Music at St. Nicholas’ church
Choral Tradition
A Boys’ Choir has flourished since Victorian times and our Girls’ Choir was founded in 2009.
Choral Scholarships are available for experienced and committed singers aged 14-18.
Our excellent Adult Choir consists of talented Sopranos, Contraltos, Counter-Tenors, Tenors, Baritones and Basses.
We sing a Cathedral-style repertoire with anthems and choral settings every Sunday in term time. The choirs sing at 9.30 Sunday Eucharist and 6.30 Choral Evensong and on Feast Days. Music lists are below.
We are affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music
Contact : music@parishofharpenden.org
Join us
Boys and Girls may join the choirs from the age of 7 and receive free musical and singing training, pocket money for attending, and fees for singing at Weddings! We currently have vacancies for boys and a waiting list for girls.
Choristers move on to the adult section from about age 14 or when their voice changes.
The boys and girls rehearse and sing services both separately and together, with and without the adult choir.
There are no auditions for the junior choirs as children will learn ‘on the job’, but to join the adult section you will need to be able to read music competently. More details about the choir, including how to join, are available from the Director of Music or you can download our recruitment document. We currently have vacancies for boys and a waiting list for girls.
We offer Choral Scholarships (by audition) to excellent singers/musicians aged 14 to 18. These are worth £50 to £100 per term depending on attendance. Contact the Director of Music to apply or for more details.
News
Our next Cathedral visit is to Exeter 31 October to 1 November, directed by Marie with organist Ian Wicks. Next May 2027 we are booked for a weekend at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
In August 2026 we sang a weekend at Norwich Cathedral directed by Marie and with Chris Muhley on the organ. Music included Reading Responses, Dyson in D, Sumsion in A, Ireland in C Mass, Lloyd – View me Lord, Bairstow – Save us O Lord, Wood – Expectans Expectavi.
In June several of our choir members took Chorister Award Exams at RSCM Bronze (Dean’s Award), Silver (Bishop’s Award) and Gold Level. Clarice, Finlay and Virginia passed Bronze, Sian, Mabel, Charlotte, Owen and Ben passed Silver and David passed the Gold Award. All received good marks with many Commended or Highly Commended.
At the final full choir Eucharist of the summer term Head Choristers Clarice, Finlay and Ben were valedicted, along with Deputy Heads Charlotte and Mabel who also sang solos in Mendelssohn – “I waited for the lord” during communion. They had served between 4 and 7 years each in the boys and girls choirs and all five have opted to stay on as Choral Scholars next year.
Over the weekend of Trinity Sunday at the end of May 2026 we sang services at Winchester Cathedral. Music included Rose Responses, Howells St Paul’s, Wood Hail Gladdening Light, Stanford Communion Service in C and F, Bairstow Let All Mortal Flesh, Schubert Heilig, Heilig, Heilig, Wood in D, Stainer I saw the Lord. Directed by Marie Price, Organist Chris Muhley.
On Palm Sunday we sang Stainer’s Crucifixion with the older choristers, scholars and adults. Ian Wicks and David Willink were our soloists and Chris Muhley the organist.
Cathedral Visits
We sing services at Cathedrals during breaks for the Cathedral Choirs.
Coming up –
Exeter October 2026
Windsor May 2027
Recent Cathedral trips –
2026 St Albans, Winchester, Norwich
2025 Winchester
2024 St Albans, St Albans
2023 St Albans, St Edmundsbury, Rochester
2022 St Albans, Wells, St Paul’s
2021 St Albans
Musicians
Marie Price joined us as Director of Music in 2018.
Our Organists are Chris Muhley and Hannah Gill
Music Lists
Organists and Directors of Music have included :
CB Kaye (around 1886)
ER Billingham (1897-1933)
HEW Sanders (1933-1940)
Connie Hogan (1940-1942)
J Loggie (1942-1943)
Stanley Bennett (1943-1944)
Stanley Milnes (1945-1970)
Victor Bowden and Mary Searby (1970-1972)
Michael Hammond (1972–75)
Robert Gower (1975-1976)
Charles Collins (1976–1981)
John Mower (1981-1983)
Norman Hurrle (1983)
Alan Boston (1983-1984)
Jonathan Walton (1984-1985)
Eric Pask (1985–2009)
Jonathan Eyre (2009–10)
Peter Hopkins (2011-2017)
Rob Bishop (2017-2018)
Alex Hall (2018-2019)