Music is central to the life of St Mary Magdalene, both outside and within the regular pattern of services.
The church choir comprises volunteers, Choral and Organ Scholars from Richmond and beyond, an Assistant Organist, and is run by the Director of Music.
On Sundays, the choir sings at the Parish Eucharist and for Evensong, the latter of which very much sits in the Anglican choral tradition. The repertoire of the choir is broad, spanning music written 900 years ago to music of the present day, including compositions from members of the choir.
The choir also joins those of the other churches in the Richmond Team Ministry, St Matthias and St John the Divine, at the various Team Services which take place throughout the year.
The choir also performs in recitals throughout the year, and makes regular visits to cathedrals as a visiting choir.
There is no formal audition to join the choir, but if you are interested in joining, please contact the Director of Music: music.stmarys@richmondteamministry.org
Recordings of the choir can be found on our SoundCloud page
Choral and Organ Scholarships
In 2017 money received from legacies was used for the setting up of a Choral Foundation at St Mary Magdalene Church. In 2025 the Choral Foundation was renamed ‘St Mary Magdalene Music Foundation’ to reflect the expansion of the programme of music at St Mary’s.
Its aims are:
To enrich the worship at St Mary Magdalene through music
To develop, promote, and maintain a full programme of music for the benefit of the wider community
To grow the Church choirs and their repertoire
To develop musical skills and nurture the next generation of musicians
Choral and Organ Scholarships
The Foundation administers the Choral and Organ Scholarships at St Mary’s. The choral and organ scholars contribute to the full musical and cultural life of St Mary’s in services and concerts. In addition to a generous stipend, scholars receive tailored mentorship and training from the Music Staff to assist their music development and help build their skills within the music industry. Past scholars have gone on to take up scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and the Royal Academy of Music.
Expressions of interest in choral scholarships should be sent to music.stmarys@richmondteamministry.org
Junior Choir
St Mary’s Junior Choir meets on a Thursday at 6.30-7.25pm and sings a wide range of repertoire. Some members of our Junior Choir are also choristers with the main church choir. Choristers receive free small-group singing and music theory tuition based on the Royal School of Church Music’s Voice for Life scheme, working towards awards and other goals.
Community Choir
In January 2026 St Mary’s launched a Community Choir. The choir rehearses at 11am on Wednesdays during term-time, and sings a wide range of repertoire, from folk and traditional songs to pop classics, and everything in between. The choir also performs at events throughout the church’s year. Rehearsals are fun and relaxed, and singers have a wide range of experience. Being able to read music/sight-sing is not essential, and there is no need to sign up – just turn up and have a sing!