Editing Buckfast Abbey (section)

==Music==
The current Master of the Music is Matthew Searles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clarke |first=Lewis |date=2022-10-28 |title=Big changes for Buckfast Abbey as new CEO and Master of the Music announced |url=https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/big-changes-buckfast-abbey-new-7746914 |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=Devon Live |language=en}}</ref>

=== Choirs ===
The present incarnation of the Abbey Choir was founded in 2009. The choir sings Solemn Mass and Vespers on Sundays, and Mass on [[Holy day of obligation|Holy Days of Obligation]] during the week. The choir sings a broad liturgical 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 MacMillan|James MacMillian]], [[Matthew Martin (organist)|Matthew Martin]] and Dom [[Sebastian Wolff]] OSB. In 2018 the choir sang Christmas [[Midnight Mass]], which was televised live on BBC One.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC One - Midnight Mass, 2018 - Midnight Mass from Buckfast Abbey |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bwf3cf |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> The choir gives several concert performances each year, and in 2024 this included the premiere of a new Mass for Corpus Christi composed by [[Martin Baker (organist)|Martin Baker]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=O sacrum convivium! at Buckfast Abbey - Visit South Devon |url=https://www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk/whats-on/o-sacrum-convivium-at-buckfast-abbey-p3456463 |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk}}</ref>

Alongside the Abbey Choir, there is also a line of trebles recruited from local schools.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Music at Buckfast – Buckfast Abbey |url=https://www.buckfast.org.uk/music_introduction/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=}}</ref> Established in 2018, the Abbey Choristers sing alongside members of the Abbey Choir at the Conventual Mass on Thursdays and some Saturdays during school term time. They also perform in the area and on an annual summer tour.  

=== Organ ===
The Abbey has an organ by the Italian organ builder, [[Fratelli Ruffatti|Fratelli Ruffati]], the first to be constructed in the UK. The organ was installed in 2017<ref>{{Cite web |title=News on the Buckfast Abbey organ, Devon, England {{!}} The Ruffatti Brothers |url=https://ruffatti.com/en/news-on-the-buckfast-abbey-organ-devon-england/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |language=it-IT}}</ref> and given its inaugural recital in 2018. The instrument consists of a substantial Quire Organ (four divisions and pedal) located on both sides of the Quire and the upper triforium, and a Grand-Orgue in the West Gallery (two divisions and pedal). The two spatially-separated instruments can by played antiphonally or together from one or both of the two consoles in the church.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Devon, Buckfastleigh, Buckfast Abbey - St. Mary, [T01101] |url=https://npor.org.uk/survey/T01101}}</ref> The organ contains 5,537 pipes and features a striking Pontifical Trumpet ''en chamade'', which protrudes horizontally from the West Gallery casework. 

The organ by Ruffati replaced a previous Hele/Walker instrument, the basis of which was installed in 1922 and later added to in successive changes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Downes |first=Ralph |date=1952 |title=A Chronicle of the Organ in Buckfast Abbey Church |journal=Musical Times |volume=93 |pages=412–13|doi=10.2307/934456 |jstor=934456 }}</ref> Important changes to the stop list were made by [[Ralph Downes]], who also rescaled and revoiced the existing pipework in the 1940s and 1950s.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Downes |first=Ralph |title=Builders' typed notes and Baroque Tricks |year=1983 |pages=144–151}}</ref>

=== Ad Fontes ===
Ad Fontes is a record label founded by Buckfast Abbey dedicated to presenting recordings of sacred music.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ad Fontes (label) - Buy classical music recordings |url=https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/labels/6613--ad-fontes |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=Presto Music |language=en}}</ref> As well as featuring the Abbey's own choirs and organists, the label collaborates with external soloists and choirs to produce recordings of music from the Catholic tradition, a notable example of this being The Choir of [[Westminster Cathedral]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Choir's New Recording – Westminster Cathedral |url=https://westminstercathedral.org.uk/the-choirs-new-recording/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== Bells ===
The tower contains fifteen bells. There is a ring of twelve bells, with a tenor weighing 41 long hundredweight (with two extra semi tone bells) surrounding the 7.5 ton [[bourdon bell]] called Hosanna. In August 2018, the Abbey hosted the Millennium Bell Ringing Festival in celebration of its 1000th year since the foundation of the monastery.

The bells were cast in 1935 by John Taylor and Co. and were donated by a local benefactor, [[Robert Harvey (businessman)|Sir Robert Harvey]].<ref name=Smith/> They are hung in the traditional change ringing style, and have an [[Ellacombe apparatus|Ellacombe chiming apparatus]]  for single-handed ringing, though this is currently out of use.