The Choir of St. Paul's
The Choir of St. Paul's includes The Chancel Choir (adults) and The Choir School (grades K - 12).
In St. Paul's intergenerational choir ministry, boys and girls join equally with teens and adults in offering music to the glory of God.
WHAT'S NEW WITH THE CHOIR OF ST. PAUL'S?
Music at St. Paul’s 2023-2024 Season
Announcing the 2023-2024 Sunday at 4pm Evensong Series and other festive choral services!
The Evensong Series includes services of Evensong, and also Advent Lessons and Carols and annual concerts: a Christmas Concert with the Choir of St. Paul’s, Choir School Concert, and the Marcia McCowin Concert, highlighting women composers and poets. The beautiful and uniquely Anglican service of Evensong (sung Evening prayer) draws on the ancient monastic offices of Vespers and Compline, and is centered on sung prayer and psalms.
Click here for the Music at St. Paul’s Spring 2024 Season poster.
Highlighting Women Composers at St. Paul’s
A great host of women bring the glad tidings. ~ Psalm 68:11b
St. Paul's continues to highlight a great host of women composers amidst the music offered in services and concerts. Keep ears, minds and hearts open especially for music of black women composers Margaret Bonds, Undine Smith Moore, Melanie DeMore and Florence Price; and other great women composers through the ages, from the chant of Kassia and Hildegard to German Romantic Fanny Hensel to contemporaries including Sarah MacDonald and Melissa Dunphy. St. Paul’s Director of Music, Susan Jane Matthews, coordinates www.greathostcomposers.org, a listing of sacred choral music by women for the church year. Read more about women composers you may hear at St. Paul’s in this survey.
The Chancel Choir
The Chancel Choir, a mixed volunteer choir with section leaders, sings a diverse repertoire ranging from chant, Renaissance and Baroque motets to Anglican anthems and newly composed sacred works. The Chancel Choir enriches the liturgy of the 10am Sunday Holy Eucharist, the Saturday Evensongs, and various additional liturgies including Advent Lessons and Carols, Christmas Eve and the services of Holy Week (mid-September through early June). Individual musicianship training is offered to members through a RSCM for adults program. See Choir of St. Paul’s paragraph at the bottom of the page for more information.
Rehearsals on Thursdays, 7-8:30pm
Click here for 2023-2024 calendar.
Interested in joining the choir?
Email St. Paul's Music Director, Dr. Susan Jane Matthews, or call 650.348.4811. Membership at St. Paul’s is not required to sing in the St. Paul's Choir.
The St. Paul's Choir School includes:
The St. Cecilia Choir (Grades K)
Weekly half-hour rehearsals help children find their natural singing voice and lay the groundwork for a life-long appreciation of music. The St. Cecilia Choir sings at the 10am Sunday Holy Eucharist several times throughout the choir season, and also at the Christmas Pageant, Choir School Concert, Easter Day, and services of Choral Evensong.
Rehearsals on Tuesdays, 4:45-5:30pm.
Click here for the 2023 -2024 calendar.
The St. Nicolas Choir (Grades 1-2)
Weekly rehearsals prepare singers for entry into the Choristers including further development of vocal skills, ear training and introduction to reading of musical notation. The St. Nicolas Choir sings at the 10am Sunday Holy Eucharist several times throughout the choir season, and also at the Christmas Pageant, Choir School Concert, Easter Day, and services of Choral Evensong.
Rehearsals on Tuesdays, 4:45-5:30pm.
Click here for the 2023-2024 calendar.
The Choristers (Grades 3 - 8)
Through the structured program of the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) Voice for Life training program, Choristers develop advanced vocal skills, musical understanding (theory and sight-singing), and knowledge of repertoire. The Choristers regularly join in singing soprano with the Chancel Choir at the Sunday 10am Holy Eucharist and at Choral Evensong, in addition to singing at the Christmas Eve Choral Eucharist, Annual Christmas Concert, and Choir School Concert. Choristers have the opportunity to attend RSCM summer courses and travel to festivals and residencies with the adults of the Chancel Choir as the Choir of St. Paul's. See paragraph at the bottom of the page for more information.
Rehearsals on Wednesdays, 4pm-4:45pm and Thursdays, 6:30pm-7:30pm
RSCM time: Wednesdays, 4:45pm-5:15pm
Click here for the 2023-2024 calendar.
The Teens (Grades 9 -12 and younger boys whose voices have changed)
Teen singers have the opportunity to further mature in their musicianship beyond the scope of the four RSCM ribbons, and to serve as mentors and leaders within the choir, while receiving small-group instruction focused on adapting to the vocal transitions during the teenage years for both boys and girls. Coaching is provided for special projects according to the singer’s interests including RSCM award exams, summer courses, solo work, conducting, and composition. During the choir season, the Teens sing weekly at the 10am Sunday Holy Eucharist with the Chancel Choir.
TB Teens
Rehearsals on Wednesdays, 5:15pm-6pm
Rehearsals on Thursdays, 7pm-8:30pm
SA Teens
Rehearsals on Wednesdays, 6pm-6:45pm
Rehearsals on Thursdays, 7-8:30pm
RSCM time for all Teens: Wednesdays, 4:45pm-5:15pm
Click here for the 2023-2024 calendar.
The Choir of St. Paul's
The Choir of St. Paul's draws together the adults of the Chancel Choir with the youth of the Choir School. This intergenerational choir sings at the weekly 10am Sunday Eucharist, quarterly 5pm Saturday Evensong, Advent Lessons and Carols, the annual Christmas concert, Christmas Eve, and the services of Holy Week and Easter Day.
The Choir of St. Paul's represented St. Paul's in a week-long residency at Gloucester Cathedral, England in July 2017, also singing concerts at Oxford University Church and Blenheim Palace. In the Bay Area, the Choir of St. Paul’s has performed at Grace Cathedral, the Candy Store, the Carolands, on Burlingame Avenue, and in the summer concert series at Stanford University Memorial Church. In October 2017, young women of the Choir of St. Paul’s joined with the Men of the Grace Cathedral Choir, San Francisco to sing a Diocesan Eucharist. In May 2019, the Choir of St. Paul's hosted the first Three Choirs Festival West with the Choir of Trinity Cathedral, Portland, Oregon and the Choir of Men and Boys of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco.
The Choir of St. Paul’s was in residence at Wells Cathedral, England in July 2022, singing seven choral services, also concerts at Berkeley Castle and Wells Bishop’s Palace.
