Our Boys’ Choir and Girls’ Choir offer a rare opportunity for children to master a large body of complex music and perform weekly.  With strong support from the church and from parents, our children’s choir program continues to flourish in discipline, consistency, and excellence.
 
Extraordinary cultural opportunities await boy and girl choristers.  Our choristers have been invited to perform with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, under the baton of such luminaries as Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, Leonard Slatkin, and Christopher Hogwood.  We have toured in recent years to New York City, Philadelphia, and Williamsburg, Virginia.  Every two to three years the choirs record a professional CD on the higly-regarded Pro Organo label.  The newest, We Sing of God, will be available for purchase and internet download in Spring 2010. 

Singing in a good choir is much more than a typical after-school activity.  It is an exceptional educational opportunity, and can be an essential part of a child’s learning and development.  Here at St. Paul's, choristers are introduced to the world of great music: from classic hymns and Gregorian chants, to Renaissance motets in Latin, Bach in German, and great English cathedral music.  The Girls’ Choir sings each Sunday at the 9:00 a.m. Mass.  As Sunday draws to a close, the Choir of Men and Boys gathers to sing Evensong, a service of psalms, scripture and choral music, among the most prized gems our of Anglican choral and liturgical heritage. 

Great emphasis is give to music-reading skills, with each child receiving significant individual attention.  Alumni of St. Paul's boys' and girls' choirs leave as first-class musicians.  We offer a musical education similar to what children might receive as choristers of Westminster Abbey or St. Paul's Cathedral in London.  After several years in our choirs, boys and girls have highly-trained voices, refined skills of tuning and blend with other singers, and exceptional sight-reading abilities (the latter often surpassing that of many adult musicians).

A choir camp is typically held for several days in August, including rehearsals, services, and social activities.  Beyond our musical work together, we share many occasions of fun and fellowship, from movie outings to bowling and pizza.  Lifelong friends are made as choristers and as choir parents; carpools, sleepovers, daytrips, and parties, enriched by the wonder of making music together, encourage teamwork and bonding rarely found in other activities.  While many of our choir alumni go on to work as professional musicians, all of them leave with a broad understanding of musicianship and music-making.

Since few children, particularly boys, can envision the enjoyment and reward of a choir experience, parental initiative and involvement is critical when considering membership.  Parents will find a network of support awaiting them, including carpooling from many locations in the Washington, D.C. area.  In addition, St. Paul's is easily reachable from the Foggy Bottom Metro stop.

Children may enter the choir at any time.  Please phone or email the director of music, Mr. Robert McCormick (202-337-2020, ext. 14, McCormick@stpauls-kst.com) for further information, or to arrange an informal interview and audition.  Interested parents and their children are also invited to attend rehearsal or a service at any time.

No prior training or experience is expected of prospective choristers, nor need the families be affiliated with St. Paul’s or any other religious tradition.  Apart from minor incidentals relating to travel or social events, there is no tuition cost expected of parents, unlike many comparable professional children's choirs.  In fact, a small stipend is paid each chorister, based and leadership and performance, underscoring the seriousness of the commitment that has been made to the choir by each chorister.  Your commitment of time and energy balances St. Paul’s investment in the hundreds of teaching hours needed to make our choir thrive.  While the schedule may seem daunting at first, parents quickly find it becomes a manageable and incredibly worthwhile part of each week's activities, especially with the support available from other parents.