The Church Of The Immaculate Conception
Farm Street		 St. Ignatius Loyola - Founder of the Jesuits
HISTORY OF MUSIC
Society of Jesus
 

There has been a strong musical tradition at Farm Street Church for well over a hundred years. Then the choir consisted of men, and boys drawn from local Roman Catholic schools. The period after the First World War saw the music reach a pinnacle of achievement, when the choir was under the direction of Fr John Driscoll SJ, later succeeded by Fernand Laloux. At this time the organist was Guy Weitz, a Belgian, who had been a pupil of Widor and Guilmant. Weitz was one of the finest organists, and organ composers, of his generation, and Farm Street Church has long been associated with excellence in organ playing. Weitz's most famous student, Nicholas Danby (1935 - 1997) suceeded him as organist in 1967. Danby's main achievement at Farm Street was re-establishing the choir in the early 1970s, follwing a period of change in the late 1960s, as a fully professional ensemble.

From the early 1920s until the 1960s the repertoire consisted of sixteenth century polyphony, as well as a wide variety of modern and contemporary music, much of this collected by Fr Driscoll. He was particularly skilful in setting religious texts to already existing music. Some of this unique repertoire is still heard at the liturgies in Farm Street.

Today, in the twenty-first century, the repertoire is still very varied and ranges from sixteenth-century Polyphony, the Viennese Classical composers, nineteenth century Romanics as well as a wide variety of twentieth century and contemporary music. Gregorian Chant also plays and important role in the worship.

Following Nicholas Danby's death in 1997, Martyn Parry, and David Graham were appointed Joint Directors of Music. Martyn Parry had been Nicholas Danby's assistant at Farm Street from 1971- 1981 and was formerly Director of Music at the Sacred Heart Church in Wimbledon. Both he and David Graham had been organ pupils of Nicholas Danby, and so were able to continue the rich musical heritage that had been established since the 1920s. In December 2004, and following the death of Martyn Parry earlier that year, the music was reorganised and Duncan Aspden was appointed Associate Director of Music, to assist David Graham in directing the professional choir and playing the organ

Future plans for the development of the music at Farm Street inculde the commissioning of new liturgical choral music and further recordings of the organ and choir.

During the 1990s a number of recordings were made which reflect the variety and styles of the music at Farm Street. A CD of organ music, recorded by David Graham, which celebrates the music of Guy Weitz, and his influences, was recorded on the organ in Farm Street in 2000. These CDs are available at the Church.