Contact: Daniel Hine, Music Director, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone: 434-295-2156
Who we are ...
St. Paul's Senior Choir is a volunteer choir of active parishioners numbering twenty to thirty members. In addition we are fortunate to have Albrecht von Gaudecker as our very talented organist.
Week after week the choir looks forward to fulfilling its liturgical functions at the Eucharist. Its primary goal is to enhance the liturgy with appropriate texts, set to music with artistry that brings special new meaning to that literature.
Why we sing ...
We work hard at rehearsals every week to produce the very best sound we can, but we never lose sight of the fact that we are there for God and for each other. And we have fun while we are at it.
What types of music we sing ...
Our musical repertoire runs from Thomas Tallis to André Thomas, from J.S. Bach to Harry Burleigh, Handel to Howells. A typical Sunday could include chants from the Early Church, a 20th-century composition, a piece from the 16th Century and perhaps music written just for us, even by one of us.
A few times each year, we're joined by instrumentalists for a festive Mass or for special music at Easter or Christmas.
The St. Paul's building is known for its exceptional acoustics, and many groups around Charlottesville use it as a venue.
We don't just sing. We have a Choir parties several times each year - on a weekend. We are also supportive to each other in many ways as a network of loving friends should be.
When we sing ...
Generally, the Senior Choir helps to lead the 10:00 a.m. Sunday services, however we also sing Choral Evensong at least three times a year (at the 5:30 p.m. service), the late-night Christmas Eve service (with string quartet), and members of the Choir contribute to the beauty of our Holy Week worship services.
Rehearsals:
- Wednesdays, 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM or so, September into June
- Sunday mornings, 9:00 AM in the chancel (or Choir Room downstairs, if necessary), preceding the 10:00 AM service
Additional Rehearsals and Special Occasions:
- Saturdays before Christmas, Easter, and programs that include instrumentalists
- Smaller groups: Liturgy on Maundy Thursday and the Great Vigil of Easter (Holy Saturday)
- Advent Lessons and Carols each year in December
Expectations ...
Every group has to have some rules so we know who will be in attendance, etc. Practices we have adopted include:
- To sing on a particular Sunday, you should attend two of the preceding three rehearsals (counting Sundays and Wednesdays) on the music for that day
- A Sign Out Sheet in the rehearsal room: Use it! Enter your anticipated absence as soon as you know about it. The Director needs to know how big the Choir will be and whether the key people he needs for a given piece will be present
- Leave the perfumes, fragrant hairspray, and aftershave at home, particularly on Sunday mornings. Some of our members are quite allergic to the stuff
Additional Suggestions ...
- Working at home is encouraged, but please remember to bring the music back
- There are plenty of choir robes, but if we don't have one in your size, we will order a new one
- We do some warm-ups at the beginning of rehearsals, but you should be ready to sing, and if you need more time - prepare ahead of time.
- Drink plenty of water on Wednesday and Saturday
Last Updated on Tuesday, 11 December 2012 11:37
