Church Music

Director of Music: Andrew Earis

Music has always played a central part in the life of St Martin-in-the-Fields. There has been an organ here since before 1500; Handel and possibly even Mozart both played on the Schreider organ of 1727; and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields was founded here in the 1950’s by Sir Neville Marriner and the then Master of Music John Churchill. The breadth of musical activity at St Martin’s is astonishing. As well as the regular pattern of music in worship, St Martin’s hosts three lunch time concerts a week, the longest running free recital programme in the UK, and at least three evening concerts each week.

The Church Music Department at St Martin’s has a wide and varied programme covering the complete range of liturgical music from traditional Choral Evensong to developing music to work with interesting and creative contemporary liturgies. We strive for excellence in our music: the clergy, musicians and congregation are committed that music's place is in the wider service of the liturgy of which it is part.

The Choir of St. Martin-in-the-Fields is a group of around twenty volunteers, of a standard comparable with the best professional London church choirs, which sings at the Parish Eucharist and Choral Evensong each Sunday. This is complemented by extra seasonal services – particularly at during Advent, Christmas, Holy Week and Easter. The choir is well known through its frequent broadcasts on BBC Radio and Television and have recently recorded two CDs, 'Christmas at St. Martin-in-the-Fields' and a CD of jazz choral music ‘Evensong in Blue’. The Choir has recently completed a very successful tour to the USA - Minnesota, New York, Washington and Atlanta - in May 2011.

Music education is also an essential aspect of Church Music at St Martin’s. Through our Choral Scholarship programme, ten scholars are appointed each year to sing Choral Eucharist at 1pm and Choral Evensong at 5pm each Wednesday during term time, as well as receiving an extensive programme of training in different aspects of church and choral music.

Congregational music making is an important part of St Martin’s. Sometimes services are sung by the St. Martin’s Occasional Singers, a wider group drawn from the St. Martin’s community and beyond. The St Martin’s Taizé Music Group leads the music at the Taizé service, on the first Sunday of each month at 6.30pm.