Bishop Cronyn Memorial Church
London, Ontario

Anglican Church of Canada

Diocese of Huron


THE MUSIC MINISTRY

under the direction of Angus Sinclair
  

Music plays a big part in the life of the community at Bishop Cronyn.  We are blessed with many talented people who contribute to the beauty of our worship and to our arts programming.  We hope the the following links will help you become familiar with the program

   Interim Director  From the Director  Musical Styles  The Gallery Organ   

     

 

A Word from Angus

Greetings!


Thank you for your interest in the music ministry at Bishop Cronyn Anglican Church.

The choir and congregation here have been blessed with a colourful history, and its music reflects that heritage. We include music by composers with a London or Canadian connection, as well as the international Anglican Communion. We sing music of our “roots”: Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox. Our hymns are drawn from all sources of the Christian faith, new and old, whether traditional favourites, praise and worship music from various sources (especially fourth Sundays) and contemplative music (Thursday evenings). Plainsong is a mainstay of all liturgies; Book of Common Prayer Evensong will be offered this year at 4:00 p.m. on Fourth Sundays featuring chants sung by everyone.Presently we have an adult choir that meets at 9 a.m. Sunday mornings in the under-croft to rehearse for the 10:30 worship and, hopefully, weeks ahead! We are blessed with guitarists, string, brass, percussion, and woodwind players, as well as several organists and pianists.

I see myself as a Kantor and a Facilitator of the praises of God’s people, whether playing one of our two fine pipe organs, or our grand piano (or the ACCORDION if circumstances dictate), or standing and singing unaccompanied in the midst of the people. To quote Dr Marion Hatchett,

Each service needs to contain a blend of the familiar and the not so familiar. No congregation should be allowed to settle down to using the same hymns over and over, but too much unfamiliar music should not be required of them at any one service. (Music for the Church Year: A Handbook for Clergymen, Organists and Choir Directors, Seabury Press 1964 p. 3)

To that end, much of my job at Cronyn is teaching, whether it’s trying new (and sometimes, exotic) music for the congregation and/or choir, or exploring new settings of familiar tunes. Cronyn also does a lot of outreach and hospitality to those in need, and music is a part of that ministry.  Cronyn Centre Space features concerts and theatre, especially the Third Sundays at Three series, which is featured elsewhere on this site.

Over time, it is my dream that Cronyn flourishes in its mandate to become, in addition to being a house of prayer and worship, a place of teaching and where creativity of all kinds is nourished and encouraged. To that end, I welcome opportunities for: choirs and small groups to meet and rehearse during the week  to teach the basic skills of music sight-reading and voice production (conducive to choral singing)  to facilitate teaching presentations of lectures and short music programmes, and to be part of future Arts Festivals. The future is never far away!
I look forward t o speaking to you about your ideas and dreams for the parish, the neighbourhood, and the City of London.

Please contact me at the church, at home (519.660.4658) or email me at angsinc@hotmail.com.

 

   

 

MUSICAL STYLES AND PROGRAMS          

The 10:30 Liturgy
The first three Sundays of each month use the contemporary language rite (pg. 185) of the Book of Alternate Services with a variety of settings depending on the season of the church year.  Settings are chosen to encourage congregational participation while enabling the gallery choir to assist with harmonized choral settings.  Five hymns drawn from Common Praise and other sources mark this liturgy.
Both the large Cassavant and the Tracker Organ in the gallery are used for this liturgy. 

 
 

The 4th Sunday Liturgy  (September through June)
On the 4th Sunday of each month the 10:30 service takes on a different form and feel.  The text of the liturgy uses what we call an Embracing language that rises above a gender focus and seeks to include all of God's people in its imagery.
This is also a sung eucharist, with more contemporary settings and modern songs and choruses with congregational participation in rounds, and responses. 

 

The Wednesday Night Liturgy (7:30 p.m September through June)
This is a eucharistic celebration with a difference.  It is in many ways experimental worship.  Prayers are drawn from a number of Anglican traditions, readings use the Inclusive Lectionary and are followed by notes on a singing bowl that call for silent reflection.  The liturgy is sung, sometime accompanied on the piano, sometime using electronic accompaniment and sometimes using only the voices of those present.
Songs at this liturgy are drawn from a number of contemporary sources.  The homily (or sermon) takes the form of a discussion based on the readings.

Choral Evensong        Evensong is sung on the 4th Sunday of each month at 4 p.m. by visiting choristers who come together from a number of parishes.  Singers with an ability to sight read are invited to meet for rehearsal at 3 p.m. in the church to sing this Prayer Book Office.  Beginning in January 2009, The Cathedral Church of St. Paul and Bishop Cronyn Memorial will share offering 'Evensong in the Heart of the City".  The first three weeks of each month at the cathedral and on the 4th Sunday at Cronyn - all at 4 p.m.

 

Dr. Donald Cook

While our Director of Music takes a well deserved 3 month leave of absence Dr. Donald Cook will assume choral direction and be on the bench at the console for our 10:30 a.m. liturgies.    http://web.me.com/larrynickel/Cypress_Choral_Music/Cook.html


© 2008 Bishop Cronyn Memorial Church (Anglican)