Sacred music has played an integral role at St. Paul’s Parish since its establishment in 1866. St. Paul’s has long been noted for fine organ and choral music, carefully framed in the glories of a high Anglican liturgy, that contributes richly to the spiritual and cultural life of its larger community. St. Paul’s Parish gave the city of Washington DC its first “choral service” with a vested choir of men and boys. Organist Edgar Priest left St. Paul’s in 1911 to become the first organist of Washington Cathedral, taking several choristers to establish the national church’s famous boys’ choir. The debt was later repaid with the appointment of Paul Callaway, Organist Emeritus of the Cathedral, as Music Director at St. Paul’s from 1979 to 1985. The Schoenstein organ installed in 1996 provides a magnificent accompaniment to both choral and congregational singing.

With its beauty and excellent acoustics, St. Paul’s nave is a frequent venue for many notable performances of choral music and chamber music. St. Paul’s supports three excellent choirs; but the most important choir at every service is the congregation itself. Every few years the choirs record a professional CD, most recently We Sing of God, released in June 2010 on the Pro Organo label.

The Parish Choir, consisting of professional and volunteer adult singers, sings at both the 9:00 am Sung Mass and the 11:15 am Solemn Mass every Sunday. The Parish Choir also sings at numerous Holy Day, Holy Week and special Masses and Liturgies, and at other events throughout the year.

The Youth Choir is for boys with changed voices. The choir usually rehearses on Tuesday evenings, and sings for occasional Masses and other special services. The boys of the choir are, in most cases, alumni of our boys’ choir (though inquiries from other high school aged boys are welcomed).

The Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs offer a rare opportunity for children to master a large body of music while performing weekly at a professional level. The choirs are two of the Washington, D.C. area’s most highly respected choral music programs and offer professional training in music—both voice and music-reading—for children aged seven and above, at no expense to parents. Our choirs are modeled on, and sing at a comparable standard to, famous English choirs such as that of Westminster Abbey. The choirs regularly undertake tours, in recent years to New York City, Philadelphia, and Williamsburg, Virginia, and have appeared at the Kennedy Center. Click here to read the 2011-2012 information brochure on the children’s choirs (Adobe Acrobat Reader required).

We teach more than just music skills; our training can be an essential part of the whole formation of a child. Each boy and girl receives significant individual attention in a stimulating, challenging, yet fun environment. Leadership skills are an important part of our program; the wide range of ages (7-14 for boys, 7-18 for girls) encourages teamwork as the younger children learn from older choristers. Field trips, choir parties, and tours foster bonding and strong friendships.

Children may join at any time. No prior training or experience is expected or required, and there are no expenses or tuition fees; in fact, a small stipend, based on leadership and performance, is paid each chorister, underscoring the seriousness of the commitment to choir. Children of any religious affiliation, or no affiliation, are warmly welcomed.

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-GWU Metro stop.

The Girls’ Choir rehearses Thursdays from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. and sings Sunday Mass, with adults from the Parish Choir, from 8:30 - 10:15 a.m. The Boys’ Choir rehearses Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 4:40 - 6:10 p.m. (each chorister chooses two of three) and sings Sunday Evensong, with skilled men (both professional and volunteer) as part of the Choir of Men and Boys, from 4:45 - 7:00 p.m.

For more information on any of the choirs, or about music at St. Paul’s, please contact the Music Director, Robert McCormick, at McCormick@stpauls-kst.com or 202-337-2020, ext. 14.

“St. Paul’s is blessed with one of the leading choral programmes in US. It deserves every support from the larger musical community, not least because it aspires to make a positive, and often life-long, impact on the lives of those engaged in its ministry.  To be a chorister is to see the world through the beauty of compositions written by some of the greatest creative minds of earlier centuries and thus be part of a living history. Personally, I can't imagine anything more exciting.” — Iain Quinn, Director of Music and College Tutor at the College of St. Hild and St. Bede, Durham, England.