ENGLAND 2011
On occasion the Parish Choir, Men and Boys Choir and Girls Choir combine to go to England to serve as choir-in-residence for one week in the summer at an Anglican cathedral. In 2003 the choirs went to Truro Cathedral in Cornwall. In 2007 the choir went to Lichfield Cathedral.
| In 2011 the choirs again went to England and spent a week at Wells Cathedral. During this week the choir sang the daily Evensong services as well as all the Sunday services. The singers rehearsed in the morning, took a day trip,and then returned in the afternoon for pre-service warm-up and Evensong. Since Choral Evensong is a regular part of the worship life of St. John’s Church, the choir did not have to prepare additional repertoire for these services but rather brought repertoire it has sung at St. John’s for this very special week. |
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The England trip is a time of service, education, spiritual growth and fellowship. Since British cathedrals are by law required to maintain a daily round of worship, the choir-in-residence allows the cathedral to continue its regular worship while its own choir has a break. This experience also allows the singers, especially the children, to experience for week the responsibility that the regular cathedral choristers experience throughout the year.
In addition, these trips are opportunities for education and spiritual growth. The day trips allow all the participants to experience our Anglican heritage first-hand as they explore sights of historical and religious interest. A trip is tentatively being contemplated for 2015. More information on this will be available by Christmas, 2012.
