ON the feast of St Cecilia , the Patron Saint of Musicians, our Rector Fr Mark and Curate , Fr Tristan along with Mr Stephen Smith, Head of Holy Trinity School met with Dr Rebekah Okpoti , Blackburn Diocesan Choir Church Coordinator to discuss plans to Launch Choir Church at Tarlerton Holy Trinity Church School in January 2023.

 
The School (and our parish) are 1 of 7 primary schools chosen from the diocese 180 church schools to pilot Choir Church.

The aim for each congregation is for at least 25 children to become part of each choir church;  the children being taught hymns and anthems from the choral tradition.

Choir Church will seek to share the Christian faith with children, their families, and the wider community, using the English choral tradition, prayerful teaching of the Bible and working for social justice. Rebekah will be based at Blackburn Cathedral, and help to recruit and support a team of choral musicians across Lancashire as part of planting communities.

Mr Smith (Head),Dr Rebekah Okpoti and Fr Tristan(Curate) met today with Fr Mark

Speaking about the project BIshop Phillip North said,”This is a passion project for me as it’s no secret that I came to faith through the choral tradition myself. 

“Music can lift the soul and inspire people in so many ways and we now have the opportunity to test how the choral tradition, with its grounding in sacramental worship, can be adapted to a ‘planting context’; connecting home, church and school in fresh new ways.”

Welcoming the news that we would be part of the pilot an excited Fr Mark commented, “ It is so great to be able to pilot this new initiative. I am grateful to all our funders who have made it possible including the Diocese, The Fellowship of St John the Evangelist and the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament”.
Fr Mark has asked Curate, Fr Tristan to lead on this project and has appointed Anne Abernethy and Andrew Mills are Choir Church Wardens.