St Luke's Choir, Bournemouth

St Luke's Choir, Bournemouth is a friendly SATB church choir. We sing music from plainchant to the present day, taken from the church and cathedral repertoire. Items sung by the choir range from music composed by William Byrd, Thomas Tallis and Anton Bruckner, to works of contemporary composers such as Malcolm Archer and John Rutter.

The choir leads the congregation in the singing of hymns and communion settings, as well as singing a solo item during communion at the Sunday morning service. In addition we sing Cathedral-style choral evensongs and special seasonal services.

Choir practice is from 7.00 - 8.00pm on Friday evenings, and the choir sings at the weekly 10am Sunday service during term time.

We have members of all ages. Children and adults are equally welcome to join. Singing in a choir gives musical people the opportunity to gain experience of singing in four or more parts. Children who play musical instruments find that singing regularly not only develops their voice, but also helps improve their aural skills and increases their knowledge of music from all periods. They also have the opportunity to play pieces before, during and after services and when we give concerts.

University students, also, are very welcome to join during their time in Bournemouth. Our rehearsals take place about twenty minutes walk from the Wallisdown campus. In the past, we have performed concerts together with the Cantamus Chamber Choir (a local chamber choir), Bournemouth School for Girls choir and with the Bournemouth Youth Handbell team.

We are fortunate in having several pianos and a fine organ at St. Luke’s Church, the history of which can be found by clicking this link. History of the Organ
The Classic FM website outlines 4 key reasons for joining a choir. St Luke’s Church Choir can offer all of these benefits:

A New Challenge: Learning to sing is a challenge in itself, but learning to sing with others is a skill that makes the singing experience all the more rewarding.

Social Benefits: As with any club or society, membership will not only enhance your circle of friends but also your social life. Some choirs even partake in an annual tour which can be great fun as well as a fantastic life experience.

Education: There is a wealth of choral music to discover and being part of a choir is one way of finding some of the hidden gems of the choral repertoire. If you're new to music and singing, it will also encourage you to learn basic singing technique and music theory.

Health Benefits: Singing is an ideal way to relax and relieve stress as it provides an outlet from the pressures of daily life.

If you are interested in joining St. Luke’s Church Choir, please contact Michael Whiteside (Director of Music), to arrange an informal audition.

Michaels biography can be found here

Here is a rare view of the High Alter as only the organist can see.