The Parish Church of St. Michael Cornhill

The Music at St. Michael's Cornhill

You are invited to St Michael's to join in our choral service any Sunday (except during August) at 11.00am. A full choral setting (by such composers as Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Palestrina, Victoria, Lassus, Tye, Byrd or Vaughan Williams) is sung each week by our fine choir, and accompaniments and voluntaries are played on the church's famous Organ.

We believe that great music not only complements and adorns the wonderfully resonant words of the Book of Common Prayer (we use only the Prayer Book of 1662), but represents an offering to God of the best of which we are capable.

St Michael's has been renowned for its musical excellence for more than six hundred years. We know that in 1375 the church supported a choir of boys, priests and lay clerks who sang daily services. By the early 1500s the choir was performing some of the most elaborate polyphonic choral settings of the day. We know the names of the church's organists since 1473; and the choirmaster's contract of 1509 still survives.

A two-manual organ was built by Renatus Harris, and an opening recital given in 1684 by Henry Purcell and John Blow (both composers and organists of Westminster Abbey) and G B Draghi (organist to Charles II's Queen, Catherine). The instrument has been enlarged several times, and moved from a west gallery to the east end of the church, but nine of the original ranks are still in use.

In the eighteenth century organists of the church included Obadiah Shuttleworth (who also played first violin in the concerts at the Swan Tavern, Cornhill, where later the eight-year-old Mozart was exhibited daily from twelve to three o'clock to anybody who could afford the 2s 6d admission charge). The Master of the King's Music, William Boyce, played at St Michael's for thirty-two years, to be succeeded by Theodore Aylward (the Gresham Professor of Music). Another Gresham Professor, the glee-composer R J S Stevens, served St Michael's for 29 years. Later in the nineteenth century Richard Limpus founded the [Royal] College of Organists at the church, and it was here that the College's early fellowship and associateship examinations were held.

During the twentieth century St Michael's had only four organists, of whom Harold Darke was in post for fifty years (1916-66). He is widely known for his carol 'In the bleak midwinter' and his communion settings in F, E and A minor. He gave more than 1,800 of the Monday lunchtime recitals, and directed the St Michael's Singers. He was followed by Richard Popplewell (1966-79) and Jonathan Rennert, who has recently celebrated his silver jubilee at the church.

In addition to the Sunday services, the church is the venue for many City of London memorial services and livery company services, as well as weddings, carol services and celebrations of the New Year, Ash Wednesday, Ascension Day and Corpus Christi -- all featuring music of a high standard.

On Mondays at 1.00pm there takes place a fifty-minute organ recital, either by Jonathan Rennert or by a distinguished visiting recitalist. Admission is free. There is a retiring collection.

The organ recitals will not take place during the restoration of our historic organ. It is expected that they will be resumed in the autumn.

Several recordings of the choir and the organ are available.

The Director of Music, Jonathan Rennert, can be reached at jonathanrennert@hotmail.com.

Home Welcome Events Newsletter Sermons 2004 Sermons 2005 Sermons 2006 Sermons 2007 Sermons 2008 Sermons 2009 Sermons 2010 History Music Restoration of the Organ Foundation Music Trust Books Recordings Contact us	The Music at St. Michael's Cornhill You are invited to St Michael's to join in our choral service any Sunday (except during August) at 11.00am. A full choral setting (by such composers as Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Palestrina, Victoria, Lassus, Tye, Byrd or Vaughan Williams) is sung each week by our fine choir, and accompaniments and voluntaries are played on the church's famous Organ. We believe that great music not only complements and adorns the wonderfully resonant words of the Book of Common Prayer (we use only the Prayer Book of 1662), but represents an offering to God of the best of which we are capable. St Michael's has been renowned for its musical excellence for more than six hundred years. We know that in 1375 the church supported a choir of boys, priests and lay clerks who sang daily services. By the early 1500s the choir was performing some of the most elaborate polyphonic choral settings of the day. We know the names of the church's organists since 1473; and the choirmaster's contract of 1509 still survives. A two-manual organ was built by Renatus Harris, and an opening recital given in 1684 by Henry Purcell and John Blow (both composers and organists of Westminster Abbey) and G B Draghi (organist to Charles II's Queen, Catherine). The instrument has been enlarged several times, and moved from a west gallery to the east end of the church, but nine of the original ranks are still in use. In the eighteenth century organists of the church included Obadiah Shuttleworth (who also played first violin in the concerts at the Swan Tavern, Cornhill, where later the eight-year-old Mozart was exhibited daily from twelve to three o'clock to anybody who could afford the 2s 6d admission charge). The Master of the King's Music, William Boyce, played at St Michael's for thirty-two years, to be succeeded by Theodore Aylward (the Gresham Professor of Music). Another Gresham Professor, the glee-composer R J S Stevens, served St Michael's for 29 years. Later in the nineteenth century Richard Limpus founded the [Royal] College of Organists at the church, and it was here that the College's early fellowship and associateship examinations were held. During the twentieth century St Michael's had only four organists, of whom Harold Darke was in post for fifty years (1916-66). He is widely known for his carol 'In the bleak midwinter' and his communion settings in F, E and A minor. He gave more than 1,800 of the Monday lunchtime recitals, and directed the St Michael's Singers. He was followed by Richard Popplewell (1966-79) and Jonathan Rennert, who has recently celebrated his silver jubilee at the church. In addition to the Sunday services, the church is the venue for many City of London memorial services and livery company services, as well as weddings, carol services and celebrations of the New Year, Ash Wednesday, Ascension Day and Corpus Christi -- all featuring music of a high standard. On Mondays at 1.00pm there takes place a fifty-minute organ recital, either by Jonathan Rennert or by a distinguished visiting recitalist. Admission is free. There is a retiring collection. The organ recitals will not take place during the restoration of our historic organ. It is expected that they will be resumed in the autumn. Several recordings of the choir and the organ are available. The Director of Music, Jonathan Rennert, can be reached at jonathanrennert@hotmail.com.