Music at St Mary de Castro

Introduction

St Mary de Castro has a fine choral tradition and in recent years we have been very active in recruiting and rebuilding the choir. Currently we have a full choral Sunday morning Eucharist service at 11am and occasional Evensong Services. At Christmas we also provide a 9 Lessons and Carols Service.

The excellent acoustics of the church also allows us to offer space as a concert venue and we have hosted many local and internationally renowned artists such as The Sixteen, Emma Kirkby, Michela Petri, Gavin Bryers.

Choir

Following the appointment of Will Welsford as Choir Director in August 2025 we are now very fortunate to have a group of quality singers each week to lead the music at the Sunday 11am Eucharist. In addition to the singing of the Mass setting, Psalm and Hymns, a motet is sung during the distribution of communion. These have ranged from composers such as Byrd, Tallis and Palestrina to Mathias, Stopford and Walford-Davis. A series of “Ave Marias” were also sung during August last year.

New choir members are always welcome and if you are interested in joining a very friendly bunch of people, please contact Will Welsford using the following email address: –

stmarydecastrochoir@gmail.com

Rehearsals are held before the service each week from 10.10am to 10.45am although music and rehearsal tracks are sent our beforehand.

The music list for March is below.

Music List

History of Music at St Mary de Castro

Organ

The first reference made to an organ is in 1550 when Roger Oakley was paid 13 shillings and 4 pence for playing the instrument. The organ was next mentioned in the church records in 1777. In 1860 Foster and Andrews of Hull were commissioned to build a three manual organ. It was substantially rebuilt and enlarged by Joshua Poritt of Leicester between 1878 and 1880. In 1960 restoration and further electrification took place along with major tonal modifications. It is situated at the east end of the Trinity aisle with some 2000 pipes ranging from a few inches to 16 feet. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Organists

  • Mary Ann Deacon
  • Frederick Cambridge 1866 – 1868
  • Andrew Landergan 1868 – ca. 1870
  • Henry Bramley Ellis organist 1878 – 1910
  • Benjamin Burrows 1910 – 1923
  • William Edward Snow, father of C. P. Snow 1930 – 1953 (previously organist at St James’ Church, Aylestone, and All Saints’ Church, Wigston Magna)
  • John M. Bence 1962 – 2020
  • Andrew Green 2020 –

Leicester Early Music Festival

John Bence, a former Organist at St Mary’s founded the Leicester Early Music Festival. Initially this started as a three-day event over the late May Bank Holiday weekend with most events being held at St Mary’s. The festival soon became a great success and ran for thirty years, quickly expanding to a three-week event and attracted some of the leading exponents of Early Music including Emma Kirkby, The Sixteen and Michela Petri. As the festival expanded, further venues were used including Leicester Cathedral, The Guildhall, St Nicholas Church, the old costume museum and even some hostelries! Events also became more wide ranging including wine and whisky tastings and festival dinners. John also ran an annual come and sing choral workshop on the late May Bank Holiday morning at St Mary’s. This involved an intensive morning’s rehearsal followed by singing what had been learnt at the lunchtime mass.

John Bence Memorial Fund

Early in 2024 John Bence, St Mary de Castro’s Organist and Choir Master for over 50 years sadly passed away. John was an extraordinary man who was fundamental in continuing the great choral tradition at St Mary de Castro Church.

However, in later years the choir membership fell and we were no longer able to hold Evensong and many full choral services. As a lasting tribute to John we announced the formation of the John Bence Memorial Fund.

Following this, we have recruited a Musical Director, Willard Welsford, who is tasked with rebuilding the choir.

If you would like to donate via our JustGiving page, please click the link below

Just Giving – John Bence Memorial Fund

or scan the QR code below

Bells

The Tower contains ten bells within a steel frame which replaced an earlier wooden structure. The largest bell was cast in 1630 and the latest two bells were cast in 2010 by Taylor’s bell foundry of Loughborough. The bells may be rung by a carillon as well as pulled by ropes.

Video – This recording was made during a Leicester School of Bellringing 10 bell practice in December 2023

Bell ringing practice is on Thursday evening with some basic tuition and advanced tuition sessions on Saturday mornings.

Timings for the Peels of Bells can be found on our Parish events guides.

If you are interested in learning Bell Ringing, please contact Lewis Benfield via Leicester, St Mary de Castro – Leicester Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers

Concerts

St Mary de Castro is a beautiful church which also has an excellent acoustic as a result of which we do host a variety of music events in addition to our core purpose as a place where worship.

Recent concerts have included:

  • Gavin Bryers Ensemble
  • Leicestershire Choral
  • Juliet Consort
  • Leicestershire University Chamber Choir
  • De Montfort Chamber Choir
  • Semper Singers

Upcoming concerts:

 

Sound Café Choir

Sound Café provides safe creative spaces for people (our guests) who are homeless, have lived experience, at risk of homelessness or socially isolated or living in vulnerable housing in Leicester and Leicestershire to enable them to explore their own creativity.

St Mary de Castro has been the home to Sound Café for 4 years and sessions take place each Monday in term time between 12.45pm and 3.15pm. The first part of the afternoon is a creative café followed by choir for the last hour. The choir empowers the guests to believe in themselves, undertake new activities and skills development. They are encouraged to undertake solo parts where they are confident to do so.

The choir is directed by Emma Trounson and accompanied by Andrew Green. A wide variety of music is sung and at the end of each term a concert is given at St Mary’s. Recent performances have included songs from The Greatest Showman, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Sound of Music and music from around the world.

The choir is currently learning songs about colours which will be sung at the next Concert along with some well-known favourites and will include some audience participation. The choir has also undertaken joint concerts with Cantimici and Semper Singers.

 

Contacts