Hugh Benham Introduces New Parish Organ Scholar

The Parish of Chandler’s Ford has recently appointed an organ scholar, Sarah Akponasa (a student of Chemistry at the University of Southampton, from Oxford).

Sarah will be helping with some services and, under the organ scholarship scheme, has lessons from Dr. Hugh Benham, director of music at St Boniface.

These include help with playing hymn tunes, and the study of short pieces suitable as voluntaries before the service.

Dr. Hugh Benham with Sarah Akponasa, parish organ scholar, at St. Boniface church.

I enjoy Hugh Benham’s music and his organ playing at St. Boniface church. His organ music permeates the air as I find peace and solace. Hugh is an established writer, and an expert in Baroque Music and the composer John Taverner. Last November, Hugh attended the funeral of composer Sir John Tavener in Winchester Cathedral, and later he wrote a moving account on the life of Sir John Tavener.

Hugh also leads the brilliant St. Boniface choir. Last year, I was fortunate enough to attend the Celebration Concert organised by Hugh. The concert featured The Convivium Singers with St. Boniface choir. Carolyn Darbyshire MBE, the District Commissioner of the Chandler’s Ford District Scouts, also sings in the St. Boniface choir.

Music and Worship Book by Hugh Benham

Chandler’s Ford residents are very fortunate. Hugh has also published a book called Music and Worship. You can buy the book from Parish Church of Chandler’s Ford. The price is £4 and the money goes to the Liuli Hospital in Tanzania, which the Parish Church supports.

This book contains a collection of 20 articles that Hugh contributed to Parish News from about 2004 till about 2007. They were designed to be easy to read and to try to get people to think about a number of issues concerning music and worship.

A few years ago, Hugh also published some of the articles online in Hugh Benham’s Blog.

Thank you Hugh for your music, your writing, and your sense of humour. Thank you for taking time to answer some of my strange questions (For example, is Shine Jesus Shine a hymn?).

A warm welcome to the luckiest student Sarah Akponasa to the Parish of Chandler’s Ford.