St Matthew's Church, Northampton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Matthew's Church |
|
|---|---|
St Matthew's Church, Northampton
|
|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo Catholic |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Matthew |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Peterborough |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Matthew's Church in Northampton is a special Church of England parish church. It is part of the Diocese of Peterborough. The church is considered a very important building, given a Grade II* listing. This means it has special historical or architectural interest.
The church was built between 1891 and 1894. It was created to remember Pickering Phipps, a local brewer and Member of Parliament. The church stands next to Kettering Road. Matthew Holding was the architect who designed this beautiful building.
Canon John Rowden Hussey was the vicar from when the church opened in 1893 until 1937. His son, Walter Hussey, became the vicar in 1937 and stayed until 1955. Walter Hussey loved art and music. He helped the church celebrate its 50th birthday in 1943 with many exciting events. He asked famous artists and musicians to create new works for the church.
Contents
Art and Music Commissions
Walter Hussey asked Benjamin Britten to write an anthem called Rejoice in the Lamb. The BBC Symphony Orchestra even performed there in 1943. A famous organist, George Thalben-Ball, also gave a recital. One of the most famous pieces of art commissioned was the "Madonna and Child" sculpture by Henry Moore.
Because these projects were so successful, Hussey kept asking for new art and music. Other musical pieces were created by composers like Edmund Rubbra, Lennox Berkeley, and Gerald Finzi. Poets like W. H. Auden and Norman Nicholson also wrote for the church. Famous singers, including Kirsten Flagstad, performed concerts there.
Today, you can see Henry Moore's "Madonna and Child" sculpture (from 1944) in the north part of the church. In the south part, there is a painting of the Crucifixion (from 1946) by Graham Sutherland. The Lady Chapel has a special artwork called a triptych by C. E. Buckeridge. More recently, in 2009, a bronze statue of St Matthew by Ian Rank-Broadley was added. A painting of St Matthew's Church by John Piper (from 1956) is now in the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery.
Church Services
St Matthew's Church follows the Anglican way of worship, but it also includes some Catholic traditions. Every Sunday, there is a main service called Parish Mass at 10:15 AM. This service often includes a choir. The church has held a daily Eucharist service since it first opened in 1893. Morning and Evening Prayer are also said publicly every day.
Music at St Matthew's
For many years, St Matthew's had a choir made up only of men. This changed in the early 2000s. Now, the choir includes boys and girls aged 8 to 18, along with adult singers. They sing at two services every Sunday. The church also has The St Matthew's Singers, a group of local amateur singers. They help by singing on special mid-week Feast Days. A Director of Music, Parish Organist, and Organ Scholar lead the entire music program.
The church choir has gone on a tour every year since 2012. They have visited many cathedrals in the UK, like St Davids, Portsmouth, and Chester. In 2018, they even toured Germany. The choir has also released two music CDs. One was in 2013 with music for Advent and Christmas. The other, in 2014, included new music written for the church.
St Matthew's is also a popular place for concerts in Northampton. It is home to the Northampton Bach Choir, which started in 1935. The church works with many other music groups too, like the Northampton Music and Performing Arts Trust. The church has a large organ with four keyboards, built in 1895. Regular organ concerts are held there.
Famous Organists
Many people who have been Directors of Music at St Matthew's have gone on to hold important jobs in church music. They have worked at famous places like King's College, Cambridge, Wells Cathedral, and York Minster.
