"A Cheerful Noise"
Saturday 4th October 2025

Explore the lost music of the village church 1700-1850

Old St George's Church, Esher, Surrey

Scroll down to pre-register.

St George's Church Esher is Grade 1 listed, and dates largely from the Tudor period. It was one of the few anglican churches built during Reformation times.
Queen Victoria once worshipped here.
By the 1850s it was too small for the growing town and a new parish church for Esher was built nearby. As a result it escaped the Victorian 'modernisation' project and retains such distinctive pre-Victorian features as its three-decker pulpit and gallery.
This makes it a perfect setting for us to explore the vibrant and exhilarating music of those earlier times, known today as 'west gallery'.



This is going to be an event with a difference - we will be forming a small orchestra as well as a choir. In Georgian times, few country churches had organs, and so local musicians played for church services. Some of you have already indicated that you can play an instrument, so we are going to go for it. Using the form below, you can pre-register as a singer or an instrument player. Any string, woodwind, or brass acoustic instrument is welcome, especially anything early. If you prefer, you may send me an email with this information.
On the day we shall also try to ensure that any instrument player who also would like to sing has a chance to do so.

Programme (provisional)

What will we sing?

We will sing the hymns, metrical psalmody, and anthems composed during the period approximately from 1700-1850 for parish and country churches. This repertoire was quite different from 'cathedral music', and encompassed a wide variety of styles and sophistication. Some of the tunes have survived and you will recognise a number of them, although we will sing them with the colourful grace notes and embellishments that later hymnbooks often excluded. Most of all, this music is emotionally very direct - whether exuberant or poignant, it expresses itself vigorously and is exhilarating to sing. It is also largely quite straightforward, having been written for the amateur musicians of the time. Yet this tradition has produced some of the most stirring music in the English church repertoire, and we shall spend the day getting to know and enjoy it.

Who can take part?

This will appeal to anyone used to singing four part sacred music in a choir. There is no audition, and you do not need to be an expert sight reader, but you do need to be able to read music well enough to learn your part in advance. Scores and rehearsal videos will be posted at the bottom of this page.

What does it cost?

The cost will be confirmed shortly, and until then noone who registers their interest in advance is under any obligation.

What do I wear?

On this occasion the dress code is casual.

Can I bring a partner or a friend?

Yes, a non-singing friend or partner who would like to join the group for refreshments and lunch may do so, paying a reduced charge which will be indicated on the Booking form.

Travel and Accommodation

The address of the church is St George's Church, Esher Park Ave, Esher KT10 9PX.
There is a car park close by, and buses from Esher or Walton-on-Thames station. Esher is just on the edge of the Oyster zone, and some buses accept Oyster, others not. We will publish detailed travel information nearer the time. For those who require accommodation, the Bear public house beside the church has a number of rooms, and there is a Travelodge, a Premier Inn, and other options in the general area.

If you would like to know about future events like this send me an email at phil@withcheerfulvoice.org.uk.

Music files and practice videos for "A Cheerful Noise" will be posted here about two months in advance.