Choir

St Mark’s has a wonderful 100-year tradition of choral music . The choir, whilst small, (currently around a dozen adults) is hard working, dedicated, enthusiastic and willing to encompass all musical styles with equal energy. It has been under the musical directorship of Martin French since 2000.

Not only does the choir lead the singing in Sunday services, both parish communion and family services, (generally with an anthem each week) but it also showcases a wide variety of music at choral evensongs, and sings at all the major festivals of the Christian year. It is also much in demand for St Mark’s weddings.

The choir’s repertoire spans five centuries, from the Tudors to living composers, and is always open to new members. Choir rehearsals are on Friday evenings between 8.00 and 9.30 in the Church. Enthusiasm and an interest in the marvellous variety of Anglican choral music is more important than technical skills.

St. Mark’s choir spreads its wings beyond the church itself. Many members are also involved in The Sutton Chorale, which includes members of several church choirs in Sutton and Croydon, and allows for the performance of works outside the normal compass of a parish church choir.

Last year it sang in Minden, Germany, (one of Sutton’s twin towns), as well as performing recitals at St Mark’s, and at All Saints Church, Carshalton.


At the beginning of this year it sang Choral Evensong in Guildford Cathedral.

Coming up is a trip to Gladsaxe in Denmark, to sing ‘Carmina Burana’, and to Southwell Minster in Nottinghamshire for a weekend singing all the services. There is choral evensong at Southwark Cathedral in September and a concert, and finally in 2010 singing for High Mass in Bruges in October.




Martin French
Martin’s love of music started at Trinity School in Croydon, where he sang in the world renowned Trinity Boys Choir. This involved numerous recitals, recordings and television work not just of choral music, but children’s operas, film scores and even advertising “jingles”. He is still involved with the Choir.
Whilst at Trinity he also studied piano, organ, trumpet and singing. Having been offered a place at the Royal College of Music, he studied singing under Professor Hervey Allen, his prized possession from this time being Hervey’s own copy of Vaughan William’s Songs of Travel.
Martin has directed a number of choirs including The Royal Memorial Chapel choir at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. During Martin’s tenure there, Sandhurst played host to a number of major ecclesiastical, religious and military events, many involving royalty, with Martin at the baton often directing the military band as well as the choir.