St Mary's Barnard Castle with Whorlton Parish Church in County Durham, renowned for its thriving music outreach programme, has launched an inspiring new initiative: the Music Sharing Project.
Under the direction of Annette Butters, Director of Music, and Beverley Pilcher, choir member, the project aims to support churches with limited musical resources.
Together, they have composed a collection of 12 short anthems tailored for the liturgical year. Designed with smaller church choirs in mind, these pieces are accessible and easy to learn, requiring only two or more voices. The compositions feature an uncomplicated vocal range and can be accompanied on either an organ (with or without pedals) or a keyboard.
The parish church choir, though small in number, is a dedicated group. They recently came together to record these anthems, which are now available on YouTube. In a further effort to make church music more widely accessible, the sheet music is free to download and share via the church’s website: https://www.stmarysbarnardcastle.org.uk/getinvolved/music/.
Music has long been an integral part of the church’s mission in Barnard Castle, fostering a deep sense of community and belonging. The church has both a Community Choir, with over 50 members, and a Community Orchestra, which has more than 40. These numbers are usually found in larger towns or cities, making Barnard Castle’s musical engagement all the more remarkable.
In addition, a new music group for young people has recently been established in the parish and is proving popular. The Panthers, a group of both instrumentalists and singers, meet each week after school. They have just held their first public concert in the church, which was well attended and very well received.
With the Music Sharing Project, Annette and Beverley hope to extend this gift of music beyond their parish, ensuring that churches with fewer musical resources can also experience the joy of singing and worship through accessible, beautifully crafted anthems.
In Barnard Castle, music has become a unifying force, demonstrating that a community’s passion for song can resonate far and wide.
Annette, said: "Being part of the music making in Barnard Castle brings constant joy. Like any family we experience our ups and downs, but through music we come together to enjoy the security and peace of a true community."
Beverley, said: “Music is an integral part of the mission of the church in the town and within the music making of both the choir and orchestra, there is very much a sense of community and belonging.
“Certainly, in Barnard Castle, music has brought people together in a way that nothing else really could.”