Music at Pilgrim

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Music at Pilgrim

Information and news about the sacred and recital music programs of Pilgrim Uniting Church, Adelaide, South Australia.

The Pilgrim musicians present traditional choral worship services every Sunday at 11am, with a choral eucharist on the first Sunday of the month. The choir also sings monthly evensongs, and there are numerous special services throughout the year, including an orchestral mass for Easter Sunday, Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve, an ANZAC Day Evensong, a Service of Remembrance for All Souls’ Day,

and a number of Bach cantata services featuring the Adelaide Cantata Band. Lunchtime organ recitals take place on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month, and Pilgrim also hosts a visiting organist of international renown each year, with past guests including Olivier Latry, Shin-Young Lee, John Scott, Thomas Trotter, Daniel Roth and Simon Preston. Keep up to date with all of this by liking and following this page!

06/09/2026

11am Choral Eucharist | 6 September | Adelaide Pilgrim Uniting Church

02/09/2026

Evensong 5pm Saturday 5 September

We are thrilled to announce that the anthem for our next Evensong will be "God, that madest earth and heaven" by Connor Fogarty. In addition to singing bass in the Choir of Pilgrim Church (pictured in the second photo in Chester Cathedral on our recent UK tour), Connor is an increasingly accomplished composer. Connor holds a PhD in composition from the Elder Conservatorium of Music, and his works have been performed by the Australian String Quartet, the Australian Youth Orchestra, and the Adelaide Wind Orchestra. His current project is working with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Indigenous composers and musicians from the far north of the state, arranging and orchestrating works for a concert collaboration in October.

Connor's "God, that madest earth and heaven" was the winner of the inaugural Adelaide Sacred Music Composition Prize in 2023. We asked Connor to share a few words about it:

"God, that madest earth and heaven was written for the inaugural Adelaide Sacred Music Composition Prize in 2023. I was drawn to the text's constant dichotomies of darkness and light, day and night, sleeping and waking, and attempted to highlight these in the music through subtle modal shifts in the harmony. This will be the first time I've performed in one of my own pieces, and I am very excited for the opportunity."

The Choir is loving the opportunity to sing this beautiful music in liturgical context, and warmly invite you to come and hear it - along with the wonderful Ešenvalds Merton College Service - at our Evensong this Saturday.

31/08/2026

Evensong 5pm Saturday 5 September

We've invited former Pilgrim choral scholar Riana Chakravarti back to sing the alto solo in our September evensong setting: the Merton College Service by Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds (b. 1977). Riana talks about the music and the solo in this interview, recorded while Riana was still singing with us.

It's beautiful music, and we hope you are able to join us this Saturday!

24/08/2026

Free Lunchtime Organ Recital: 1pm Thursday 27 August

In town on Thursday? Pop into Pilgrim at 1pm for a colourful half-hour lunchtime organ recital performed by guest organist Prof. Gregory Crawford AM.

Pilgrim’s Free Lunchtime Organ Recitals take place at 1pm on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays of every month, March – 1st half of Dec.

Photo: Greg at the organ of St Sernin, Toulouse, ably assisted by Peter Kelsall and David Drury, on our 2024 organ tour.

19/08/2026

Tomorrow (Thursday 20 August) at 1pm: A special free Thursday lunchtime recital featuring Willow Barrett, Baritone, singing a program of Bach, Handel and Schubert.

Willow is a Choral Scholar and highly valued member of the Choir of Pilgrim Church. The photo was taken in Liverpool Cathedral, during preparations for Sunday Eucharist, on our recent UK choir tour.

Come along to hear some beautiful music, and support Willow as she prepares for the final examination in her Bachelor of Music!

17/08/2026

Special free Thursday lunchtime recital: Willow Barrett, Baritone, 1pm Thursday 20 August

Willow Barrett is in her last semester of a Bachelor of Music at Adelaide University, studying as a bass-baritone. She has been in choirs from the age of 4, including Young Adelaide Voices, Festival Statesmen, Adelaide Chamber Singers, two international tours with Gondwana Chorale, and, of course, the choir of Pilgrim Uniting Church. She has plans to study an Honours in historical performance at the Sydney Conservatorium after recently discovering a passion for Handel and Bach's oratorios.

Program:

G.F. Handel – Messiah
- Thus Saith the Lord; But Who May Abide?
Franz Schubert – Die Schöne Müllerin
- 2. Wohin?
- 3. Halt!
- 4. Danksagung an den Bach
- 5. Am Feierabend
- 6. Der Neugierige
J.S. Bach – St Matthew Passion
- Können Tränen, Meiner Wangen
G.F. Handel – Orlando
- Sorge Infausta Una Procella
J.S. Bach – St Matthew Passion
- Mache Dich, Mein Herze, Rein

12/08/2026

1pm tomorrow, Thursday 13 August: Free Lunchtime Organ Recital featuring Pilgrim Organ Scholar Val Estrella playing works by Messiaen, Vierne, Dupré and an improvisation!

The photo is of Val playing the remarkable Cavaillé-Coll instrument in Orléans Cathedral on our 2024 organ tour.

Come along if you're in town!

10/08/2026

Free Lunchtime Organ Recital: Val Estrella, 1pm Thursday 13 August

In town on Thursday? Pop into Pilgrim at 1pm for a colourful half-hour lunchtime organ recital performed by organ scholar Val Estrella on South Australia’s largest pipe organ.

Program:

Le Banquet céleste: Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)
Cathèdrales: Louis Vierne (1870-1937)
Cortège et Litanie: Marcel Dupré (1887-1971)
Improvisation

The photo is of Val in conversation with Notre Dame organist Vincent Dubois and fellow organ scholar Casey McEwan after Vincent's recital in June.

Pilgrim’s Free Lunchtime Organ Recitals take place at 1pm on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays of every month, March – 1st half of Dec.

08/08/2026

Who should we find at the Pilgrim organ console this morning? Here's Benjamin Sheen with a personal invitation to his recital tomorrow (2:30pm, Sunday 9 August)! Ben is also playing for our 11am service in the morning.

Tickets for the recital $40 / $30 at the door or online https://www.trybooking.com/DKJVT

Address

12 Flinders Street
Adelaide, SA
5000

Website

https://musicatpilgrim.com/

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