Music Endowment Fund
St James' Church has provided the people of Louth and its many visitors with a place of worship and a source of inspiration over the centuries. Music has played a significant part in this: there were organs in St James' in the 15th Century and the choir also dates back a long way as some of the graffiti on the tower pillars can testify! The church has also been fortunate to have had a succession of highly talented organists and choirmasters to set and maintain a high standard of choral and organ music in one of the best acoustic and architectural settings in the United Kingdom.
Today's boys' and girls' choirs continue to maintain the standard under the direction of Frederic Goodwin. St James' unofficial title of "The Cathedral of the Wolds" is truly justified by the wide range of settings performed at Choral Evensong.
A key element of the choir's success has been the musical education of the children and development of their vocal talents. Some have gone on to greater things musically (Christopher Maltman and Simon Neal are two recent "graduates" of the choir) while others continue to sing in various Louth choral groups. The wonderful voices of Daniel Patchett and Tristan Russell, who were finalists in successive BBC Chorister of the Year competitions, thrilled all who heard them.
But what of the future? We need to offer future organists and choirmasters the opportunity to develop their careers while at the same time ensuring they are properly remunerated for the work they do. This would include development of the flourishing Girls' Choir and instrumental ensemble alongside the work with the Boys' Choir, provision of organ tuition under a Scholarship scheme, and advanced choral and instrumental training.
To ensure that there will be a musical future at St James', the Church Council has set up a Music Endowment Fund. This is a long-term investment but it will need your help to ensure its success.
How can you help?
Whether
you are an active member of the congregation, or just someone who feels that
the musical tradition at St James' needs to be maintained, your help in the
form of a donation, legacy or bequest would benefit future generations of
choristers and instrumentalists.
If you feel you are able to help with a donation, please get in touch with Wing Commander Roger Harrison at justroger@btinternet.com. All contributions to the Fund qualify under the Gift Aid scheme if you are an Income Tax payer - for every pound you give, we get an extra 28 pence from the Inland Revenue, making your donation worth more.