All Saints’ Church, East Finchley
Geoffrey Hanson Choral Scholarships 2026/7
The music at All Saints’ is seen as a vital part of the liturgical life of the parish. We are looking to develop our choral life by offering four scholarship (SATB) to form the core of our musical life.We are looking for current undergraduate students, graduates and former choral scholars who are seeking to sing choral music at a high standard and to develop their solo singing in a liturgical setting.. Scholars will lead singers in the voluntary choir as well as potential newcomers and with extra professional singers when required.
Scholars will be expected to sing at the parish mass on at least three Sundays in the month (with the exception of August) and sing a solo on a further Sunday each term. Rehearsals are held at 9am before the parish mass at 10am. Occasionally this will be later in the morning and sometimes on a Sunday late afternoon with the rehearsal one hour beforehand.
On a Sunday there is usually a congregational setting of the mass, responsorial psalm, alleluia and communion sentence, with a motet during communion. On midweek festivals, and at least once a term the Sunday mass is sung to a more formal setting. Examples of the settings are given below.
One Sunday a term each of the scholars will sing solo during the mass as arranged with the Director of Music.
The scholarship is worth £1500 yearly, paid twice-termly. In addition there are occasional opportunities to sing at funerals for a fee of £70 and weddings for a fee of £100. Scholarships may be renewed for further years.
An outline of the autumn term is given below.
In addition scholars will be expected to sing at the following midweek feasts and extra services during the year.
All Souls Sung Requiem
Advent Carol Service on Advent Sunday
Christmas Carol Service, usually on the Sunday before Christmas
Ash Wednesday
Maundy Thursday
Good Friday
Easter Vigil Mass
Assumption
Desirable skills and qualities
- excellent vocal ability and musicianship
- strong sight-reading skills
- previous experience of singing in a church, chapel or chamber choir
- reliability, punctuality and professionalism
- an interest in church music and in the Christian faith
- an ability to blend well and lead confidently as required
- confidence in singing solo passages and pieces
- supportive attitude to the Director of Music, fellow scholars and voluntary choir members
- team player
To apply send a one page covering letter outlining your skills and qualities, give the contact details of one referee and include testimonials or video links if desired to Gary Cheung, the Director of Music, organist@saintsabounding.co.uk or by post to the Director of Music, All Saints’ Vicarage, Twyford Avenue, London N2 9NH. Or to arrange an informal conversation please contact Gary as above. The closing date for applications is July 22, 2026.
Auditions
Auditions will be by invitation. Applicants will be expected to prepare two pieces of varying style. At the audition they will be asked to prepare a responsorial psalm and a plainsong piece.
Geoffrey Hanson
Geoffrey was our Director of Music from 1986 to 2017. He studied at Trinity College of Music in London He was organist of St Mark's, Regent Part in London from 1964 until 1986 before moving to All Saints; where he founded the annual East Finchley Arts Festival in 1997. The London Mozart Players gave first performances of several of his works at this festival.
In 1962 he founded the London Ripieno Society, a London-based choral society. Geoffrey died in 2020 and these scholarships are our ongoing living memorial to him.
Autumn Term 2026
Sep 6 23 in Ordinary Time
Sep 13 Holy Cross Solemn Sung Mass
Sep 20 25 in OT Solo Sunday
Sep 27 26 in OT Harvest @ 1100
Oct 4 27 in OT
Oct 11 28 in OT
Oct 18 29 in OT Solo Sunday
Oct 25 Dedication @ 1700 Solemn Sung Mass
Nov 1 All Saints @ 1100
Nov 2 All Souls @ 1900 Sung Requiem
Nov 8 Remembrance Sung Requiem
Nov 15 33 in OT Solo Sunday
Nov 22 Christ the King
Nov 29 Advent I
Carol Service at 1800
Dec 6 Advent II
Dec 13 Advent III
Dec 20 Advent IV Solo Sunday
Carol Service at 1800
Dec 24 Mass of Christmas Night at 2100
Dec 25 Mass of Christmas Day
Dec 27 Holy Family Cantor only
Mass settings sung at All Saints’
Congregational
St Anne’s Mass J Macmillan
Deutsche Mass Brahms
Orbis Factor Traditional
Simplex Traditional
De Angelis Traditional
Sung Masses (a selection!)
Little Organ Mass - Haydn
Missa l'hora passa – Viadana
Missa brevis in G - Haydn
Mass in C major, K. 220 Spatzenmasse- Mozart
Mass in C major - Stanford
Missa Aeterna Christi Munera – Palestrina
Requiem - Duruflé
Requiem - Fauré
Coronation Mass - Mozart