Customary for the Choir
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Spirituality
At the heart of the music program at St. Peter's is a deep, sincere desire to present all that we do as a beautiful act of worship. Because we aid in leading the congregation's song to God, singing in the choir is a special calling and an honor. Music in the Church should always be, first and foremost, holy worship presented to God with reverence, humility, and excellence. When a choir is united in this effort, the Church is blessed, edified, and inspired. Another "key" to remember: Our choir experience will be all the more enhanced and enriched if singers take a few moments to read and absorb the magnificent texts that we sing, to truly have an awareness of their message.
Professionalism
In music ministry in the church it is absolutely paramount that we all are disciplined in our practices as well as professional in all of our dealings with each other. This goal of discipline and professionalism is not an end in itself, but rather is a natural outcome of the spiritual nature of singing in choir. It is our joy and responsibility to present before God our musical offerings in worship, with humble hearts and with thorough preparation beforehand. We want to bring before Him our most excellent efforts at every point in the process. It is our prayer that when we are faithful and diligent, God will truly bless our choir and make the work into joy, our songs into true praise, our voices into vehicles for His Holy Spirit.
Commitment
One of the most important parts of being in a choir is making a commitment. St. Peter's Adult Choir makes a commitment to offer our talent to God. As we all know, being a member of the choir is being on a team. We all must work together to make our music the most beautiful offering possible. Thus, consistent participation is critical. It is necessary that each choir member has excellent attendance at both rehearsals and services. Since music is an art that must be practiced and refined, every choir member has the responsibility to continually work to improve his or her talent at rehearsals and services. Please consider the importance of your commitment at St. Peter's as we build a music ministry that truly glorifies God and worships Him "in the beauty of holiness."
Attendance
Regular attendance is crucial for the success of any choir. When you join St. Peter's Adult Choir, you are making a commitment to be here consistently at both rehearsals and services; your director and fellow choir members are counting on you! This commitment must be seriously considered. If you are unsure what are acceptable and unacceptable reasons for not attending, please see the Choir Director.
The Eternal Question
"Can I sing with the choir if I have not rehearsed?" Most of our choir anthems are rehearsed at least four to six weeks in advance, to allow for the maximum amount of preparation time. If you miss the rehearsal before we sing an anthem, but have rehearsed it before in prior rehearsals, then yes, please sing with the choir that day. If you have been away from choir for a while, it puts the director in a very difficult position if you show up to sing an anthem you have not rehearsed. Why is this?
- To sight read an anthem minutes before worship does not meet the standard of musicianship that we strive to uphold at St. Peter's.
- It is not fair to the choir members who gave their time to rehearse if someone can just "walk in and sing on Sunday."
The exception to this is if the director specifically states beforehand that the anthem is one that we've sung before, or a "one rehearsal wonder" that would allow for last minute singers to join us.
If someone truly has a binding conflict and great difficulty with the rehearsal schedule, but sincerely wants to sing in St. Peter's choir, the director may be able to work out another time to teach choir parts so that singer is able to participate. (Keep in mind, however, that rehearsal with the full choir is best, because of the musical benefits of singing together and how this builds a sense of “community.”)
Even in music, silence is golden!
Choir members are asked to refrain from any extraneous activities that could distract your fellow choir members and the organist during hymn introductions or before and during an anthem is sung. Such activities include humming, talking, foot-tapping or correcting another member of the choir. If you must speak to your neighbor during worship, perhaps to ask a pertinent question, please keep it especially quiet and to a bare minimum. Remember, even if we are not fully visible, we ARE audible to the rest of the congregation! By following basic choir procedures, there should never be a need for distractions!
Timeliness
Please be prompt! The director tries very hard to start and end rehearsals on time. Let's show respect for each other's time by being prompt (or even slightly early!) for rehearsals, warm ups, and services.
Rehearsals: Thursdays, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
9:00 a.m. service warm up: 8:15 a.m.
11:15 a.m. service warm up: 10:45 a.m.
Sign-Out Book
The basic choir procedure is to sign out in advance when you know you are going to be absent, and to call or e-mail if something comes up suddenly. This is not only a courtesy to the director and to fellow choir members, but truly a necessity, as it affects the planning and scheduling of anthems and service music. The same applies if you will be late or have to leave early from rehearsals.
The Choir sign out book is very conveniently located in the Choir Vesting Room. Following this common procedure is very helpful to the director, and also communicates to everyone that you view your commitment to choir as a serious one.
Procession
Three main points to consider:
- If you are not in line to sing for the processional hymn, but come in later in the service, please plan to worship in the nave with the congregation that day, in order not to cause a distraction during worship.
- The moments before the procession begins are moments of reverence for everyone. Please maintain silence for the congregation as they pray and make their preparations for worship.
- The order of procession: For special seasonal services, such as Advent Lessons and Carols, an exact order of procession may be determined. Throughout the year, the number of choir members present at services naturally varies from Sunday to Sunday. A basic framework for the procession is desirable, but be prepared for any adjustments that may occur from time to time.
Music Scores and Choir Folders
Once an anthem has been sung, please immediately turn in your music that very same day. There is a special tray marked for this purpose. This is a tremendous help in the ongoing task of maintaining our choral library. Music that we are currently rehearsing is available in the center of the table in the Choir Vesting Room. New anthems are placed in the stackable trays on the right side of the table.
Remember, choir folders are church property, and out of necessity, will be cleaned out from time to time. You can help in this process by keeping your choir folder neat and current, and by placing service leaflets in the blue recycling bin in the Vesting Room. One last “gentle reminder”: please do not take other choir members’ folders or other belongings out of their choir cubbies. . .please be considerate!
Child Care
At the request of choir members, and potential choir members, St. Peter's will now offer child care during Thursday evening choir rehearsals. This will allow couples to sing together in choir, and it makes Thursdays a true "family outing", where adults can sing and the kids have fun with their friends at St. Peter's all at the same time!
Attire
Our requirements are very simple, but add much to the sense of unity and professionalism of our group. Choir members wear vestments in order that no one person stands out from another during worship ~ we are all united as one in Christ! For this same reason, choir members do not wear large crosses over their choir vestment; in addition, it is best for ladies not to wear any large accessories in their hair or any bold, distracting jewelry.
Gentlemen, please wear black or very dark shoes; Ladies, please wear black, closed-toe shoes with your vestment. There is a shoe caddy in the vesting room, if you would like to keep a pair of "choir shoes" at the church. Ladies, if desired, may wish to invest in a pair of "sanctuary slippers", which are black ballet slippers like the ones acolytes wear. Purses and other valuables may be secured in the locking cabinet in the Vesting Room during worship services.
Cologne
Please remember to keep cologne / perfume to a minimum, since fellow choir members may have sensitivities and allergies. We must be able to breathe to sing!
Vestments
Please take a few moments to ensure that your vestment is neatly hung on its hanger, so that that our vesting room may remain in good order. In addition, choir vestments should be washed (and ideally, pressed) from time to time. It is very common to perspire while wearing a layered vestment, and therefore it is best to wash them on a regular basis, in order to keep them “fresh”. Should your vestment become stained with makeup, wine, or other substance, it is best to take the vestment home that day to wash it. (Both parts of the choir vestment are machine washable).
Suggestions and Feedback
Of course, the director is interested in what you have to say! Feedback is good for everyone - and certainly welcomed. If you have thoughts you would like to share about the choir program, please feel free to schedule an appointment to speak with the director during regular office hours during the week (701.0664, ext. 28).
