History

St Peter's has always maintained a choral tradition as a key part of its ministry. In 1865, on completion of the chancel and east transepts, a Choir Home was started, where eight of the eighteen choristers (known as 'Home Boys') boarded under the care of a matron, while the other ten (known as 'Town Boys') lived in the town. All of the choristers were educated at St Peter's School, which had opened in 1850 on land next to the church. The choir sang evensong every day, the Litany on Wednesday and Friday, and a total of four services each Sunday.

As Bournemouth grew larger, there was no longer any need to recruit choristers from elsewhere, and the Choir Home was closed in 1924. This also meant that much the population moved out to the new suburbs, leading to the opening of new schools, and St. Peter's School closed in 1935. The choir continued to grow in size and accomplishment as a traditional choir of men and boys throughout the twentieth century. The girls section of the choir was created in 2009.

Today

The choir now comprises the boy choristers, girl choristers, and adult singers who, between them, provide music for two choral services each Sunday and on principal feasts during school term-time. The boys and girl choristers usually sing as separate sections on an equal basis but combine for notable occasions such as Christmas and Easter. The choir has sung as a visiting choir at a number of British cathedrals and major churches and occasionally makes recordings.

The choir rehearses in the song school, a purpose-built barrel-roofed space with piano, stalls, music and robing storage, and office. The song school was built in 1914 as part of the north-east extension of the church - the space in the north-east transept formerly occupied by the choir's vestry became the new organ chamber.

The St. Peter's Choral Foundation was created in 2021. Its aim is to support the development of the choir and its activities.^[5]

The Duncan and Bates organs (1843–1870)

The first organ in St Peter's was built for the opening of the previous 'Mock-Gothic' building of 1845. It was built by a Mr. J. Duncan of Poole, who was also the first organist. As Street's work began to replace the old building from 1855, this instrument was moved about, first from its west gallery to the new north aisle in 1856, then into the north-east transept soon after 1864 when the east end was completed. In this last position, with the majority of the new church complete, the organ was found to be 'nearly worn out' and of 'insufficient power'.^[6] As a temporary measure, a second-hand instrument was bought from Vauxhall Gardens in London, probably in 1865. This had been built by Bates of London in 1840, and originally consisted of seven stops on a single manual.^[7]

There is no record of its specification after being rebuilt in Bournemouth, but the organ was sold to St John's, Carlton Hill in Brighton in 1870, and the pipework was later re-used in a 1997 instrument in St Laurence, Falmer in East Sussex – this specification is not much larger. It is reasonable to speculate that the move to Bournemouth may have only added the Bourdon pedal pipes.^[8] Nonetheless, contemporary sources described the Bates organ as 'ugly-looking' and as occupying the whole north transept. Funds were sought to provide a case and pipe decoration, but Alexander Morden Bennett desired an instrument more worthy of the church and attention quickly turned to the idea of a new organ.^[9]

The Willis organ (1870–1914)

In 1869 Alexander Morden Bennett placed an order with Henry Willis for a new organ costing £700. Street's new building was largely completed, lacking only west transepts and tower, and the temporary Bates instrument was ineffectual in the new building. Morden Bennett's choice may also have been influenced by the largely-new organ by Willis in nearby Christchurch Priory which was of a similar size to the new St Peter's instrument and completed in 1865.^[10] The entirely new organ, of 24 stops over three manuals and pedals and with 1292 pipes, was dedicated on St Luke's Day in 1870. The organ occupied a chamber on the east side of the north transept, next to the sanctuary, and the front pipes were decorated with coloured diaper work in 1873 in keeping with its location.^[11] The specification of the organ is here:.^[12] Willis cleaned the instrument in 1892, but by 1912 it was described as 'nearly worn out and hardly worth repairing'.^[13]

The Harrison organ (1914 to present day)

In 1913, the church launched an appeal for a new and much larger organ, together with new purpose-built vestries on the north-east corner of the church. A contract was signed with Harrison and Harrison of Durham to build an instrument of 48 stops over three manuals and pedals, eventually costing over £2700. The organ was built in a new chamber created in the space formerly occupied by the vestries on the east side of the north-east transept. The area next to it formerly occupied by the Willis organ became the Annunciation chapel with a painted window by Comper. Much of the Willis pipework was incorporated into the new specification, which can be seen here:.^[14] Arthur Harrison is said to have taken 'infinite pains with it, and had special difficulties to contend with owing to the distance of the instrument from the main body of the church'.

A case for the new instrument was designed by Ninian Comper, but the estimated cost of £750 was never found and the instrument remained caseless except for plain dark pine panelling up to the pipe feet.

The organ was overhauled by the Liverpool firm of Rushworth and Dreaper in 1976, increasing the size to 54 stops and adding a detached console on a moveable platform at the front of the nave. The original Harrison built-in console was dismantled and the fittings removed from the church, and the plain front panelling was replaced with a carved wooden screen from the nearby and recently-closed Holy Trinity Church.^{[lower-alpha 2]} Various repairs and small modifications have taken place over the years, but following its centenary, the instrument is in need of a full overhaul.