Here are some of the organists who have served at St Matthew's:
- Charles John King (1895 – 1934)
- Denys Pouncey (1934 – 1936)
- Philip Pfaff (1936 – 1945)
- Alec Wyton (1946 – 1950)
- Robert Henry Joyce (1950 – 1958)
- John Bertalot (1958 – 1964)
- Michael Nicholas (1964 – 1971)
- Stephen Cleobury (1971 – 1974)
- Timothy Day (1974 – 1976)
- David Ponsford (1976 – 1979)
- Derek Gillard (1979 – 1985)
- Andrew Shenton (1986 – 1991)
- Andrew King (1991 – 1998)
- Ian Frank Clarke (1998 – 2001)
- John Malcolm Tyler (2001 – 2004)
- Jonathan Starmer (Acting Director of Music) (January – September 2005)
- Sebastian Thomson (2005 – 2009)
- Ben Horden (2009 – 2010)
- Jonathan Starmer & Ben Drouet (Acting Directors of Music) (September – December 2010)
- Stephen Moore (2010 – 2016)
- Simon Toyne (Acting Director of Music) (September – December 2016)
- Justin Miller (2017 – 2022)
Music Written for the Church
Many new pieces of music have been specially written for St Matthew's Church over the years. Here is a list of some of these musical works:
- 1943 – Benjamin Britten – Rejoice in the Lamb
- 1943 – Michael Tippett – Fanfare No 1 for 10 Brass Instruments
- 1944 – Edmund Rubbra – The Revival
- 1945 – Lennox Berkeley – Festival Anthem
- 1946 – Gerald Finzi – Lo, the full, final sacrifice
- 1946 – Benjamin Britten – Prelude and Fugue on a Theme of Vittoria
- 1948 – Christopher Headington – Festival Anthem: Supreme Bliss
- 1949 – John Rose – Festival Hymn
- 1950 – Malcolm Arnold – Laudate Dominum
- 1954 – James Butt – Bless the Lord
- 1956 – David Barlow – Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord
- 1958 – George Dyson – Hail universal Lord
- 1959 – Elizabeth Poston – Festal Te Deum
- 1960 – Peter Dickinson – Justus Quidem Tu Es, Domine
- 1962 – Brian Judge – Ambrosian Prayer
- 1964 – Christopher Le Fleming – Communion Service in D
- 1965 – Kenneth Leighton – Let all the world in every corner sing
- 1966 – John McCabe – A Hymne to God the Father
- 1967 – Richard Rodney Bennett – Five Christmas Carols
- 1968 – Gordon Crosse – The Covenant of the Rainbow
- 1968 – Herbert Howells – One thing have I desired of the Lord
- 1968 – Robert Walker – Fanfare
- 1973 – William Mathias – Missa Brevis
- 1977 – Sebastian Forbes – Quam Dilecta
- 1983 – Philip Moore – At the round earth's imagined corners
- 1986 – Herbert Sumsion – The spacious firmament on high
- 1987 – Geoffrey Burgon – The song of the creatures
- 1988 – John Tavener – The Call
- 1988 – Simon Lole – Carol for Advent
- 1989 – Richard Shephard – St Matthew's Mass
- 1989 – Alan Ridout – Toccata
- 1989 – Ivan Moody – Canticle of Simeoon
- 1990 – Paul Edwards – God that madest heaven and earth
- 1990 – Trevor Hold – Verses from St Matthew
- 1991 – Alec Wyton – A Prayer for Church Musicians and Artists
- 1993 – Diana Burrell – Heil'ger Geist in's Himmels Throne
- 2008 – David Briggs – Toccata for St Matthew's Day
- 2009 – David Bednall – The Walter Hussey Centenary Mass (with motet, Aspire to God, my soul)
- 2012 – Paul Mealor – How beautiful on the mountains
- 2013 – David Halls – Mass of the Altar of Life (with motet, This is the Day)
- 2014 – Philip Stopford – O how glorious is the Kingdom
- 2016 – Simon Johnson – Behold, the tabernacle of God
- 2016 – David Maw – Allein nach dir, Herr (part of the Orgelbüchlein Project)
- 2017 – James Davy – Introit for a Feast Day
- 2017 – James Whitbourn – Beatus vir
- 2018 – Grayston Ives – All people that on earth do dwell
- 2020 – Robert Walker – A Little Organ Mass of the Angels
See also
- List of churches in Northampton
