All Saints Singers and Musicians

Since Easter 2021, All Saints has been developing a voluntary choir to lead congregational singing and offer music as part of our worship. We are fortunate to have both an excellent pipe organ and a grand piano; occasionally we have been joined by instrumentalists. Since September 2021, we have been led by our music director and organist, Stuart Donaldson.

Our core activity is singing at the weekly Eucharist on Sundays at 10.00am, but beyond that we are involved in music-making at other times, when we often welcome additional singers who cannot be with us in the morning. We offer monthly Choral Evensong at St Luke’s Nursing Home, which is in our parish; there are carol services for Advent and Christmas; and in December 2021 we also sang for the Oxford Brookes University carol services at Christ Church Cathedral. We also participate in various extra services (e.g. for Lent and Easter).

We launched a monthly choral evensong in September 2022 with our extended evensong choir. For further details, see our Choral Evensong section.

See Choral Evensong rehearsal tracks for a typical month's resources.

We were very pleased this year to be co-ordinating the Prom Praise Choir for Oxford Churches and singing at the concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. See Prom Praise Choir for more information and a link to the fantastic recording.

Our repertoire is wide. Hymns are mainly drawn from Common Praise, supplemented by Hymns Ancient and Modern (2013) and periodically other sources. Anthems have taken in styles and traditions from medieval plain chant, Tudor anthems and Henry Purcell, via the major classical composers and standard Anglican church music, to gospel music, Taizé, Iona and other recent writing. We aim to match closely the themes of the service in question, so as to focus and develop our thoughts, and make them memorable.

Choir practices take place weekly on Friday evenings from 8.00pm to 9.15pm; (NB we have a break from Friday rehearsals during August). We also convene at 9.30am for a warm-up before Sunday services.

None of our members is a professional singer. Rather, we aim to make our contribution to church life and worship, to improve our skills and to enjoy music together. You are very welcome to join us – regularly or occasionally. It helps if you have some experience of learning and holding a part, but we regard a commitment to practising together and at home as even more important.

If you would like to learn more about the choir, or about playing an instrument in our services, then please contact our organist, Stuart Donaldson, via organist@allsaintsheadington.org.uk , or our choir secretary, Vivienne Larminie, via music-organiser@allsaintsheadington.org.uk .

We look forward to hearing from/meeting you!

Planning your Visit

A Warm Welcome

We are a Church of England parish church in the central area of Headington, Oxford.

You can learn more about our beliefs and worship here.

Where and When?

We meet at All Saints church building (find us here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:00am. When you arrive, you will be greeted by one of our welcomers who will give you a service booklet, a bulletin and a hymn book. There is no need to book.

What will happen?

Our worship is traditional, joyful and friendly. Hymns are accompanied by the organ and choir. The service lasts for about an hour.
You are welcome to join in as much as you like - or just listen quietly if you prefer.

We celebrate communion every week. All who profess belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and who have been baptised are warmly invited to participate with us in the Lord’s Supper.

What should I wear?

You will find people in t-shirts and jeans and others in suits and dresses. Come in whatever you find most comfortable.

Is the church accessible?

There is wheelchair access via ramp at the south door (on All Saints Road). We have a sound loop for anyone who needs it - please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up.

Do you have toilets?

Yes! There is one toilet, fully accessible and with baby change facilities, downstairs.

What about children?

We welcome children at all our services and we encourage them to participate in our worship. There is a small Sunday School that usually meets in the side chapel. You can read more here. We also have a children's corner at the back where parents can take children when necessary and where the children can play during the after service refreshments.

Do you serve tea & coffee?

You are really welcome to stay for tea, coffee and biscuits after the 10am service.

Get in touch with us

If you would like to discuss your visit - or come and see the church beforehand - you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.