St. Peter's Choristers

Episcopal Shield

The 2006/07 Chorister Handbook

St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Lakewood, Ohio

A Charter Member of The American School of Church Music
& Associated with The Royal School of Church Music

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy.
 (Psalm 100:1, Grail)

Welcome!

Thank you for your involvement with the St. Peter’s Choristers! Whether you are a returning chorister, or you are singing with us for the first time, we hope that you and your family will find this packet helpful. If you have questions about anything, please don’t hesitate to contact us:

The Mission and History of the Choristers

The Parish Choir and the Choristers exist in order to lead people in the worship of God, proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, provide musical training and Christian formation, and enrich the musical life of the community.

The Choristers' first rehearsal was held on the Feast of St. Matthias, 2003. They sang in the liturgy for the first time on Palm Sunday, 2003. Last season, they were invited to sing at All Saints Episcopal Church, Parma, Ohio and several choristers took part in the consecration of the Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth.

Table of Contents

An Outline of the Chorister Training Program

The Choir Season runs from September 11, 2004 through Trinity Sunday (May 22, 2005). Choristers rehearse Monday evenings from 6:59 to 8:00 p.m., and Sundays before the liturgy at 9:15 a.m. Rehearsals always begin in the Choir Room.

The St. Peter’s Choristers progress through three different stages: Beginners, who are learning the basics, Novices, who are commissioned members of the choir, and Choristers who consistently demonstrate excellence. The Voice for Life curriculum developed by the Royal School of Church Music serves as the musical foundation for the St. Peter's Choristers.

Beginner

A Beginner learns the expectations of being in the choir. They begin learning the structure of the service and the fundamentals of music and singing. This is a "trial period" for the chorister: an opportunity to decide if this is something to which he or she wishes to commit, before being commissioned. While a beginner is not required to sing everything, he or she is expected to attend all rehearsals and services. For the Beginner attendance policy, see below.

Novice

A Beginner who demonstrates a commitment to the choir through his or her attendance and attentive behavior is invited to be commissioned and become a Novice. A Novice wears a white cotta and has a higher standard for attendance. For the Novice attendance policy, see below.

Chorister

A Novice who maintains satisfactory attendance may demonstrate his or her musical skills in a meeting with both directors to earn a Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) medal. These meetings should be scheduled through the Director of Choristers. Typically, these meetings are scheduled for Thursday evenings or Sundays after the service and are approximately 30 minutes in length. Attendance at three or more Voice Classes is required before a meeting is scheduled. (If it is impossible for a chorister to attend Voice Class, an alternate time must be arranged with the director.)

Choristers are the mentors and leaders of the choir. One of the most important things they do is help Beginners and Novices.

The RSCM medal is progressively awarded at three different levels. Each indicates a higher level of musical achievement and understanding:

Level One: Light Blue Ribbon

For an outline of the requirements for this level, see below. Sections I, II, and III are covered in rehearsals, services, and Voice Classes. The meeting is primarily concerned with sections IV and V: Repertoire and Christian Formation.

Level Two: Dark Blue Ribbon

A chorister who has earned a Light Blue Ribbon should contact the director for an outline of the requirements for this level. Usually, a chorister may only earn one level per year.

Level Three: Red Ribbon

A chorister who has earned a Dark Blue Ribbon should contact the director for an outline of the requirements for this level.

For the Chorister attendance policy, see below.

Attendance

Every chorister is expected to attend all rehearsals and services.

Level Attendance required* Un-excused absences permitted
Beginner 75% Three
Novice 85% One
Chorister 95% Zero

*Rehearsals and services are weighted equally in determining attendance percentage.

The director must be notified in advance (by at least two weeks if possible) of all scheduling conflicts (school, sports, family travel). The chorister and/or parent should sign the attendance binder in the Assistant Organist’s office. Any absence not signed out, except for illness or family emergency, will be un-excused.

In the case of illness or family emergency, the director must be notified as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours after the absence.

When a chorister misses a rehearsal or service, for whatever reason, he or she should return as soon as possible. Missing a rehearsal does not prevent a chorister from singing in a service.

Excessive absences affect the morale of the choir and will require discussion with both directors.

There are three attendance periods during the program year. Any chorister who does not meet his or her attendance requirement in one period may start over and try again in the next period.

An eligible Beginner who meets his or her attendance requirements may be commissioned at one of three possible times during the program year (once at the end of every attendance period).

Attendance Period Date of Commissioning
September 6 - November 21 Christ the King Sunday
November 29 - March 6 The Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 7 - May 22 Trinity Sunday

The Chorister Training Program of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Lakewood, Ohio
Associated with the American School of Church Music
& the Royal School of Church Music

Level One: Light Blue

Voice Class

Choir room opens Mondays at 6:40 p.m.

Choristers who arrive early benefit from one-on-one and small group attention from the director. This is useful for a Beginner learning the basics of music, a Novice preparing to earn his or her RSCM medal, and Choristers who are continuing their musical development. Voice Class is a wonderful time for Choristers to be role models for Beginners. Everyone is encouraged to attend as often as possible. Novices are required to attend at least three times before earning their RSCM medal.

