CORNERSTONE CHAMBER CHOIR & CORNERSTONE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Cornerstone Chamber Choir is made up of around 30 local amateur singers with a range of abilities, who enjoy singing a wide range of repertoire to a professional standard. 


Cornerstone Chamber Orchestra is made up of local music students, local professional musicians and some from further afield. In 2017 we celebrated our 25th Anniversary. The Choir and Orchestra arose out of a group of musicians who came together in 1992 to perform choral and operatic excerpts. The concert was an outstanding success and raised over £5,000 for a Romanian charity. The Choir and Orchestra have gone from strength to strength performing Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Monteverdi’s Vespers, Handel’s Judas Macabeus and Messiah, Bach’s Mass in B minor, Magnificat, St Matthew and St John Passions, Haydn’s Creation, The Seasons, Nelson and Maria Theresa Masses, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and Requiem, Brahms’ and Faure’s Requiems, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Sullivan’s Trial by Jury, Rutter’s Magnificat, Gloria and Requiem, Tippett’s A Child of Our Time, Poulenc’s Gloria and Verdi’s Requiem to mark the composer’s centenary. In addition the Orchestra has given a number of fine concerts in its own right, with some outstanding soloists. In July 2002 the choir and orchestra raised £6,500 towards Macmillan Cancer Relief’s Appeal for a new cancer unit at Milton Keynes Hospital and in 2004 and 2010 £2,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Trust. An Anglo-American Gala Concert in 2006 made over £1,200 for the Retinitis Pigmentosa Society while African Sanctus in 2009 raised £1700 for Advantage Africa. Recent performances have included Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Handel’s Samson, Britten’s Saint Nicolas, Finzi’s In terra pax and the exceptionally demanding Seven Last Words from the Cross by James Macmillan. In July 2012 a Gala Concert jointly celebrating the Choir and Orchestra’s 20th Anniversary and the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen raised £2,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Our Summer Gala concert in 2018 raised almost £1000 for Cancer Research. 


Recent concerts: In 2019 we performed Brahms Requiem and Fauré Requiem in March; 

 AFRICAN SANCTUS in Aid of Advantage Africa in July 2019. January 2020

BACH: CHRISTMAS ORATORIO. Haydn: Creation November 2021, Bach: St Matthew Passion April 2022, January 2023 Bach: Magnificat, Tippett: A Child of our Time

Should you be interested in singing with the Cornerstone Chamber Choir, please contact the 

Music Director, Adrian Boynton on 07961 348697 or boyntonmusic@btinternet.com.



AUGMENTED CHURCH CHOIR REHEARSING SPEM IN ALIUM & EARLY CHURCH MUSIC
     

We have a Church Choir who sing most Sundays at the City Church, either at the morning services or once a month we sing a choral evening service. The evening services range from traditional BCP Choral Evensong, Ecumenical Evensong, special Music and Words services based on special themes through to our much loved Advent, Christmas and Epiphany Carol Services. We are an adult SATB choir and sing a vast range of repertoire from Plainsong to present day compositions in a huge range of styles. Like our Chamber Choir, we are all amateurs but strive to perform to a professional standard. 

We rehearse most Friday evenings between 8.10pm and 10.10pm preparing for forthcoming services. We are regularly invited to sing at English Cathedrals - Hereford, Winchester, Ely, York Minster, St Paul's amongst others - with a return visit to Hereford Cathedral in April 2023. We are also invited to sing  at local Civic events, weddings and funerals.


CORNERSTONE CHILDREN'S CHOIR


Under the guidance of Adrian Boynton the Cornerstone Children's Choir offers an excellent musical training for young people who love to sing. The choir contributes to special services at Christ the Cornerstone and is invited to participate in events within the local community. The choir took part in a special service to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Milton Keynes. They opened the Citizens MK Accountability Assembly and were guest performers in a concert marking the 30th Anniversary of ladies barbershop Junction 14. They also enjoy entertaining shoppers singing carols at INTU and have been guests of Sherwood Choral Society in their Summer concert in recent years. 

Cornerstone Young Voices participated in the Chamber Choir's performance of Britten: St Nicolas 

and Fanshawe's African Sanctus. 

Currently the youngest member of the choir is 5, the oldest member 16.


The choir meets on Friday evening during term time, 6.30 - 7.55 in the Small Hall at Christ the Cornerstone.


New members of the choir are always welcome. If you know of young people who enjoy singing, 

invite them to come along on a Friday evening. 

Alternatively, parents can telephone Adrian on 07961 348697 for further information. 



THE NEW ENGLISH SINGERS

This is a small a cappella choir directed by Adrian Boynton which performs regular concerts at Cornerstone including our annual Christmas Cracker concert. They are often invited to perform in other venues in Milton Keynes and surrounding counties. They also have an annual Christmas Concert in Bromley. Repertoire is wide ranging, both spiritual and secular and covers many centuries to the present day. Membership is by invitation.