Director of Music: Rupert Preston Bell
Assistant Organists: Jonathan Roberts, Paul Clark, Rod Taylor, Gavin Barrett

King Charles has always enjoyed a strong musical tradition, and benefits from the services of a number of talented organists from the congregation. Services at feast days involving special music, and especially the Christmas services, are highlights of the church’s year. The organ is one of the best in the area, and is often used for recitals.

Parish Choir

The Parish Choir sings at the Parish Communion services and for special occasions such as the carol service. It has around a dozen members and rehearses on Sunday mornings before the service. We welcome competent singers whether or not they are able to attend every week. For special occasions we field an Augmented Choir, which provides an opportunity to sing for those unable to make a regular commitment.

Junior Choir

Over the years, the church has supported a separate junior choir, singing services about once a month, using some music and tuition resources from the RSCM. However, there is no junior choir at present.

Choral Evensong

Evensong at 6.30 on the third Sunday and sometimes also the second Sunday of most months is fully choral, with sung canticles and responses, a chanted psalm and an anthem. We aim to maintain a high standard of music at all services at King Charles, but these occasions give wider scope for worship to be enhanced through high quality music, in the cathedral tradition.

The King Charles Singers provide music for choral evensongs and other services about once a month, including the Advent Carol Service. From time to time we have fielded a men’s voices plainchant choir, and the local chamber choir Quorum occasionally sing evensong.

King Charles Singers: Music Editions

Formed in 1991, the King Charles Singers is a small group of experienced performers, who enjoy singing music of the English cathedral tradition.
We sing church services and occasional concerts, mostly in the parish church of King Charles the Martyr in Tunbridge Wells. We are also a regular visiting choir at Westminster Abbey, and have sung several times at Westminster Cathedral and St Paul’s Cathedral. We have also made occasional trips abroad, participating in the Dieppe Early Music Festival in 1995, and on tour to Venice in 2009.

The choir’s size depends on the event. For most services, we number between five and ten singers, but this can double for important occasions. Additional singers are drafted in from elsewhere as necessary to help us put on the best music to the highest standard.

The following are editions which have been prepared and used by the King Charles Singers. Their purpose is entirely practical rather than academic. They may be downloaded and used freely.

Josquin Desprez: Regina Coeli Laetare (SATTBB)
Morley: Out of the Deep (A+SAATB)
Parsons: Credo Quod Redemptor (AATBarBarB)
Blitheman: In Pace (SATB)
Victoria: O Vos Omnes (SATB)
John Sheppard: Reges Tharsis (SATTBarB)
Robert Whyte: The Lord bless us and keep us (ATTBarB)
John Taverner: Ave Dei Patris (SATBarB) 
John Taverner: Dum Transisset SATBarB)
John Taverner: In Pace (ATTB) 
Josquin Desprez: In te Domine Speravi (ATTB) 
Josquin Desprez: Ave Maria (ATTTTB) 
William Byrd: Diffusa Est Gratia (SATBarB) 
William Byrd: Alleluia, Ave Maria (SATBarB) 
William Byrd: O Lord Make thy Servant Elizabeth (ATTBarBarB) 

Rupert Preston Bell has been involved with cathedral music all his life. He was a boy chorister at Rochester Cathedral, and as a student at Cambridge sang with the chapel choir of Jesus College, where he met his wife Caroline. They both sang with the Cambridge Taverner Choir, of which Rupert was deputy conductor. He has been an alto Lay Clerk at Lincoln and Southwark cathedrals, and deputised at a number of London churches. He is now Director of Music at the church of King Charles the Martyr in Tunbridge Wells, Director of the concert series Music at King Charles and Chairman of the Tunbridge Wells International Music Festival. Since 2013 he has also directed Cambridge Renaissance Voices.

Sing at King Charles

Please contact the Director of Music if you are interested in contributing to our choirs. We also welcome suggestions for other choirs who might like to help us maintain the regular round of these services. Please contact the parish office.