Composer Philip Stopford in Residence at Christ Church Bronxville Through December
By Carol P. Bartold
Oct. 28, 2015: Philip Stopford, composer-in-residence at Christ Church Bronxville, has made a significant musical journey from his earliest memories of "picking out tunes" on the family piano as a small child to working full-time as a composer of choral music.
"One of my pieces is being sung somewhere every week," Stopford said. His "Ave Maria" was included in the mass that Pope Francis celebrated at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia in September.
Stopford, who arrived in Bronxville in September, is directing the church's music program and conducting its choirs through Christmas. "I left my church job at Belfast Cathedral in Northern Ireland in 2010 and I've technically been a choral composer and conductor since then," he said.
He considers his position at Christ Church to be "within my freedom to be a composer and conductor." He added that he enjoys the variety within the music program, with choirs ranging from a semi-professional adult choir to the Young at Arts ensembles for students to the treble choir with the youngest children.
"I feel that I can work with adults and children, so it's a good situation for me," Stopford noted. "I'm doing much more choir directing than composing. It's quite a lot of balancing of things."
Stopford considers the Anglican choral tradition to be the greatest influence on his compositions. "I grew up with Charles Villiers Stanford, Herbert Howells, John Rutter, and more recently Bob Chilcott," he said. "I love the tradition of it all, the heritage and the history of the music." More recently, he added, American composers such as Eric Whitacre and Morten Lauridsen have added to the church's choral tradition.
"The thing that the music does," Stopford explained, "is punctuate and bring a sense of spirituality and depth to the words of the liturgy that reading them purely alone is more difficult to do." Through the use of major and minor keys, texture and color, accompaniment or no accompaniment, "we're able to say a bit more about the words than we can if we just read them."
The liturgy can bring a real sense of joy or healing through the music. "And that's why it exists, really, I think. That's why we've been given that gift, I guess," Stopford offered.
Philip Stopford began exercising his musical gift at age five or six, he recalls, when his father began to give him formal piano lessons once a week. Within a year, he had progressed through enough of the pedagogy that his father felt Stopford should see a more experienced piano teacher.
His first compositions were songs for his mother's holiday club, similar to vacation Bible school in the U.S. "She would write some words and I would put a little tune together and then we'd learn it as the holiday club song."
Just before he turned nine years old, he entered Westminster Abbey as a chorister, where he began to play organ at age twelve. He won a major music scholarship to Bedford School and served as organ scholar at Truro Cathedral.
At Oxford University, Stopford studied music at Keble College and served as organ scholar. In 1999 and 2000, he was organ scholar at Canterbury Cathedral and then, until 2003, he was assistant organist at Chester Cathedral. In 2003, he was appointed director of music at St. Anne's Cathedral in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a position he held until 2010.
Born in Bletchley in Buckinghamshire in southeast England and raised in Leighton Buzzard, also in Buckinghamshire, Stopford now lives in Chester in the northwest of England. A recording of Truro Cathedral Choir singing Philip Stopford's song "Do Not Be Afraid" is available on iTunes.
Pictured here: Composer Philip Stopford.
Photo by N. Bower
Religion Directory
Christ Church Bronxville
Christ Church Bronxville, or "CCBNY" as it's known in the community, is the village's Episcopal church, whose beginnings date back to 1898. The current church, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was completed in 1926 and was designed by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, who also designed St. Bartholomew's in New York City and the Chapel at West Point.
CCBNY offers a wide array of programs to its parishioners, who live throughout southern Westchester. The acclaimed music program boasts five choirs; international outreach efforts to Cuba; and education and service programs for family members of all ages. CCBNY is also home to the renowned children's music program Young at Arts (http://www.youngatartsny.org), and Eliza Corwin Frost (www.elizafrostschool.org), a nursery school for children ages 1 to 5.
Our services are as follows:
8:00AM Rite I Spoken Eucharist
10:00AM Family Choral Eucharist, with 11:00 AM Coffee Hour
5:00PM Informal Eucharist or Choral Evensong
"No matter where you are on your spiritual journey there is a home for you at Christ Church. Our worship, music, education and outreach challenge us to embrace holiness and fearlessly share Christ's love."
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-337-3544
First Baptist Church
The First Baptist Church was organized in 1854. Its mission is “to reach out as a caring and Christ centered Church to people of all culture and races, helping them to know God and find fellowship with each other through Jesus Christ to the glory of God.”
407 New Rochelle Road
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-793-2560
http://www.firstbaptistchurchbronxville.com/
Reformed Church of Bronxville
The Reformed Church of Bronxville is the community church in the heart of the village. We welcome people of all faiths and persuasions to be a part of our church family. We have exciting programs to meet your interests including music and the arts, service and outreach, children's ministry and a wonderful Nursery School.
Starting Sept. 7th, we have three Sunday services held at 8:30 am, 10:30 am and 5:00 pm. A Fellowship Coffee Hour is offered after the 10:30 am service. Childcare is available during our 10:30 am service along with Church School classes for children from 2 years old through the 8th grade.
The Reformed Church
180 Pondfield Road
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-337-6776
www.reformedchurch.org
St. Joseph’s Church
St. Joseph Church, which opened its doors in 1925, is the Catholic Church in Bronxville. It offers services on Saturday, Sunday, weekdays and Holy Days. It offers a religious education program for K - 8th grade which takes place on Wednesday during the school year. It also offers a myriad of opportunities for parishioners to meet, share ideas and experiences and help others. The St. Joseph’s School offers classes for K – 8th grade.
15 Cedar Street
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-337-1660
http://www.saintjosephsbronxville.org/
Village Lutheran Church
The Village Lutheran Church “is a ministry of word and sacraments. This ministry gives opportunities for witness, nurture, fellowship, stewardship and service.” The Chapel School, which goes from pre-school three-year olds through 8th grade, is an integral part of the Church’s ministry for children.
172 White Plains Road
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-337-0207
West Center Congregational Church
West Center Congregational Church is a member of The United Church of Christ. It welcomes “all who seek to find, know and serve the living God better in all they are and do.”
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-337-3829
Sinai Free Synagogue
Sinai Free Synagogue is Westchester`s "newest" Reform congregation but its roots go back almost 100 years. Formed in 1999 by a merger of Mount Vernon`s Sinai Temple (founded in 1906 and the first Reform congregation in Westchester County) and the Free Synagogue of Westchester (founded in 1927), the 250-member congregation has a long, distinguished history.
Please check the Calendar for dates and times.
550 North Columbus Avenue
914-664-1727
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