Malmesbury Abbey has a fully robed mixed choir of over twenty-five adults. The Organist and Director of Music is John Hughes, LRAM, ARCM, ARCO, MA (Cantab) assisted by Neil Medland, Assistant Conductor. John has served the Abbey for over 40 years and in 2021 was awarded the RSCM Certificate of Special Service and Neil has achieved the RSCM Level 2 Certificate in Choral Direction. The Abbey is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM).
The fully robed choir leads worship at the 10.30 Holy Communion (1st, 2nd and 3rd Sundays) and at the 6.30 Choral Evensong (4th Sunday). The choir also sings for weddings, funerals and many other significant services and events. The Abbey has a very comprehensive music library, managed by a music librarian, which includes works from the Renaissance period through to modern day composers such as Ola Gjielo and Jonathan Dove. Easter and Christmas are particularly busy times and during Holy Week the choir perform a devotional concert. At Christmas the choir leads the Advent and traditional Nine Lessons and Carol Services. The Abbey choir is fortunate to have a well-respected poet whose love of music has resulted in a creative collaboration with the Abbey’s Director of Music and together they have produced choral music sung by the Abbey choir.
The original Abbey organ dates from 1714 but the present instrument was built in 1984 by E J Johnson of Cambridge and has an electric combination action with over 2000 pipes, two manuals and a pedal board. The organ has had considerable reputation over the years and many fine organists have given recitals.
Choir vacancies occur from time to time and enquiries should be directed to the Abbey Office.
