CE: St Paul's Church, Heaton Moor, Stockport [R] Wed, 13th Dec 2023

[DracoM]

CE: St Paul's Church, Heaton Moor, Stockport [R]
Diocese of Manchester Choral Scholars

Order of Service:

Introit: The Angel Gabriel (Basque Carol arr. John Rutter)
Responses: Sarah Macdonald
Psalms 69, 70 (Plainsong)
First Lesson: Amos 9 vv.11-15
Office hymn: Creator of the starry height (Conditor alme siderum)
Canticles: Harris in D
Second Lesson: Romans 13 vv.8-14
Anthem: There is no rose (Britten)
Prayer Anthem: I sing of a maiden (Amy Bebbington)
Hymn: Come, thou Redeemer of the earth (Puer nobis nascitur)

Voluntary: Chorale Prelude ‘Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland’ BWV 661 (Bach)

Kwankaew Ruangtrakool (Choral Conducting Scholar)
Elin Rees (Organist)
Olivia Tait (Director)

Recorded 11 November.

[smittims]

Thanks for the notice. I used to live in Heaton Chapel and must have walked past S. Paul's dozens of times but never went in. It has a distinctive tower (added in 1900, according to Pevsner), visible from a train on Stockport viaduct (trivia fact!).

[mopsus]

I used to live in Heaton Mersey and also have walked past this church many times. Indeed I have a friend who sings in its regular choir. I didn't do that (I sang at St Ann's, still then strictly BCP) but I have attended one or two services there. I have no recollection of what the organ was like I'm afraid.

Heaton Moor is technically Stockport, but is north of the Mersey valley which separates Manchester from Stockport, so it is really on the southern fringes of Manchester. The area is also home to a Coptic Orthodox church and St Winifred's Catholic church, and yes this is as in St Winifred's School choir.

[smittims]

While we're on the Heatons, it might be relevant to mention Christ Church, Heaton Norris, sadly mostly demolished now, though the spire remains a fine landmark on the north side of Stockport.

[mopsus]

While we're on the Heatons, it might be relevant to mention Christ Church, Heaton Norris, sadly mostly demolished now, though the spire remains a fine landmark on the north side of Stockport.

... while St John Baptist, Heaton Mersey is still there apart from its spire (I remember it being taken down.) It might have been able to keep the spire but I was told that the verger made difficulties about his tied house being sold to pay for the repairs. It was eventually sold but too late for the spire.

[CallMePaul]

Heaton Moor is technically Stockport, but is north of the Mersey valley which separates Manchester from Stockport,

which is why St Paul's (I am a former resident of the area and know it well) is in the Anglican diocese of Manchester and most of Stockport is in the Chester diocese. I believe that the former Urban Districts of Heaton Norris and Reddish were transferred from Lancashire to Stockport County Borough rather than incorporated ito the City of Manchester along with the former Gorton UD and the Township of Levenshulme, all in about 1909. The CofE did not revise its diocesan boundaries at that time an d made only minor changes after the 1970s boundary changes. I believe that the historic Mellor Church is in the Derby diocese as Mellor and Marple Bridge (now part of Stockport) were in Derbyshire until the early 1930s.

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 4

[mopsus]

which is why St Paul's (I am a former resident of the area and know it well) is in the Anglican diocese of Manchester and most of Stockport is in the Chester diocese.

The Friends of Cathedral Music (whom I joined while I lived in those parts) failed to realise this, saw my Stockport postcode and incorrectly assigned me to their Chester branch.

Normally if I'm listening via iPlayer I fast-forward over the 'tourist spiel' which is the first spoken part of a CE broadcast now, but this time I will be interested to hear what they find to say about the Four Heatons, an area which is better known in this little corner of the internet than I'd have predicted.

[Keraulophone]

I don't recall having heard a broadcast of CE sung by upper voices before. Refreshing, if surprising.

Are the male Diocese of Manchester Choral Scolars in the pub?

[Simon Biazeck]

Yes, indeed, and it's a regular occurrence in my most places alongside ATB services. Looking at the rep. for this, I assumed it was upper voices only. I've yet to listen.

[cat]

Upper or lower voices broadcasts are very rare, but have happened occasionally, a few times a decade at most e.g:

BBC Choral Evensong: Bramdean School Chapel Choir 1991 (Donald Hanson) - YouTube

[smittims]

Much as I love the traditional psalter, the unaccompanied plainsong was a refreshing change. Beautifully sung.

[jonfan]

Beautiful ethereal singing, caught superbly in the generous acoustic. Highlights for me were the Rutter introit (new to me) and the Prayer Anthem. The Canticles suffered from occasional pitching issues.