Thank you for your interest in Christ Church's Royal School of Church Music VOICE for LIFE Chorister Program! This page includes a general overview of the program. For a more detailed program overview, please take a look at this Google Form, which will also allow you to enroll your child(ren) in the program. Please allow yourself about ten to fifteen minutes to fill out it out - Christ Church Director of Music Adam Detzner will be in touch with you shortly after you submit the form.

The leadership of Christ Church is delighted to announce the launch of our Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) VOICE for LIFE program. VOICE for LIFE is the RSCM’s acclaimed guide to training choirs and singers of all ages. This curriculum provides a framework for choral singers to develop their vocal skills and musicianship. 

Any girl or boy aged eight and above with an unchanged voice is welcome to participate. We assume no previous musical experience. There are no auditions, though the Director of Music would like to meet with each potential Chorister and a parent to get to know the child and assess social readiness to be part of a choir. 

Christ Church welcomes Choristers and families of all faiths and of no faith. Though we expect Choristers to participate in worship by singing, they are not expected to join the church nor take communion. A willingness to sing and be part of a community is all that is required!

As Choristers progress through the program, they earn colored ribbons indicating their progress (much like martial arts programs) Choristers are paid a small stipend for attending rehearsals and worship services. This stipend increases as they reach higher levels in the VOICE for LIFE curriculum. Choristers are given small deductions from their stipend for tardiness or forgetting their pencil. This stipend incentivizes commitment and discipline, and demonstrates to the Chorister the importance of their leadership of and contribution to the group.

During rehearsal, Choristers leave the Sanctuary to attend individual or small-group vocal coaching sessions with Christ Church's professional Vocal Coach, Dr. Madeline Miskie. This allows us to keep track of Choristers' individual vocal needs and make sure they are developing a reliable, healthy vocal technique. You can read more about our Vocal Coach on our staff page. 

​

Our program ends on Sunday, May 31, 2020, roughly aligning with the school year. 

Rehearsals are held Tuesday and Thursday evenings in New Brick. 

4:30 - 5:00 p.m.: Healthy snack, VOICE for LIFE workbook time, and music theory coaching.
5:00 - 6:00 p.m.: Rehearsal in the Choir Loft of New Brick.
6:00 - 6:30 p.m.: VOICE for LIFE workbook time, and music theory coaching.

​

(On the first Tuesdays and Thursdays of the month, dinner follows rehearsal at 6:00)

We ask that parents make appropriate arrangements to pick up their choristers promptly at 6:30 p.m.

Choristers must attend one of these two rehearsals each week, but are welcome to come to both. 

​

During rehearsals, a qualified vocal coach will pull Choristers out of rehearsal to work one-on-one or in small groups, and address their individual vocal needs. Adult volunteers will be present at all times, both in the large group rehearsal led by the Director of Music and in vocal coaching sessions. We warmly invite parents to volunteer with the program if they are able to do so.

​

Choristers sing at the 10:30 a.m. service on the first Sunday of the month (9:45 a.m. warm-up).
They also sing at Evensong at 5:00 p.m. on the third Sunday of the month (4:15 p.m. warm-up). 

​

Choristers will also take part in special seasonal services like Lessons and Carols, Christmas Eve, Holy Week services, and Easter Day. These dates and times will be announced as the program develops.

​

We ask that both you and your child(ren) commit to arriving slightly early to all worship services.

​

Christ Church will provide vestments and all musical materials, including VOICE for LIFE workbooks, ribbons and medals. We will ask that parents who are able to contribute to the cost of snacks and dinners to do so, at a cost of $5 per dinner.