Children's Choir

The children who are in the choir have two special gifts: the gift to sing and the gift to share. Each year, we work with them to develop choral technique, which will enhance their God-given ability to sing. When we sing as a choir, remember that we do not perform. We enhance liturgies, touch hearts, and serve God in our music ministry for our parish, our school, and our community.

Children Choir practices will be held in the Spiritual Center Auditorium from 4:30pm sharp until 5:45pm sharp on Wednesday evenings during the academic year. Please encourage your child to quietly and reverently enter and exit the church.

We will send cancellation notices for emergencies, inclement weather, etc., by email, so please watch your inbox. Of course, the decision to bring your child to choir or not is yours and will be respected. Safety is the highest priority for our choir families.

All choir members are expected to attend all practices and events, but we understand that life happens and that attendance is not always possible. This may be due to inclement weather, illness of your child, illness of you or a family member, too much homework, etc.

• If you will miss Mass, you are responsible for communicating this to the Choir Director as far in advance as possible, as it helps to know who will be singing and how many. Please extend this common courtesy by giving advance notice if you cannot participate in a Mass. Of course, this does not include last-minute illness.

• For a missed practice, it is not necessary to communicate this info to the Choir Director – you can, but it is not necessary.

Keep in mind that choir attendance benefits the child and helps them feel confident singing the music. Missing too many practices can make a child feel unsuccessful in learning the music, and we want the kids to feel successful. However, we know life happens, so if your child needs to miss practice, that’s fine.

Please plan to arrive half an hour before Masses and events to give your child enough time to get their robe and music, settle in, and warm up.

When picking up your child from choir rehearsal, please do so in the church lobby/vestibule. If someone other than the parent(s) or legal guardian will pick up the child, please notify the Choir Director in advance.

If you want your children to meet you outside the church, please sign the waiver included in the registration process.

• Cell phones can be brought to Masses or practice but must be muted.
• Children may bring bags, backpacks, or pocketbooks to practice or Masses. We will keep these under the child's chair on the risers.
• Water bottles may be brought to practice and Masses – it’s a good idea to label the bottle with your child’s name.
• Keep coats on the back of the child’s chair on the risers in the loft for practice. However, keep coats in the choir robe closet in the church hall for Masses.

We will collect a yearly fee of $35.00 per child/family during registration. If your family cannot afford the fee, please let the Choir Director know, and the church will cover it. This fee covers cleaning robes, necessary supplies, and music for the year.

Your child will be issued a choir robe that will be kept in the choir robe closet in the Spiritual Center Auditorium here at St. Paul Parish. All robes and collars must be hung and placed properly in the choir robe closet. We will clean robes and collars periodically. If a member's choir robe becomes excessively soiled, you are responsible for having it dry cleaned. Good care of the choir robes is necessary to be good stewards.

Your child will be issued a music binder. It will have their name on it, will be kept in the choir loft, and may not be taken home. If your child has a solo and needs to take music home, we will provide it along with practice videos. We will also email music packets home each month so families can keep the music at home as a reference for practice, if they wish.

Help from Choir Parents is always needed, and we’ll call these helpers Children’s Choir Angels! We'll need to coordinate these efforts. The children need help from a CCA before Mass to get their correct robe and collar, put them on, and then put them neatly back after Mass. In addition, a CCA is needed in the loft at each rehearsal to escort children to use the lavatory, if needed.

We will provide the calendar for the year upon registration. Email is the preferred way for parents to communicate with the Choir Director. Our Music Director, Ernie Andreoli, will be copied on all communications.

Reverence in church will be expected and encouraged.

1. How We Look: When we sing for Masses and events, please do NOT wear sneakers. Appropriate shoes are requested. Please keep in mind that the choir loft can get hot when the children sing up there and wear choir robes. Therefore, dressing lightly is highly recommended.
2. Eating before Mass: It’s a good idea to have your child eat a substantial breakfast on the morning that we sing. Your child may bring a water bottle to Mass - labeling it is a very good idea.
3. Bathroom Use: To reduce comings and goings in the loft during Mass, please have your child use the bathroom before coming up to the loft. Emergencies, however, are always granted an ok.
4. Arrival Time: Please plan to arrive at St. Paul’s one half hour before Mass begins. This will give your child enough time to calmly get their robe (robe closets are down in the Spiritual Center Auditorium near the bathrooms) and their music folder. Warm-ups and music review happen in the loft before Mass. Arriving late causes children distress - please allow enough time so that we have happy, calm children.
5. For Religious Ed Choir Members: Sunday PREP Students will be brought over to the church at 9:30am from their classes.
6. Meeting Your Child After Mass: You can pick up children at the choir robe area (down in the Spiritual Center near the bathrooms).