Worship
Prayer and the worship of God are at the centre of the Church’s mission. This section tells you more about the regular services that take place here, on Sundays and throughout the week.
Solemn High Mass (10:30 Sunday at the Nave Altar)
The centre of our worship each week is the Solemn High Mass on Sunday morning. This service centres around the celebration of the eucharist and is set to music sung by our choir. The service is characterised by catholic liturgical practices such as processions, the burning of incense and the lighting of candles, as well as hymns sung by both the choir and our congregation. The service is followed by a Parish Breakfast (coffee and biscuits!) in the Church Hall.
All our services are conducted in traditional language.
Getting involved
For those who wish to involve themselves in the life of the church, there are plenty of opportunities. These include participation in the liturgy – whether by serving, reading or leading intercessions – as well as practical commitments such as church sitting and gardening.
And of course we are always ready to welcome new members to join our thriving choir – no qualifications or previous experience are necessary!
The Choir
Music has been central to the worship at St John’s for well over a hundred years and, and we are fortunate to have an excellent choir, whose repertoire ranges from Plainsong to contemporary music. The choir sings the Mass setting at High Solemn Mass every Sunday.
As well as singing at the 10.30am Solemn High Mass (9.30am rehearsal) on Sundays, and other special services (such as Christmas and Easter), the choir also sing Choral Evensong about once a month, and undertake regular tours.
Choral Bursaries
St John’s is fortunate to be able to offer Choral Bursaries to members of the choir between the ages of 14 and 21 in full time education (or undertaking a ‘gap year’ prior to University). The grants are currently worth £250 per year and it is expected that beneficiaries will use this to offset the cost of singing lessons with a tutor of their choice.
For more information about the Choral Bursaries, email: sjohnbaptist@btinternet.com
