St Laurence Church choir

Our large and talented choir consists mainly of young people. All choir members receive a first-rate musical education – and are paid!

There has been a long tradition of musical excellence at St Laurence’s. The original church, built in the 1880s, had a strong choir of men and boys who took part in the Festival of Britain services in 1951. When the new church was opened in 1968, the musical tradition continued. A new Walker organ was installed in the church, using some pipework from the old organ and organists have included David Sanger, Professor Roger Wibberley, Paul Dewhurst, Tom Fowkes, Marcus Wibberley and Iain Simcock. The current Director of Music is Andrew Ibbotson assisted by Huw Morgan. Girls were first admitted to the choir some ten years ago, but the choir remains unique in this part of south-east London in that it continues to use only trebles (girls and boys) on the top line. The lower parts are provided by volunteer adults from the local community. Young people receive an excellent musical education, and the choir has a few bursaries each year with which members’ music lessons can be subsidised. Recent cathedral residencies have included Ely, St Asaph, Beverley Minster, St Edmundsbury, St David’s Cathedral and Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.