The Choir of St. Mary’s 1992 by Bryan Veale

The picture shows the choir ready robed at the Cathedral, and the choristers who were presented with their awards during the Festival service by the Bishop of Dover.

L to R Helen Stewart (Senior Bishop Award): Kerry Apps (Dean’s Award}: Amy Morton (Dean’s): Jennifer Pocock (Bishop’s Award): Helen Rossiter (Bishop’s): Lisa Tutill (Dean’s}. The choir had for many years maintained a high standard in it’s music, which was clearly acknowledged by the RSCM.

1992 was a particularly memorable year for the choir of St. Mary’s, Upchurch. Six choristers had been studying and practicing music towards gaining awards from The Royal School Of Church Music.

Choristers were coached by Susan Rossiter the church organist for musical performance and knowledge, and by Sandy and Alan Wakely and Rev. John Lefroy for Religious Knowledge. The choir’s Musical Director, Bryan Veale selected choristers and monitored progress.

All six passed in their various levels with flying colours, and shortly afterwards following a visit from the Secretary of the RSCM to our morning service, the Choir was advised that it had been selected as the processional choir at the forthcoming Choirs Festival in Canterbury Cathedral, a singular great honour in those days for a village choir to be selected, as normally this was an honour reserved for the large town parish churches.

Bryan Veale

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