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Music
is an active and integral part of the life of St. Peter's. All worshipers are encouraged to participate in the music of services as active singers and listeners among the congregation.
 St. Peter's Church is an affiliate of the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM), an organization
dedicated to promoting high standards in church music.
The Adult Choir is an intensely devoted group of hardworking singers committed to the highest form of music making and to this church. The
Adult Choir leads the congregation in
 hymns and service music and sings Offertory anthems at the 8 AM and 10:30AM liturgy for the duration of the
choir season, which runs from the Sunday following Labor Day through Trinity Sunday in June. Special highlights of the choir year include Choral Evensong services in October, February and June, a
service of Advent Lessons and Carols, the annual Christmas Festival Eucharist, Holy Week services, the Great Vigil and a Festival Eucharist on Easter morning. The 25 members of the Adult Choir sing
jointly for these special services and they divide to form separate choirs for the regular Sunday 8 and 10:30AM services. Rehearsals are each Thursday evening from 7:00 PM to 9 PM, with a brief warm
up prior to the Sunday services. The choir’s repertoire encompasses a wide variety of styles, including motets by the master composers,
arrangements of folk tunes and spirituals, and anthems by composers carrying on the tradition of Anglican church music in the present day. The existing choir members and I warmly welcome those who
would like to join us in a most rewarding endeavor. Anyone interested in joining the Adult Choir is encouraged to contact the Director of Music. No audition is necessary, just a commitment to attend
rehearsals, learn the music and sing for services.
 The Children's Choir, which includes our youngest singers, meets along with their parents during
Sunday School from 9:15-9:30AM on Sunday mornings. The focus is on learning well-known Sunday school songs, playing musical and movement games and learning some of the service music. This
group presents musical offerings in worship once a month throughout the program year.
Choristers: In March 2006 St. Peter's Church expanded its music ministry for children with an additional choral program for young people.
Choristers, children aged 8 and up, pursue a professional level course of musical training and play an important role in the life of St. Peter's, which is building a tradition of wonderful music making. Becoming a member of the Chorister's Choir is as serious a commitment as it is a beneficial experience.
No audition is necessary, just a commitment to attend rehearsals, learn the music and sing for services. Choristers learn the valuable place of high quality music and the good discipline needed for musical
performance in a sacred setting and in their own lives. The Choristers also develop a strong collegial sense of team spirit in a non-competitive environment, which often leads to long-lasting friendships
and experiences that they carry with them beyond their lives at St. Peter's. The development of time management, leadership, and cooperative skills are priceless and cannot be learned as a course of
study. The choir follows the training scheme of the Voice for Life program developed by The Royal School of Church Music, in which boys and girls learn good vocal production, sight-singing, musical
understanding, knowledge of choral repertoire (which includes singing in different languages), and Christian education. This structured program follows a levels system through which singers are
promoted once they achieve set targets.
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 Novice Chorister: Novice Choristers wear a red cassock symbolizing they are in training.
They are committed to learning the rudiments of music, the expectations of choir membership, acquiring basic vocal techniques for singing, and becoming familiar with various parts of our
Anglican liturgy through participation in worship.
- Chorister (divided into Junior Chorister and Senior Chorister): Boys and Girls who have completed their beginning training are
commissioned into the choir as Junior members symbolized by receiving the white surplice to wear over their red cassock. Senior Choristers also wear RSCM medals with colored ribbons
that correspond to their rank attained through the Voice for Life curriculum. Choristers are expected to serve as mature, competent members of the choir, providing role models and
assisting the Director of Music and Head Choristers with the younger, less experienced choir personnel.
Choir camp and trips are also important parts of the Chorister experience. Choristers rehearse twice a
week on Thursdays from 6:15- 7:15 PM. and on Sundays from 12:15 to 1:15 PM. Beginning this September, Choristers are expected to attend both Thursday and Sunday rehearsals. The Choristers
sing monthly for the 10:30 AM service September through Trinity Sunday in June. No prior training or experience is expected of prospective choristers, nor need their families be affiliated with St.
Peter's or any particular religious tradition. Boys and girls who are at least 8 years old are accepted. Apart from incidentals relating to travel or social events, there is no tuition cost expected of parents.
Instead, the commitment of time and energy balances St. Peter's investment in the hundreds of teaching hours needed to make our Choristers’ choir thrive. Please give consideration to joining the
Choristers to experience the joy of becoming a part of a long tradition of church musicianship! Contact the Director of Music (musicd@stpetes.net, 540-338-7307) for further information or to arrange an interview.
All photos this page courtesy of Andrea White.
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