We are currently auditioning for Alto and Bass Choral Scholarships – details here. Deadline: 5pm, Wednesday, 9th July 2025
Music plays a central role in the life of St Mary’s, shaping our worship and strengthening our community. Since 2024, we’ve been developing an ambitious and inclusive music programme, offering three strands of choral music:
Our Choral Scholars – a core SATB ensemble of four professional singers, augmented for feast days and special services – perform a diverse range of sacred music (introits, motets, psalms, and occasional four-part Mass settings—both unaccompanied and accompanied) from a variety of epochs, in addition to performing as soloists.
Our auditioned Chorister Programme offers the opportunity of a high quality choral education to children in Years 3-6 (with some staying on in Year 7). Our choristers meet to rehearse weekly after school during term time, performing at Mass on the last Sunday of each month.
Our Community Choir invites adults and teenagers of all abilities to sing more popular liturgical repertoire in a relaxed, informal atmosphere—with no need to read musical notation. This group rehearses after Mass on the final Sunday of each month and sings at Mass on the first Sunday of each month.
During the Autumn term our Christmas Choral Engagement Project forms choirs in two local primary schools for any child who wishes to take part. They receive vocal instruction and prepare music for a large carol service. At the service, they sing with our scholars, choristers and community choir. In the Autumn of 2024, approximately 50 children took part. This project brings choral singing to children who otherwise might not experience it and is a place of recruitment for our Choristers.
Interested in joining one of our choirs?
Choristers are currently recruited from two local primary schools — Crampton and Keyworth — with advertisements held annually within these schools. However, our Director of Music, Dr Edwin Hillier, is always happy to hear from members of the congregation or children at other nearby schools (Years 3–6) who might be interested in joining the scheme. Choristers meet each Monday evening during term time (4pm–6pm) to rehearse and receive tuition in singing and music theory. The programme is free of charge, and each rehearsal ends with a sit-down meal provided by the church.
Choral Scholarships are advertised on the church’s website as and when they arise. Our Director of Music is also keen to hear from potential paid deputies at any point during the academic year.
We are currently auditioning for Alto and Bass Choral Scholarships – details here. Deadline: 5pm, Wednesday, 9th July 2025
Our Community Choir is open to members of the congregation as well as local adult and teenage singers. Rehearsals take place after Mass on the final Sunday of each month (11:45am), and the choir sings at Mass on the first Sunday of each month (10:30am).
Our Director of Music, Dr Edwin Hillier (choir.stmarynewington@gmail.com), is always pleased to hear from singers interested in any aspect of our music programme.
The Director of Music
Dr Edwin Hillier is a choral director, composer, and educator based in South London, with over fifteen years’ experience leading music in church, educational, and community settings. In September 2024, he was appointed Director of Music at St Mary, Newington, where he is pioneering a new music programme—establishing children’s, choral scholar, and community choirs to enrich worship and strengthen parish engagement.
Alongside his work at St Mary’s, Edwin is Professor of Composition and Academic Studies at the Royal College of Music. As a composer, his work has been presented internationally, including performances at Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, Roulette NYC, and by ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Sinfonietta. Recent pieces have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, France Musique, and recorded on NMC. He was the recipient of a Scottish Award for New Music in both 2020 and 2021.
Edwin has led vocal projects across the UK, including major education initiatives for Handel House Museum, Glasgow Cathedral Festival, and sound Festival. Previous liturgical posts include Director of Music at St Michael’s, Camden Town, alongside several years as a cathedral lay clerk, freelance baritone and conductor. Edwin was a choral scholar at the University of Cambridge, where he read Music, before taking up a postgraduate scholarship to the Royal College of Music, completing his doctoral studies in 2022.
The Organist
Our regular organist is Mr Chris Baczkowski, formerly organ scholar at Wakefield Cathedral and Homerton College, Cambridge.
Additional Musicians
Zinafe Zimbabwean Choir
The Zimbabwean Mother’s Union meets at our church once a month and a Zimbabwean Mass is held on the 2nd Sunday of most months where people can experience their vibrant traditional African singing within the context of the Anglican Liturgy. We are delighted that they join us twice a year to sing at our Parish Mass.