Choristers Program
How would you like to . . .
Sing the world’s greatest music in a magnificent old church?
make new friends?
take trips to interesting places?
spend a week singing at a camp on a beautiful lake?
make professional recordings?
learn to play the piano?
If your answer is YES to these questions, then St. Paul's Chorister Program is the place for you!!
History
For nearly one thousand years, children (primarily boys until the last fifty years!)
have sung daily services in the great cathedrals and collegiate chapels of England.
The boy sopranos, or trebles, provided the “top line” of the choir while the lower
parts (alto, tenor, and bass) were sung by lay clerks, or grown men from the college
or community. While these choral programs are taken somewhat for granted in England,
similar choirs for children and youth are few and far between in our own country.
Definition
The St. Paul’s Choristers seeks to offer a sound musical education to boys and girls
from the greater Norwalk community. The choir is open to boys and girls in grades 2
through 12. The choir is committed to musical excellence, self discipline, and social
development. The choir rehearses at least twice weekly, and sings most Sundays at the
Holy Eucharist (Mass) at St. Paul’s on the Green, an Episcopal church in Norwalk, Connecticut.
The choristers will sing music of the greatest composers of sacred music, such as Palestrina,
Bach, Handel, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Bruckner, and Britten. The chorister program will offer
a musical education which will include music theory, music history, and vocal training.
In addition, the choristers will learn about the liturgy and history of the church. While
all choristers and their families are WELCOME to participate fully in the life of St. Paul’s
Church, membership is not required, nor do you have to be Episcopalian. (If baptism or confirmation
is desired for your child, we can assist you in making that happen here at St. Paul’s.)
Requirements
Auditions are held in the spring (April/early May) and require no preparation.
Prior musical experience is not necessary for admission to the choir, though applicants
in sixth grade or beyond should have some prior musical training (piano, school choir, etc.)
Each child (along with a parent or guardian) will meet with the Director for a brief personal
interview followed by a short musical aptitude and ear test. The most important requirement
for entrance to the choir is an unwavering commitment of time: steadfast attendance at services
and rehearsals.
Skill Levels
Choristers are divided into four skill levels: Probationer (beginner – 2nd and 3rd Grade),
Novice, Junior Chorister, and Senior Chorister. To progress, certain skill levels, both musical
and otherwise, must be achieved. Appropriate ribbons and medals are awarded and worn by the
chorister over his or her vestment (choir robe) to show the current standing. Probationer: Cassock only
Novice: Cassock, Surplice, and Light Blue Ribbon with Medal Junior Chorister: Cassock,
Surplice, and Dark Blue Ribbon with Medal Senior Chorister: Cassock, Surplice, and Red
Ribbon with Medal In addition, a Head Chorister and Deputy Head Chorister are chosen
each year to assist the Director with choir leadership.
Rehearsal and Service Schedule
The choristers rehearse at least twice weekly, depending on their skill level.
The Probationers rehearse once weekly and the Novices, Juniors and Seniors rehearse
twice weekly. When a probationer is ready to be promoted to Novice, he/she will then
rehearse twice weekly. The choir sings most Sundays (early September through early June)
at the 10:15 AM Service or the 5 PM Evensong. There is a 9 AM rehearsal on Sunday mornings preceding
the service and a 3:30 PM rehearsal preceding Evensong. Please contact the Director for current weekly rehearsal schedules.
Choir Camp
The Choristers (not Probationers) enjoy a week of Choir Camp, held at Incarnation Camp
in Ivoryton, CT. This beautiful camp setting is owned by the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut,
and includes a gorgeous lake. The camp is fully accredited and insured. In addition to rehearsing
and preparing for the fall season of singing, choristers enjoy swimming, boating, kayaking,
canoeing, hiking, campfires and lots of good food! The camp is staffed by the Director,
a Music Assistant, and qualified, trained counselors. The camp is usually held the last full
week of August. Call the Director for specific dates.
