Do you like singing?
	Enjoy making music?
Keen to learn more?
	Want to be part of a great team?

If your answer to even one of these questions is ‘yes’, you should have a look at what St Peter’s Choir has to offer.

“The only thing better than singing is more singing” Ella Fitzgerald

St Peter’s Church, in the centre of St Albans, has one of the finest church choirs in the South East of England.

For the 30 or so men and boys who make up the Choir, singing at two services every Sunday and two rehearsals during the week is quite a commitment—especially in this day and age. So why do they do it? What makes it so worthwhile?

For a start, the Choir is a lively, enthusiastic and friendly group. There’s true enjoyment in performing works from the range of great choral music composed over the last five hundred years.

And there’s also the satisfaction from working as part of a successful team that achieves high standards.

For the boys in particular, singing at St Peter’s provides a great musical education. There’s a strong social aspect, too. The boys play football, there are barbecues and day trips. And, every couple of years, the Choir travels abroad – the last tour was to Paris.

Oh, and last but not least, the boys get paid as well!

Still interested? Here are some more details.

How does it work?

There are usually two Sunday services at 11.00am and 6.30 pm and two practices— on Tuesday and Friday evenings. There are also opportunities on some Saturdays to sing at weddings.

We do understand that parents will from time-to-time need to take their children out on a Sunday. The boys sing mainly in term time only and the choir disbands for the summer holidays.

On joining the choir, the boys become ‘probationers’ for the first three months or so. This gives them the chance to see what the choir’s like and how it works. A senior chorister looks after each probationer helping them to learn the ropes. After this, boys are officially enrolled at one of the Sunday services and can then progress through the various grades to become a team leader or even Head Chorister.

So much on offer!

As well as enjoying a great musical education, boys are paid every three months for their attendance at services and practices. The pay increases with experience and extra sums are paid for singing at weddings.

The ‘uniform’ of cassock and surplice, together with all the music, is provided.

The Choir has made many concert tours over the last 20 years, including France, Germany and Austria where it performed at the Salzburg festival. Most recently the choir sang in Paris and there are plans for another trip shortly. It has also recorded several CDs and been heard on national and local radio.

There is also a varied programme of social events. Recently these have included Thorpe Park, carol singing, concerts, firework party, football matches, ten pin bowling as well as a barbecue and Christmas party.

Who can join? The Choir consists of 16 boys and 16 men. As the older boys’ voices break, there are always new opportunities for boys aged 7 to 11 to join. You don’t have to come from a church-going family. And you don’t need any prior musical knowledge to join – a comprehensive musical training is provided. We do encourage boys to learn a musical instrument and those that do find that singing regularly helps this enormously.

How do you find out more?

We invite parents to contact us first by telephone or e-mail (details below). We can then arrange for you and your son to come along to meet us, and for your son to try out a few practices and attend a service.

E-mail Nicholas Robinson, Director of Music at: nickrob30@hotmail.com

Telephone Katja Strahl-Draper (Choir Parents Liaison Officer) on 01727 847237