parish Church is the product of a unique collaboration between the parish church and the Royal Academy of Music. Edward Carew is our current organ scholar.
The St Marylebone Festival
Since 2016, St Marylebone Parish Church has delivered a weeklong music festival. The St Marylebone Festival is dedicated to sharing the heritage of the area of St Marylebone, and there is a different theme each year. Learn more about our St Marylebone Festival below.
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