St Denys Church Choir, Lisvane

-- AUDITIONING FOR CHORISTERS --

 WHY JOIN THE CHOIR?

St Denys Choir has a high reputation for choral singing built over decades by dedicated choristers. It enables young choristers to learn much about choral singing and gives them valuable experience for their future education and sometimes their careers.  The library of music is quite extensive and music of all periods of choral singing is sung regularly, giving choristers valuable experience in music from an early stage of their education.

The choir is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music. The training scheme for choristers enables them to progress through the different levels of proficiency, and also the opportunity to attend residential courses. Two young choristers have just attended such a course at Bath this summer and both thoroughly enjoyed it – hoping to go again next year!  Read a report about their time at the course by clicking here

The Choir comprises four sections:- Sopranos/Trebles;  Contraltos/Altos;  Tenors;  and Basses.  Girls and Boys sing the Treble with the ladies (sopranos), Ladies also sing the Contralto and the men sing the Tenor and Bass lines.

Choir practices are held on Thursday evenings, from 7.00 – 8.15 for boys and girls, and from 7.45 – 9.00 pm for seniors. The boys and girls have the opportunity of singing with the full choir from 7.45 until 8.15.

Services are on Sunday mornings at 9.30am, and Sunday evenings 6.30pm ( except 1^st  Sunday of the month. )

Choristers would be expected to attend practice on Thursdays, and services on Sunday mornings at 9.30am (except 3^rd Sunday of month) and evening services at 6.30pm on 2^nd and 4^th Sundays

TRAINING

St Denys church is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music, and uses its training scheme. This is intended to develop a basic knowledge of music and singing, and  includes Christian training. Choristers move through the stages of Junior and Senior Singers and are awarded  at each level of proficiency. Many have achieved Dean’s and Bishop’s Chorister awards.

 WHAT ELSE DOES THE CHOIR DO?

One of the main activities of the choir is that of visiting different cathedrals to sing the weekend services when the cathedral choir is away on holiday. This activity has been happening since the first visit to Coventry cathedral in July 1973. Thirteen cathedrals have been visited, many of the for two or three or even more times (Llandaff has been very frequent) This year we visited Worcester in February and recently Gloucester.

Our visit to Exeter in October 2003 was recorded and a CD was produced and sold to boost choir funds. We visit Exeter again in February 2006. Each month at St Denys, on the 4th Sunday, we sing a choral setting of Evensong with special settings of the evening canticles and responses. Anthems are sung at every service of Eucharist and Evensong each week.

Each year we have an outing by coach and mums and dads of the juniors come too, usually to sing Evensong somewhere, followed by a meal.

The Choir needs a steady stream of youngsters to join to replace those boys and girls who move on to higher education . The usual joining age is from 7 or 8, or older, and there are good opportunities to earn extra pocket money !

PAY

For each attendance at choir practice, and Sunday service as mentioned above, 50p. Full attendance in the month would earn each chorister £5.00.

Additionally, fees are earned for weddings – starting at £2.00 for junior members rising to £5.00(each wedding) for those who have obtained ribbon awards through the RSCM training scheme.

It costs nothing to join! – and it can be very rewarding for them – they do not have to have any musical knowledge to join – just be able to follow a tune – they learn the rest – and they have some fun too! (pantomime at Christmas and some outings and events which are organised regularly through Lee our youth worker)

WE NOW HAVE SOME VACANCIES FOR NEW CHORISTERS.

If you have a youngster who would like to join, and broaden their musical knowledge and singing please bring them along.

Please Contact

Martyn Ridge        Choirmaster

 Tel. 029 20759335

email me

September 2005