Music

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Music is an integral fundamental part of the worship and life of St. Martin’s. A typical Sunday Eucharist will include two anthems, and a psalm sung by the choir, as well a congregational mass setting (sometimes choral settings are used) and hymns. Congregational singing is an important part of our worship; music adds heightened meaning to texts and scripture and is a wonderful medium for expressing the inexpressible in times of joy and gladness, or in time of difficulty and sadness.
Whether singing as a member of our choir, a chorister in our children’s program, or as a congregation member, music offers us the chance to enhance our worship, as well as extending our outreach into the local community and beyond.
With a strong tradition of choral music, our current music ensembles include a Chorister program for children aged 7 and up, as well as an Adult Volunteer Choir, and a quartet of paid professional section leaders.
We strive to create a music program that is forward-thinking, outward-looking, and devoted to its congregation and work. Our outreach, support of the arts, and community involvement are essential to the mission aims of the church and its music department.
Membership to our Adult Choir and/or Chorister program is open! Please contact our new Director of Music, Mr. Tyrone Whiting for more information.
Tyrone Whiting
Director of Music & Arts
412 587 0178
As Director of Music & Arts at St. Martin's, Mr. Tyrone Whiting (he/him) oversees all our music and arts ministries, outreach, and education. Tyrone says: "With a robed adult choir supported by four professional section leaders, a children’s choir Chorister program, and a robust series of concerts throughout the year, St. Martin’s is an incredibly musically active church, whose mission and outreach are at the heart of the music program. I am proud and grateful to all who participate and support our music ministries."
Winner of multiple prizes, organist, pianist, and conductor, Tyrone Whiting began his formal studies as a teenager with Nigel McClintock at Croydon Parish Church (now Croydon Minster) in London, UK. Five years later, in the summer of 2011, he was awarded the Associateship diploma of the Royal College of Organists (ARCO).
Tyrone previously graduated from the Royal College of Music (RCM) as a scholar from the Postgraduate Diploma in Performance Science course, where he was generously funded by an Arts and Humanities Research Council Studentship and supported by the Douglas and Hilda Simmonds Award. Returning to the RCM in 2016, Tyrone received a distinction in the one-year fast-track Master of Music degree course, achieving an ‘excellent’ category distinction grade in his final organ recital, and receiving the renowned Harold Darke Prize in 2017. Tyrone studied organ with both David Graham and Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin, conducting with Peter Stark and Howard Williams, and has also undertaken historical performance projects with Jane Chapman and Lawrence Zazzo.
Graduating in 2012 with a Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where he studied organ performance with William Whitehead, Daniel Moult, and Ann Elise Smoot, Tyrone was three times winner of the Geoffrey Singleton Prize for Organ Performance (2010, 2011 & 2012), and twice winner of the Cardnell Organ Prize for ‘talents as an organist’ (2011 & 2012). Throughout the degree, Tyrone trained as a pianist under the direction of the renowned Phillip Fowke and continues to perform piano alongside his organ work. Tyrone also studied at Trinity’s Junior Department where he was awarded the Hambourg Award for Improvisation.
In September 2017, Tyrone was appointed Director of Music at Grace Church in Newark, New Jersey, USA and began working there in February 2018. At Grace Church, Tyrone extended the Chorister Choir School program, developed and expanded the adult choir, and founded a brand-new adult chamber choir, Brick City Chorus, as well as significantly raising the profile of music at Grace Church and the Arts in Newark, NJ.
Prior to Tyrone’s arrival in the USA, he was Director of Music at St. Mary’s Parish Church, Battersea from 2012 to early 2018. At St. Mary’s, Tyrone established a biennial recital series as well as a new fully-funded choral scholarship program, and conducted several large-scale concerts including Mozart and Fauré’s requiems, J. S. Bach’s St. John Passion, and Stainer’s Crucifixion. Collaborative work included conducting a recent commission by prominent British composer Simon Bainbridge written for the Choir of St. Mary’s, as well as working as accompanist for the Philharmonia Chorus under conductors Stefan Bevier and Yaron Traub.
Passionate about teaching, Tyrone was awarded the Licentiateship diploma of Trinity College, London (LTCL) in Instrumental/Vocal Teaching with a high distinction and worked in and around London as a teacher of organ, piano, and theory. He was formerly Head of Music at Elmhurst Independent School for Boys for many years and worked as an animateur in London schools and with the London Mozart Players.
The Choir of St. Martin-in-the-Fields is a volunteer ensemble of more than 35 members, supported by a professional quartet of section leaders, who support our worship at the 10:30AM Sunday Eucharist and monthly Choral Evensongs. Rehearsals take place on Thursdays from 7:00PM to 9:00PM. The Chorister program of St. Martin-in-the-Fields offers children from the second grade upwards a thorough and enjoyable musical education in a safe and effective learning environment. In line with the Royal School of Church Music’s Voice for Life program, Choristers learn not only about music and singing but also about music theory, history, languages, maths, science and much more. Church bells are a unique form of outreach, announcing a joyous, buoyant, free but ordered life in the church, beckoning gracefully but not stridently to all, and falling with particular effec… Music at St. Martin's is not exclusively about worship. The beauty and grace of God is celebrated in a variety of musical styles and genres. We occasionally offer secular concerts, sing-alongs, and fun musical events for children.
The first organ at St. Martin's was built in 1888 by the Roosevelt Organ Co of New York. This two-manual and pedal instrument underwent numerous rebuildings by Hope-Jones, E.M. Skinner and o… Our Family Worship service is supported by music leader, Martha Crowell. This 9:15AM Sunday Eucharist service offers inclusive worship for our preschool children and their families. St. Martin’s is very fortunate to have very talented musicians amongst our members and friends... Welcome to Music Notes, a weekly blog discussing the music in support of our weekly worship services! Each week, we will explore the history, context, and relationship to liturgy which our service music has.The Choir of St. Martin's
The Children's Choir Chorister Program
Tower Bells
Special Music Events
The Organ at St. Martin’s
Other Worship Music
Music Notes
Music Events