Care of Music and Vestments

Music

Choristers are expected to keep track of their music and keep it in good condition. Music should be marked lightly in pencil only. Choristers will be billed for missing or damaged music. Music should not be taken home except with the permission of the director.

All choristers should have a Hymnal 1982 at home. Choristers who do not own a copy may purchase their own or borrow a red Hymnbook 1982 from the choir room. (This edition contains the same hymns as the Hymnal with their accompaniments).

Vestments

Each chorister is assigned a red cassock. The cassock should be placed on a hanger with the top button closed and hung in the vestment closet. Choristers with cottas should hang the cotta on a separate hanger. Please notify the director if your cassock does not fit properly. (Cottas are all the same size).

Royal School of Church Music medals are part of the vestment and should not be taken home. Those choristers who have earned RSCM medals should wear them at every service with the exception of Good Friday.

Punctuality

Be on time to Monday evening rehearsal (6:59 p.m.)

It is very important for choristers to arrive on time but arriving at the time rehearsal begins means you are late! Choristers must be seated with music and a pencil before rehearsal begins. When a chorister is tardy for rehearsal, he or she should give an explanation to the director immediately after rehearsal is over (but please do not interrupt the rehearsal!). Chronic tardiness affects the morale of the choir and will require discussion with both directors.

Be on time to Sunday morning rehearsal (9:14 a.m.)

It is also very important to be on time on Sunday mornings. The choir room can become very crowded when both choirs rehearse together. If you are late on Sunday morning:

Don’t be late! Being late is:

A guaranteed way to be on time:

Punctuality is a part of every level of the Chorister Training Program: Beginner, Novice and Chorister. Like our singing, being on time is something we must practice. Just as they must learn to sing in tune, musicians must also learn to be on time.

Dress and Behavior for Services

It is important that certain standards of dress and behavior be followed for services so that we lead the congregation as a group and not as individuals.

Dress Shoes

Shoes should be dark navy, brown or black. Tennis shoes may not be worn unless they are all black. Sandals should not be worn. Platform or high-heeled shoes are not allowed.

Blue Jeans

Blue jeans should not show beneath the cassock. If they are worn to church, they must be rolled up, or taken off.

Mostly for girls

Earrings must not be large or dangle excessively. Hair accessories should be simple and not be large or stick out. Multi-colored, neon, or large bows should not be worn.

Food, Drink, and Gum

Food, drink, and gum chewing is never allowed in rehearsal or service. Choristers should never eat or drink (except water) while wearing their vestments.

Communion and general behavior

The principal service at St. Peter’s is the Holy Eucharist. Parents should discuss their child’s receiving communion prior to his or her first Eucharist. The Rector and Director of Music are available for consultation.

Choristers are highly visible leaders in the service. As such, they are expected to follow the liturgy and say and sing all responses with vitality. Unnecessary talking and note passing is not appropriate and, therefore, not permitted.

Extra Services and Rehearsals

All extra services are required attendance, unless excused in advance by the director.

St. Peter’s Music Kalendar

The official music department calendar can be accessed through the parish website (http://www.stpeterslakewood.org) or you may access the calendar directly: http://my.calendars.net/stpetersmusic

Evensongs
Advent Lessons and Carols
Weekday Services
Chorister Trip

Who are the Directors?

John M. Russell

John Russell is the Director of Music and Organist at St. Peter’s and is a Professor of Music at the College of Wooster. He studied organ at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and the Boston University School for the Arts. His principal teachers include Haskell Thomson and Max Miller in organ, Robert Fountain and James Cunningham in choral conducting, and Isolde Ahlgrim in harpsichord. Mr. Russell also studied at the Mozarteum Academy in Salzburg, Austria, where he studied organ with Josef Friedrich Doppelbauer. As harpsichordist and singer, Mr. Russell toured Soviet Union with the Oberlin College Choir. He undertook advanced studies in organ and choral conducting at Clare and King's Colleges, Cambridge University, England, as a Visiting Associate Fellow of Clare Hall.

Mr. Russell has presented concerts at Middlebury College, Harvard University, Kenyon College, and Clare College in England. His organ recitals and choral concerts have been broadcast over 104.9 WCLV-FM in Cleveland, 89.7 WKSU-FM in Kent and other National Public Radio stations. As part of annual concert tours, he has conducted The Wooster Chorus in concert at Alice Tully Hall in New York City and twice at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Before coming to St. Peter’s, Mr. Russell was Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church, Wooster. He is a member of Cleveland Chapter, American Guild of Organists and frequently serves as adjudicator for AGO Young Artists' Competition in Organ Playing. In 1987 he was elected delegate to International Congress of Organists, Cambridge, England.

Noah Horn

Noah Horn was appointed Assistant Organist and Director of the St. Peter's Choristers in August of 2004. Mr. Horn will begin the third year of a five-year double-degree program at Oberlin College in the autumn. He is pursuing a B.A. in computer science as well as a B.Mus. in organ performance, studying with Professor David Boe. Noah, from Davenport, Iowa, is decended from a long line of church musicians and both of his parents are currently studying theology in preparation for ordination to the Episcopal priesthood.