The Choir of Buckfast Abbey
The present incarnation of the Abbey Choir was founded in 2009. The choir has since established a broad repertoire, ranging from polyphonic music of the sixteenth century and Masses of the Viennese school, through to music of the French Romantic tradition and contemporary music by James MacMillian, Matthew Martin and Dom Sebastian Wolff OSB. The choir has recently commissioned a set of eight fauxbourdon Magnificats for the liturgy from Andrew Reid, and given the premiere of a new Mass for Corpus Christi composed by Martin Baker. The choir sings Solemn Mass and Vespers on Sundays, and Mass on Holy Days of Obligation during the week. A smaller schola supports the singing of the Monastic Community for Mass on weekday Solemnities and during choir holidays. The choir gives several concert performances each year, with recent highlights including Charpentier’s Messe de minuit with Noxwode Baroque and the Duruflé Requiem with the Southern Sinfonia. The choir recorded its first album in 2014 and has subsequently made several recordings on the Abbey’s in-house record label, Ad Fontes. In 2018 the choir sang Midnight Mass at the conclusion of Buckfast’s millennium year, which was televised live on BBC One.

Philip Arkwright
is Organist & Master of the Music at Buckfast Abbey. Born in St Helens, Merseyside, Philip began his musical career as Organ Scholar at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and was subsequently appointed as Sub-Organist and Director of the Cathedral Girls’ Choir. Philip graduated with a combined honours degree in theology and religious studies, with music, from Liverpool Hope University, and afterwards with a master’s degree in Sacred Music. During his tenure at Buckfast Abbey, Philip has overseen the expansion of the music department to include the new Ruffatti organ, the formation of a new choir of choristers, a thriving concert and organ recital series, in addition to the establishment of the Abbey’s own record label. In 2018, Philip directed the Abbey Choir at a number of high profile services and events to celebrate 1000 years since the monastery’s foundation, including a live televised broadcast of Christmas Midnight Mass – the first such broadcast from a Roman Catholic abbey in the UK.

Matthew Searles
is Master of the Music at Buckfast Abbey. He is responsible for all aspects of the musical life of the Abbey, including the daily Mass and Office, direction of the Abbey Choir, and is Executive Producer of the in-house record label, Ad Fontes. Matthew joined the Abbey in 2018 as Assistant Master of the Music, during which time he helped to re-establish a treble line of choristers, and played for Midnight Mass, televised live on BBC One. Prior to moving to Buckfast, Matthew was Sub-Organist of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. He is a prizewinning graduate of Royal Holloway, University of London, where he received First Class Honours and the Driver Prize for ‘outstanding musical performance’. Matthew continued his studies at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Poitiers, France. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists.