Music in Worship....
The choir plays a vital role in leading worship and in providing appropriate music for prayerful reflection on the first three Sundays of the month . St Mary's choir is very keen to attract new members. They currently rehearse on Fridays from 4.15pm - 5.30pm - if you are not sure whether it’s for you, speak to Chris Swain in church or telephone 01453 822998. On the 4th Sunday the music is led by an instrumental and vocalgroup.
Music for Enjoyment..
Painswick Church is a very suitable venue for concerts because it is acoustically a fine building. Typically we host about 6 concerts a year. This includes a series of four classical music concerts arranged each spring by the Painswick Music Society. We are happy to host fund raising concerts and other appropriate events for charities. A number of local choirs regularly perform at the church. The Cheltenham Fesitival and the Three Choirs Festival (in the years when they are at Gloucester) also regularly use Painswick Church as one of their 'out of town' venues.
If you would like to arrange a concert or similar event at Painswick Church please see below for details of facilities available and who to contact.
If you are attending a concert at Painswick Church you may wish to note that : -
a) Painswick is on the A46 3 miles north of Stroud and 9 miles south of Cheltenham. The church is in the village centre and cannot be missed. If you need a post code for a sat-nav GL6 6UT is the closest.
b) Parking is difficult close to the church - it is recommended that you park in the main village car park in Stamage Lane at the south end of the village (i.e the Stroud side). There is an archway at the north end of the car park which will take you into the Churchyard.
c) Access to the church is suitable for wheel chair users.
d) There are no toilets in the church - but there are public toilets in the village and at the car park.
Arranging a concert at Painswick Church
If you are considering organising a concert or similar event at Painswick Church you should initially contact one of the Churchwardens by phone or e-mail (lychgateoffice@btinternet.com).
Before doing so you might like to consider the following :
i) Stage. There is a stage available that can be set up at the chancel arch - it is strong enough to support a concert grand piano.
ii) Piano. The church has a Steinway grand piano.
iii) Stage lighting. Various options for lighting the stage are available.
iv) Audio. The church is equipped with a high quality sound system with wired and wireless microphones, CD player etc.
v) Catering. We are happy to considering simple catering in the church (tea, coffee, other drinks, including wine). The adjacent Church Rooms offers wider possibilities.
vi) Charges. We do not have a fixed scale of charges but will negotiate costs for each concert / event individually. For some charitable purposes we are willing to let the church free, but St. Mary's Church is also a registered charity in its own right and the cost of maintaining our Grade 1 listed building is high.
vii) Seating capacity. The maximum fixed seating capacity is 290.
vii) Presentations, video etc. We can provide a large screen for visual presentations together with a projector etc if needed
viii) Performing Rights Society (PRS) licence. Most ticketed concerts will need a PRS licence. We have a limited licence primarily for our own church organised concerts. If you do not have a PRS licence as an organisation you may need to obtain one.