Contact Person

Michael Grave

Organisation Address

Whickham St Mary the Virgin
Church Chare
Whickham
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE16 4SJ
United Kingdom

54.94644058567, -1.6740248951606

St Mary the Virgin Parish Church (11th Century) has a fine musical tradition with choir, ad-hoc orchestral group and fine 3 manual organ by Vincent. The church is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM), which is dedicated to the education and training of church musicians, and our mixed choir sings at main services, weddings, and away visits with a large repertoire of hymns, anthems and psalms.

WE HAVE A CURRENT NEED FOR TENORS (but other voices also welcome).

For those interested in more contemporary styles of music we have also added All Age Worship 3@3 and Messy Church. Michael Grave the Director of Music (for over 40 years) is a member of RSCM Durham Area Committee (Publicity Officer), a former President of Newcastle & District Society of Organists,  for over 20 years a Lay Clerk in St Nicholas Cathedral Choir, Organ Recitalist and member of the J&M Duo that provides music before and during monthly evensongs and for weddings at National Trust's Gibside Chapel. He is  past Education and Training Officer of RSCM Durham Area and encourages musical education of the church musicians at St Mary's.

The church is also associated with and works with the charity Community Music, Whickham and Swalwell , Artistic Director John Treherne.

St Mary's hosts concerts by professional and local groups and these have included the Northern Chords Festival, Busch Ensemble, Jonathan Bloxham (Cellist), Jon Grave Tenor (West Sussex Opera), Catriona Gallo Soprano, Young Sinfonia, Gateshead Youth Orchestra, Riverside Band and many other local groups and schools, including Grainger Singers, Ryton Choral Society and Northern Praeclassica. The church has a fine Bosendorfer Grand Piano, which with the organ, is available for concert use in, what many professional musicians have declared, a fine acoustics.

Areas covered