CHURCH CHOIR
St Andrew and St Teilo's Church Choir is a small but lively and talented
choir which sings the Sunday Mass and occasional evening services, such as the
Advent Carol Service, during university term time. The repertoire is mainly
sacred and includes anthems, canticles, psalms and hymns sung in four-part
harmony.
The Choir is affiliated to the
Royal School of Church Music
and members have opportunities to participate in the RSCM "Voice
of Life
Training Scheme".
Many of the Choir members are students, both undergraduate and post-graduate, or
former students of the
University of Cardiff or
of the Royal Welsh College of
Music and Drama. The choir is a good place to make lasting friendships, and
a Graduate Association exists to keep past members of the choir in touch.
REHEARSALS AND DRESS
Choir rehearsals are held on Tuesday evenings at the Church from 7.45 p.m. to 9.00 p.m., and at 10.30 a.m. on Sunday mornings before the Eucharist.
Dress for services is formal; men wear black trousers, white shirts and dark ties, all singers wear academic gowns (provided by the Church) and graduates are invited to wear hoods when appropriate.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the choir is open to all, irrespective of religion. There are
no formal auditions, but all members should be able to read music to a basic
level and be prepared to work hard. The musical standards achieved by the choir
are very high and this is largely due to the enthusiasm and dedication of its
members. The choir offers a warm welcome and an excellent opportunity to sing
and socialise with interesting musical people. The Choir's recipe for success is
simple: the more members put into the choir, the more they get out of it.
Any one interested in joining the Choir should contact the Director of Music,
Mr Alexander
Thacker.
ADVENT CAROL SERVICE 2011
The annual Advent Carol Service held on Sunday 27th November at 7.30 pm. was
led by St Teilo's choir and various local choirs and featured a
series of readings and carols. Recordings of the Choir singing carols with
soloist, Matthew Clark, are available on YouTube:
1. Vaughan Williams, The truth from above
2. Howells, A spotless rose
3. Anon (French traditional) The Angel Gabriel
4. Walton, All this time
W. G. VOWLES ORGAN
The organ was first erected in the tin church that stood on the site of the
present building and was installed in its present location in 1900. Over the
years, some alterations were made, including conversion of the winding apparatus
from a hand-operated pump to an electric blower, the replacement of the trigger
swell pedal with one of balanced type, the provision of tuning slides to the
open metal pipes (except those that form the facade) and the lowering of the
pitch to the modern standard of A=440Hz. The 1996 restoration sought to retain
the greater part of the organ in its original form, while making such
alterations as would enhance the versatility of this delightful instrument.
Changes at the 1996 restoration include the replacement of the Great Clarionet 8
ft (c-g''' only) with a new full-compass Mixture, and the remodelling of the
Swell Mixture. The old Swell stop had the following composition: C-b = 15.19.22,
c'-g''' = 8.12.15; and the new reuses most of the old pipe-work, but re-voiced.
The first balanced swell pedal was placed to the right of the pedal clavier and
was very difficult to operate. It has been replaced by a pedal located in the
usual modern position above the middle of the pedal clavier: this necessitated
the re-sitting of the composition pedals. The console has been expertly
renovated, the work on it including the re-covering of the white keys in bone to
replace the plastic that had superseded the original ivory some years ago, and
the provision of fluorescent lights, an adjustable mirror and glazed doors. The
facade pipes, all of which speak and belong to the Great Open Diapason and
Dulciana stops, were re-decorated by Dr Christopher Berry.
