MUSIC
Hear from our music leader and read about our programs
St. Mark’s Anglican Church enjoys a strong musical tradition that is integral to our worship and raises the profile of the church in non-religious settings. The parish rejoices in having outstanding acoustics in its heritage building, which enhances our weekly Choral Eucharist and special events during Holy Week and Christmas.
The church features a two manual, 14 rank Gabriel Kney tracker organ (1986), which supports our diverse and carefully selected choral and instrumental repertoire. This repertoire spans from the Renaissance through the Classical and Romantic periods to the present day, drawn with care, sensitivity, and expertise.
Almost all services are choral Eucharists, with hymns selected from the Book of Common Praise and other sung parts following the Anglican Use Gradual. The Book of Alternative Services is used at all services, alternating weekly between traditional and contemporary language, with the exception of the Wednesday Evensong (BCP), which maintains its unique tradition.
HEAR FROM OUR CHOIRMASTER
A native of London, Ontario, Randy Mills has been Organist and Choirmaster at St Mark’s Anglican Church, Port Hope since late 2006 with a two-year stretch at the RC Cathedral in Peterborough.
At St Mark’s he has established both the Adult Choir and the Junior Choir (with Elizabeth Ann Barlow) which sing weekly. In 2007, he performed the entire organ works of Dietrich Buxtehude on the parish’s Kney pipe organ and again featured the instrument in 2010 for half of seventeen recitals covering the entire organ works of J.S. Bach.
Randy Mills has been Chapel Organist at Trinity College School, Port Hope for nearly twenty-five years, where he plays for daily Chapel and directs the 60-voice Chapel Choir and four handbell choirs. Chair of the Eastern Ontario and Quebec Chapter of the Royal School of Church Music, Canada, Randy has been a Regional Director for the Royal Canadian College of Organists.
He holds the FRCCO and LTCL diplomas and has studied with William Wickett (London ON), Peter Hurford and John S. McIntosh (BMus, Western) and Stephen Wente (MCM, Concordia Lutheran, Chicago). You can contact Randy at music@stmarksporthope.com.
SPECIAL MUSIC EVENTS
Our choirs prepare for annual services, including Lessons and Carols for Advent and for Christmas, and Tenebrae (Good Friday evening). A summer series of hour-long recitals in the church’s lovely acoustic features a variety of performers on Wednesday evenings annually.
The parish also has a proud history of welcoming visiting choirs and music groups from Canada, the US and Britain including:
- Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir
- Ontario Youth Choir
- St Mary Magdalene Church Choir (Toronto)
- Ladue Chapel Handbellringers (St Louis MO)
- Gloucester Cathedral Choir (UK)
- Christ’s College and Selwyn College Chapel Choirs (Cambridge UK)
- Hatfield College Chapel Choir (Durham UK)
OUR PIPE ORGAN
Dating from 1986, our fine Gabriel Kneypipe organ is a vital part of the parish’s musical life, both for worship and in concert. The Kney firm is recognized for outstanding small organs of the highest quality of sound.
Every detail of the playing mechanism is finely-detailed to allow the organist complete control with a sensitive and light touch. High-quality metal pipework from Europe was carefully voiced by the Kney firm to provide the finest tone in our acoustic
Gabriel Kney’s firm has important instruments scattered across North America, and he provided St Mark’s with an instrument of great beauty.
SPECIFICATIONS
Gabriel Kney, 1986
London, Ontario
St Mark’s Anglican Church
905-885-4071
office@stmarksporthope.ca
51 King Street
Port Hope, ON L1A 2R6
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