Ken Barelli
6 July 2023
A Peninsula choir has provided music for an Evensong from the Book of Common Prayer taking place at all Saints’ Anglican Church in Rosebud.
The Reverend Dr Garry Deverell preached at the 18 June service, with a message that was especially apposite with the upcoming referendum for the Voice to Parliament.
The music was provided by a choir formed from the Parishes of the Southern Mornington Peninsula: St Mark’s Balnarring, St John’s Flinders, St George’s Red Hill, St Mark’s Dromana, All Saints’ Rosebud, St Andrew’s Rye and St John’s Sorrento.
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This choir, known as Byrdsong (a play on the name of the late-Renaissance composer William Byrd), was formed some years ago on the initiative of the Reverend Christine Barren. It started in Flinders-Balnarring but has become so popular that it has expanded to include all the Anglican churches in the Southern Peninsula.
Byrdsong aims to conduct about four Evensong services each year rotating through the participating churches. It also conducts carol services for Advent and Christmas.
Read more: Want to explore Melbourne’s music scene? Go to church.
While worship is Byrdsong’s raison d’etre, it offers an opportunity for choristers to sing together and for congregations to praise God through the beauty of music. The music is of course chosen for the lectionary but often gives the musicians an opportunity to sing repertoire beyond a church choir.
For details, contact Ken Barelli at ken.barelli@bigpond.com.
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