There’s a rare chance in Swanage, Dorset, to get expert singing tuition from the former director of music at Winchester Cathedral.
As part of the Come and Sing sessions at St Mary’s Church, Dr Andrew Lumsden will be visiting Swanage on Sunday 14th September 2025.
Professor Stephen Darlington, formerly of Christ Church, Oxford, visited Swanage in January 2025 and will be back in 2026
Once a month with tea and cake
Come and Sing runs once a month starting at 4 pm, followed by tea and freshly baked cake at 5.45 pm, before singing evensong at 6.30 pm.
Director of music at St Mary’s Church, Simon Lole began inviting distinguished church musicians to Swanage on a monthly basis about six years ago and many top names have made their way to the seaside town.
The programme is aimed at those of all abilities in the Purbeck area who love singing but who can’t always commit to singing every weekend.
Dr Andrew Lumsden was director of music at Winchester Cathedral for 22 years until leaving in 2024
Programme for 2025
- Sunday 14th September: Dr Andrew Lumsden (Formerly Winchester Cathedral)
- Sunday 12th October: Dr Elizabeth Stratford (Arundel Cathedral)
- Sunday 16th November: Martin Baker (Formerly Westminster Cathedral)
Tim Brown, formerly of Clare College at Cambridge University led the Come and Sing session at St Mary’s Church in March 2025
“We have a fantastic line up”
Simon said:
“I’m really pleased to be welcoming Dr Andrew Lumsden to Swanage. He was a very distinguished director of music at Winchester Cathedral for 22 years and now leads a very busy freelance career.
“In October, he will be going to New College at Oxford University for a term to cover a sabbatical, so we’re lucky to have already booked him for September!
“All music and refreshment is free – so people just need to turn up at 4 pm.”
“We still have a few more sessions until the end of 2025 but I have already organised all our Come and Sings for 2026.
“We have a fantastic line up of the cream of English Cathedral Music, so I’d really encourage anyone who is interested to come along. We usually get around 50 people but there’s still room for more!”
Jonathan Hope, formerly of Gloucester Cathedral, at St Mary’s Church in July 2025
Programme for 2026
- Sunday 11th January: Dr Barry Rose (Formerly Guildford, St Paul’s and St Albans Cathedrals)
- Sunday 8th February: Carl Jackson (Formerly HM Chapel Royal, Hampton Court)
- Sunday 8th March: David Ogden (Conductor and composer)
- Sunday 10th May: Professor Stephen Darlington (Formerly Christ Church, Oxford)
- Sunday 14th June: Tansy Castledine (Director of music, Rugby School)
- Sunday 12th July: Dr Peter Nardone (Formerly Chelmsford and Worcester Cathedrals)
- Sunday 13th September: Dr David Hill (Music director, The Bach Choir)
- Sunday 11th October: Dr Philip Moore (Formerly York Minster)
- Sunday 15th November: Jeremy Jackman (Conductor and ex-King’s Singers)
David Flood formerly at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent at Come and Sing in June 2025
Further information
- Come and Sing is once a month on a Sunday from 4 pm with evensong singing at 6.30 pm at St Mary’s Church, Church Hill in Swanage
- More about music at St Mary’s is on its website
