Children’s Choirs
Rejoice and Sing!
Music is a manifestation of the human spirit… It’s greatest practitioners have conveyed to mankind things not possible to say in any other language.
Zoltan Kodaly
Children and Youth Choirs at St. David’s offer our young singers a quality musical education by incorporating the best elements of Kodaly pedagogy and Orff Schulwerk. Younger children learn to sing in true intervals and match pitch while they experience rhythm, tempo and dynamics in song and play. Experience with beat and rhythm prepares singers for playing accompaniments on unpitched instruments (like drum and claves) and tuned instruments (like xylophone and glockenspiel). Older children and youth develop their singing voices, and translate songs to solfege (do-re-mi) and learn to sing form musical notation. Repetoire includes folk songs, classical anthems, traditional hymns, spirituals and contemporary worship music.
What the Choir Experience Offers
Music makes you smarter
There is overwhelming evidence that music does more than teach children to sing. Research has consistently shown that regular exposure to music results in higher standardized test scores. Music education leads to a better understanding of math and a larger vocabulary. Making music together helps a young child with social, motor and memory development. Music is history, geography, foreign languages, literature and math all rolled into one.
Music Sings Our Faith
Children often find a profound and meaningful religious education in church choir. Scripture in song may be kept in music memory for life. In our musicals we learn stories and artistic interpretations of verses from the Bible. Choice of music follows the church calendar, enhancing our experience of liturgical seasons. The songs we learn for Christmas, Easter, Advent and Lent are music and lessons for the journey.
Music Builds Community
Children receive this life-long enrichment in an enjoyable, social and lively setting. We seek to provide our children the opportunity for a positive group experience. We want each child to know that their voice benefits the whole sound, and the sound of the whole group is a gift and a genuine contribution to our worshipping community.
Pre-K Music Readiness
This year is devoted to introducing 4-year-olds to songs and music games that will prepare them for singing in ensemble next year. Class meets for 30–40 minutes, starting at 6 p.m. Parents may attend with their child or stay close by for dismissal.
Cherub Choir
Children in Kindergarten and 1st grade meet from 6-7 p.m. for music education through fun and games; and singing, in preparation for performing at Sunday services. On these occasions, Cherubs will join older choirs for singing in the Historic Sanctuary and Bethell Hall.
Music & Movement Choir
Second and 3rd grades meet from 6-7 p.m. Teaching includes learning rhythms of speech and song, transferring these to Orff instruments. During the year we will learn also Solfege (do-re-mi) and corresponding Curwen handsigns, decoding and translating heard melodies and rhythms. Performing once a month in Bethell Hall with Cherub Choir and in Historic Sanctuary with Trebles.
Treble Choir
Grades 4–8 meet from 6-7 p.m. in Bethell Hall. This older group will work on beginning sight reading, writing musical notation, part-singing and vocal development. Singing in solfege will be a regular part of learning new music. Choir participates in worship and performing once or twice a month, Trebles will be singing hymns of the day, descants for hymns, anthems performed alone and with adult choir.
Read our Children’s Choir brochure. For more information, contact .
