St. Stephen’s Choristers (Grades 1-5)
The St. Stephen’s Chorister program offers not only an excellent education in music, but to impart skills for life. Formation in leadership, teamwork, service, work ethic, commitment, and friendship will serve each chorister well in whichever walk of life they choose.
About the Choristers
The choirs seek to instill confidence and poise in each chorister in order to be part of a team—both as members and as leaders—whose sum is greater than its parts.
The chorister program welcomes young people grades 1-5 and is inclusive of all genders. Choristers sing for services in the main church at St. Stephen’s and in Palmer Hall, a separate chapel that offers services for families with young children. Choristers are trained in the fundamentals of musicianship and chorister conduct. They serve primarily in Christian worship services, but welcome young people of any or no faith background.
The chorister program uses the curriculum from the Royal School of Church Music called Voice for Life, an excellent graded approach to vocal training, sight-singing, music theory, and leadership.
Schedule
The St. Stephen’s Choristers keep the weekly schedule below during the program year, which begins with the Sunday after Labor Day and ends with the Sunday before Memorial Day weekend.
St. Stephen’s Choristers Rehearsal: 5-6 p.m.
Dinner: 6-6:30 p.m.
Vesting and snack in Room 17 (Top floor of parish house): 8 a.m.
Rehearsal in either Palmer Hall or the church: 8:45 a.m.
Service either in Palmer Hall or the church: 9 a.m.
In addition to singing for services, the St. Stephen’s Choristers also sing for special concerts at St. Stephen’s and elsewhere, as well as for community events, such as the national anthem for Flying Squirrels baseball games. Other activities, such as Christmas caroling, summer choir camps, choir parties, community service, choir recordings, and national and international choir tours are included in the schedule, depending on the year. These all seek to build lasting friendships within the choir and empower the choristers for service in their wider community.
Join Any Time!
If you know a young person who loves to sing and would be interested in joining one of the choirs, please reach out to Brent te Velde or Diana Chou anytime (contact info below). Prospective members of the St. Stephen’s Choristers will be asked to arrange an informal audition with Mr. te Velde and Ms. Chou. These auditions are mainly to begin to get to know prospective choristers and learn more about their level of experience and interest, not to pass a test! Nothing will need to be prepared in advance for the audition.
Music Lessons
Full membership in the St. Stephen’s Choristers (those who have completed the first level of the RSCM Voice for Life curriculum) includes weekly half-hour voice and music theory lessons with one of our skilled and experienced voice teachers. These are free of charge, and enable each chorister to better progress at their own individual pace. Achievement medals are awarded after further levels of the curriculum are completed, placing choristers on a level footing with other choristers around the country and the world.
More information is available from Mr. te Velde or Ms. Chou.
Parent Volunteers
The work of the chorister program “takes a village,” as the saying goes, and there are many ways for parents to be involved in supporting the choirs. Please let Mr. te Velde or Ms. Chou know if you would like to be involved!
Contact Information
Brent te Velde, Director of Music | email
Diana Chou, Associate Director of Music | email
(804) 288-2867