Trips
The choir will travel on a regular basis, primarily in the tri-state area to hear other
choirs and participate in choir festivals. Most of these would be day trips, with only occasional
overnights. Approximately every three or four years, the choir will tour the cathedrals of
England, singing daily services and sight-seeing. In 2007, the Choristers completed a two-week tour of England singing services and concerts at Bristol, Gloucester, Wells, Guildford and Southwark cathedrals. In 2010, the choir will tour Scotland and England singing services at St. Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow; St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh; Blackburn Cathedral and Ely Cathedral.
Cost
St. Paul’s offers a radical welcome to all who come to this place. In that spirit, we want
the chorister program to be available to any boy or girl who is willing to make the commitment
of time and steadfast attendance. Scholarships are available to cover the cost of vestments,
uniform ties, tutoring, snacks, AND choir camp. In the year of an England trip, scholarships
will be available for that as well. At the time of acceptance into the choir, application must
be made in writing for partial or full scholarship assistance. We work on the Honor System:
If a family can afford all or part of these costs, we ask that they pay their way so that more
funding is available to those in need.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BY PARENTS:
My child likes to sing but has never had any music lessons. Can he still audition?
Absolutely. A love of music and willingness to learn is more than adequate. If your
child is in the sixth grade or above, it is helpful if they have some musical
background (piano lessons, school band, etc).
Our family goes to church sometimes, but it’s not an Episcopal church. Does that matter?
No. Families of all faith backgrounds are welcome. In fact, even if your family doesn’t
go to church at all, your child can still audition for the chorister program.
If my child gets into the program, do we (his parents) have to come to church on Sunday?
It isn’t a requirement that parents come to church, but remember: this is a church choir
and most performances will be in the context of a church service. It will be important
for you to show interest in your child’s development by coming to some services and
hearing him or her sing.
We can possibly afford the tutoring sessions, but not Choir Camp or Karate. Can my child
still be in the chorister program?
Absolutely. Simply let the Director know (in writing) that you need scholarship money
for part or all of the chorister program.
What if we need to miss a Sunday because we like to go away some weekends?
A full year (September through June) schedule is issued in early August. Families are
expected to plan around the chorister schedule. The two Sundays following Christmas and
the Sunday following Easter are days off for Choristers. In addition, choristers may miss
one Sunday in the fall and one Sunday in the spring, except on Red Letter Days (important
days in the life of the church when we want everyone here!)
We missed the auditions in the spring. Can we audition during the choir year?
Mid-year auditions are accepted on a case-by-case basis. Contact the Director.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BY POTENTIAL CHORISTERS:
This program sounds like a lot of work. Is it any fun?
Yes, this program requires a lot of work. However, the rewards are really great!
Not only do you become a much better musician, you learn personal discipline, and teamwork.
And we certainly have FUN as well! Choir camp, trips to hear other singers, and trips
to participate in Choir Festivals all help to make the work worthwhile!
I’m involved in lots of activities after school. Do I still have time to be a chorister?
Maybe not. Learning to handle a schedule is something even many adults don’t do well!
Coming to the weekly rehearsals is not optional, and choristers may not be excused for
long periods of time to participate in other activities. Talk with your parents and
decide if this is an activity for which you are willing to make time.
I don’t really like going to church. Is that the only place the choir sings?
No, it’s not the only place, but it is the MAIN place we sing. And singing in a choir
makes church feel very different. You are a LEADER in church when you’re in the choir.
And your voice helps to inspire all those people who come to church on Sunday morning.
Do I have to wear a uniform to sing in the choir?
For the weekday rehearsals, your school clothes are fine. On Sundays, choristers are asked
to wear white shirts with a collar, navy pants or skirts, a tie, dark socks or stockings,
and black shoes. The church will provide the ties, and will help with the cost of the rest
of the uniform if needed. We wear our vestments (or choir robes) on top of the uniform.
Why do we wear choir robes?
Because we are worship leaders, we don’t want to draw attention to the individual but to
the choir as a group so we dress alike. The vestments consist of a long black cassock with
a shorter white surplice over it. In addition, we wear fancy white collars around our neck
and our chorister ribbons and medals. When a chorister is fully vested, it’s an impressive sight.
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