Music

Over The Christmas and New Year period there will be no organ recitals on Thursdays 19 & 26 December 2024 and Thursday 2 January 2025.

We look forward to seeing you back to enjoy the weekly recitals on Thursday 9 January 2025.

Christmas Reimagined: Carols & Readings Service

Join our Christmas festivities with joyful carols and readings. This special service is one with an uplifting difference.

Rev Dr Margaret Mayman leads the service and is joined by guest reader, Commissioner Ro Allen.
Listen to joyous carols performed by the St Michael’s Singers and Brass Ensemble conducted by Rhys Boak and enjoy an opportunity to sing along to some carol favourites.

Free event. Doors open at 7pm.

Download and share our flyer here

Music on Sundays at St Michael’s

Music is an integral part of St Michael’s life. Our Sunday gatherings include instrumental “Music for Contemplation” performed by Australian and international musicians at the invitation of Rhys Boak, Music Manager and Organist.
Music is part of the church’s life because we understand creativity is an integral aspect of being human. Music and other art forms nourish the human spirit.

If you cannot make it to an in-church service, we continue our Online Gatherings bringing  inspirational guest musicians into your home.
These are available to view each Sunday afternoon.

A list of our guest musicians and their biographies can be downloaded here

Choral Singing at St Michael’s

A small professional ensemble of singers, known as the St Michael’s Singers has been formed to sing during special services throughout the year.
We currently enjoy the presence of a church cantor to lead our community in hymns.
Visiting choirs also enrich worship at St Michael’s. Visiting choirs have included the  Choir of Trinity College from the University of Melbourne, The Australian Chamber Choir, the Choir of the Scots’ Church Melbourne and The Consort of Melbourne.

Instrumental Music at St Michael’s

As has been the tradition at St Michael’s, a wide variety of musicians perform during our Sunday services.
In selecting guest artists, great attention has been paid to sourcing the highest quality performers from a wide variety of fields.

What can you expect from the music at St Michael’s?
Some of our musicians playing at St Michael’s can be watched below:

Joe Chindamo and Zoe Black – Reverie (Joe Chindamo)

Georgia Wilkinson and Rhys Boak – ‘Ah se in ciel’ (Mozart)

Zoe Wallace and Rhys Boak – Adagio from the sonata for cello (Rachmaninoff)

Rose Riebl and Ceridwen McCooey – Even as the light fades (Riebl)

St Michael’s Lunchtime Organ Recitals

Over The Christmas and New Year period there will be no organ recitals on Thursdays 19 & 26 December 2024 and Thursday 2 January 2025.

We look forward to seeing you back to enjoy the weekly recitals on Thursday 9 January 2025.

Every Thursday, the church doors open and the Grand Organ comes to life with performances by St Michael’s organist, Rhys Boak, and guest artists.
These recitals bring the joy and beauty of live music to many Melbournians and visitors.

Please share our flyer here

Thursday Lunchtime Organ Recitals
When: Thursdays | 1:00pm – 1:30pm (doors open at 12:30pm)
Where: St Michael’s Uniting Church
Free entry

*Please note upcoming music may be subject to change.

St Michael’s Organist and Manager of Music:
Rhys Boak

Rhys Boak was born in Melbourne into a musical family.  Experimenting as a toddler playing the piano, his formal training commenced at age 4 with his mother, Laurice Boak. Rhys began playing the piano as he learned to walk, and his interest in the king of instruments, the pipe organ started soon after.

Rhys has been the organist and Manager of Music at St Michael’s Uniting Church in Melbourne’s CBD since June 2007. Notably in 2005 he initiated the first series of organ recitals to be held in mainland China, when he opened the world’s largest pipe organ museum in Gulangyu China along with Japanese organ virtuoso Ryoko Mori. He has undertaken numerous international tours throughout Europe and Asia.

In 2006, Rhys notably toured China playing duets with the late Geoffrey Tozer, and has toured with many artists, most recently as part of the nationwide ‘My Hero’ tour with Australian soprano, Greta Bradman presented by Universal Music.  He has toured Europe twice with the Australian Chamber Choir, and also with the Choir of Ormond College of the University of Melbourne.  Rhys is also a notable collector and restorer of historic Australian pianos and is a certified piano technician. As a highly active orchestrator and arranger, his work has been recorded by the likes of the English Chamber Orchestra, Sir Richard Bonynge and can be heard on the Sony, Decca and Move Records labels.