Choir & Music Groups
St. Austin's Church Choir sing each week at the 11.00am Mass and at feasts and some of the special events in church. The choir practice on Sunday evenings from 7.30 - 9.15pm.
The repertoire includes choral pieces by composers such as Byrd, Tallis, and Palestrina, as well as modern composers such as John Rutter and John Taverner. New members are welcome.
The choir may be available for weddings or funerals on request. Contact: Patrick Ganley 01924-364135 E-mail:
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Music Group - 8:15am Volunteers are welcome to join the small team of singers and instrumentalists who support the liturgy on Sunday morning 8:15am Mass. Contact: Brian Hamill 01924-365779
Music Group - Vigil Mass This group leads the singing for the congregation at the 6.30pm Mass on Saturdays. New singers and instrumentalists are always welcome.
Contact: Irene de Tute 01924-372623
Music Group- English Martyrs The group leads the singing at the 9:30 Mass. If you sing, or play an instrument, come and see us after Mass. We sing a mainly modern repertoire of hymns, psalms and Mass parts including Bernadette Farrell, Marty Haugen and Iona, together with Joseph Gelineau, Peter Jones & Taize.
Some notes from the national liturgy office for parish musicians:
Ministries of musicians and singers:
A psalmist, a cantor, an organist, other instrumentalists, a choir, and a director of music assist the assembly’s full participation in singing the songs, responses, and acclamations which are constitutive elements of the liturgy. These ministers of music exercise a liturgical function within the assembly and by their role help to add beauty and solemnity to the celebration.
The psalmist’s role is to sing the Psalm or other biblical canticle that comes between thereadings. To fulfil this role correctly, it is necessary that the psalmist have the ability for singing and a facility in correct pronunciation and diction.
The schola cantorum or choir exercises its own liturgical role, ensuring that the parts proper to it, in keeping with the different types of chants, are properly carried out and fostering the active participation of the faithful through the singing. This also applies to other musicians, especially the organist.
It is fitting that there be a cantor or a choir director to lead and sustain the people’s singing. When in fact there is no choir, it is up to the cantor to lead the different chants, with the people taking part.
Preparing to sing
In preparing to sing or play the music for any particular Mass.....
•Look at the readings and prayers of the Mass which will have been used in choosing the music for the Mass. Use them for your prayer.
•Reflect on how the music chosen relates to what the readings and prayers express
•Ask yourself how this music will best lead you and all of those gathered for the liturgy into prayer together.
•Spend time in prayer, praying for your- self,and the other ministers of the parish’s music—that the service you will offer will truly help the whole congregation
Readers at Mass
Ministers of Reading are invited to assist at Mass by proclaiming the scripture readings. New readers are welcome: regular readers' mornings are held. Go to Contact page or Phone Paul Blackburn 374248
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
Ministers assist by helping to distribute Holy Communion during Mass and take Holy Communion to the sick and housebound. If you are interested in becoming a Minister of Holy Communion please contact one of the clergy - on the contact page
Children's Liturgy
presents the Liturgy of the Word (the Scripture readings at Mass) to children and younger people. The children are taken to another part of the church with a parent/carer, after the introduction to the Mass. They rejoin their families in church after the Bidding Prayers in time for the Procession of Gifts and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
There is children’s liturgy at the 9.30am Mass at English Martyrs and at 11.00am at Saint Austin's. Just come along! Contacts:
For English Martyrs: Louisa 383355
For Saint Austin's: Sylvie 378608
Altar Servers
Boys and Girls, Men and Women are invited to serve at the weekend Masses and some other liturgies. There is no upper age limit. You should have made First Holy Communion.
St Stephen, the first martyr, is the patron saint of altar servers and our servers can be enrolled in the Guild of St Stephen.
Contact: Dcn Nick on the contact page.
