St Andrew’s Choir

St Andrew’s Choir is a mixed-voice, adult choir [soprano, alto, tenor, bass] of 20 singers drawn
from all walks of life. The choir’s main task is singing at the traditional 7.30am Holy
Communion service, which it does fortnightly during school term time. While the
main function of the choir is to enhance worship, from time to time it undertakes
outside engagements including services with St Carthage’s Cathedral Choir and other
invited choirs and guests. Under the direction of Warren Whitney it performs a wide
ranging repertoire from the sixteenth century to the present day. In the past it has
undertaken performances including masses by Dvorak and Schubert, Fauré’s
Requiem, Stainer’s Crucifixion and special services for Christmas and Easter such as
Stations of the Cross and Nine Lessons and Carols, this latter it has done annually for
the last 30 years. These services and performances are often taken to other centres
including Mullumbimby, Ballina and Casino.
There is no audition to join the choir and while reading music would be an advantage
it is not essential. The choir practises weekly on Friday afternoons at 4.30pm during
term.

Music at St Andrew’s

The diversity of today’s society is reflected in the variety offered in styles of worship.
This includes both informal and more traditional styles of worship suitable for all
ages. Whatever the style, it is matched by that of the accompanying music,
instrumental and vocal, which creates the devotional atmosphere. The very acts of
singing, playing and hearing music connects us to levels of meaning beyond words.

Organ and Organist

Warren Whitney’s involvement at St Andrew’s goes back over 50 years, firstly
through the Sunday School, and after his confirmation, becoming an altar server – this
involved his attendance at three services each Sunday. It was this involvement that
began his interest in organ playing and music. He taught himself to play on a home
harmonium and subsequently began organ lessons with Mr A.H. Brockington, the
former organist of 50 years standing at the Lismore Methodist Church [now Uniting].
Warren obtained the diplomas in organ performance of A.Mus.A., L.Mus.A., and
LTCL [Trinity College, London]. He was appointed assistant organist to St Andrew’s
in 1966 and organist in 1973. As well as playing the organ and selecting the music for
weekly services, he conducts and rehearses the choir.
Warren’s commitment to the musical life of the Northern Rivers is well known. He
has conducted choirs of all sizes and abilities as part of his long standing duties as
musical director and organist of both St Carthage’s Cathedral and St Andrew’s
Anglican Church. His high standards and vision have been the motivating force in
many choirs in the region including the Acapelicans, Spiritsong and Lismore
Community Choir, with up to 90 voices and which has performed with Lismore
Symphony Orchestra. Warren is committed to the promotion of quality music in the
area and is a long standing committee member of Musica Viva Lismore as well as
being patron of St Martin’s Anglican Church, Mullumbimby, organ restoration
project.
Enquiries regarding St Andrew’s Choir and traditional music at St Andrew’s, should
be directed to the Parish organist and choir director at [02]66816265 [H];
[02]66215529 [W]; or email wwhitney@lism.catholic.edu.au

St Andrew’s Church is also a venue for classical concerts by local groups and visiting
artists. The Celtic Concert presented by Lismore City Pipe Band, usually takes place
annually, as well as choral performances for Easter and Christmas.

St Andrew's Lismore historic pipe organ

The Pipe Organ in St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Lismore, New South Wales
This tubular-pneumatic action instrument was installed by the British Pianoforte Depot Ltd. in
1914. The English pipework and German mechanical components remained intact until rebuilds
in 1957 and the early 1960′s. General deterioration of the instrument saw the need for a proper
restoration in the 1990′s, and, with the consultant Kelvin Hastie’s concurrence, our proposal for a
conservative restoration (with the judicious replacement of some later-added stops) was
accepted in 1994. This process was carried out in two stages:
1. Restoration of the bellows and trunking, replacement of blower motor, replacement of all
puffers. The Great soundboard was moved forward on the standframe to allow it to
project more effectively from the chamber into the nave.
2. Restoration of soundboards, replacement of worn parts, cleaning of all pipes, repacking,
regulation etc. A new Harmonic Flute 4′ was added to the Great and a Violin Diapason 8′
and Bourdon 16′ on the Swell (which were replaced in the 1957 rebuild). All these stops
were obtained from pipework out of the redundant 1881 Forster & Andrews Sydney
University organ. The console was refurbished with replacement Stop Discs done in the
original lettering style.
Specifications
GREAT
8′ Open Diapason
8′ Stopped Diapason
8′ Dulciana
4′ Principal
4′ Harmonic Flute
2′ Fifteenth
Mixture IV ranks
SWELL
16′ Bourdon
8′ Violin Diapason
8′ Salicional
8′ Lieblich Gedackt
8′ Celeste
4′ Salicet
2′ Principal
8′ Cornopean
8′ Oboe
Swell Octave Coupler
PEDAL
16′ Major Bass
16′ Sub Bass
8′ Bass Flute
Tremulant
Swell to Great
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal
Compass 58/30
Tubular-pneumatic action
Three combination pistons to Great
Three Combination pistons to Swell
Electric blower.
British Pianoforte Depot.
The organ is maintained by Simon Pierce from Brisbane who provided the specifications and notes

FORTHCOMING PERFORMANCES IN THE NORTHERN RIVERS INVOLVING
ST ANDREW’S CHOIR AND ITS SINGERS AND ORGANIST.
SERVICE OF NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS
2011
Sunday, 18 December, 7.30pm St Carthage’s Cathedral, Lismore
Tuesday, 20 December, 7.30pm, St Martin’s Anglican Church, Mullumbimby
Thursday, 22 December, 7.30pm, St Mary’s Anglican Church, Ballina
The original service of Nine Lessons and Carols derives from a service which the
clergyman E W Benson first gave in a wooden hut in Cornwall, UK, on Christmas
Eve, 1880. Benson went on to become Archbishop of Canterbury and the service went
on to become one of the most widely popular services in the Christian calendar,
thanks to its being revamped by, and broadcast annually from, Kings College,
Cambridge. The combined choirs of St Andrew’s and St Carthage’s, under the expert
direction of Warren Whitney, would love you to join them as the story of Christmas is
told in word and song.