Music

Vocal Choirs for Adults

Saint Stephen’s Choir is for teen and adult singers with good sight-reading skills and voices which blend in proficient ensemble singing. It is supported by the presence of professional section leaders. Members of this choir assume the discipline of regular attendance at rehearsals and services. A simple audition/interview is required. This group typically sings Sunday mornings and for seasonal and special services throughout the year. Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings at 7:45 p.m. Saint Stephen’s Choir has made several recordings which have been broadcast locally and nationally. They have toured locally and made a trip to England where they sang in Salisbury and Canterbury Cathedrals. Please contact Dan Moriarty or Greg Vick for information.

Sanctuary is a group of 12 to 16 professional and semi-professional singers who offer the service of Compline each Sunday night throughout the year. The choir is auditioned. New singers are accepted into the choir as space becomes available. Sanctuary will release its first recording of Renaissance music in the fall.

St. Stephen’s Singers, a choir for all ages, meets at 8:15 a.m. on the last Sunday of the month. Come and bring your son or daughter. Section leaders assist volunteer singers in each vocal part, and the music selections are lovely without being too difficult. While no ongoing commitment or weeknight rehearsal is required, it is helpful for us to know if you plan to come. Please contact Dan Moriarty or Greg Vick for information.

Summer Choir: during the summer months, young and old alike are welcome to sing with St. Stephen’s Choir on a week-by-week basis. Rehearsals take place Sunday mornings, when you will join other guest singers and our regular choir members to learn a piece of music for the 10 a.m. service. No auditions, registration or sight-reading ability are required. Please contact Dan Moriarty or Greg Vick for information.

In addition to these choirs, Saint Stephen’s Choir is joined on occasion by guest singers for special performances. If you have choral experience but you are not able to commit to the choir on a regular basis, this opportunity is for you. Watch the Spirit and eSpirit for announcements, or contact Dan Moriarty or Greg Vick for information about participating.

Vocal Choirs for Children and Teens

The Palmer Hall Choir sings for weekly services in Palmer Hall Chapel. While most of the children are in grades two and three, older children also are welcome to sing in the choir which rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 5:15 until 6:00 p.m. and sings for services on Sunday mornings at 9:00. Contact Ashley Rotella for more information on this choir.

The Cherub Choir is for boys and girls in kindergarten and first grade. Rehearsals are held on Wednesdays from 6:15 until 6:45 p.m. Contact Ashley Rotella for more information.

The Virginia Girls Choir leads Evensong and sings at selected Sunday services and special events at church and throughout the community, and tours. The choir is composed of girls in grades four through high school. In 2010, they released “An Unexpected Christmas,” their first CD (available here or in the parish bookshop). In the summer of 2012, the choir toured the United Kingdom. This choir, which rehearses intensively, draws girls from throughout the greater Richmond area. Information about this exceptional choir and the audition process is available here, or from Dan Moriarty.

Bell Choirs

The Youth Bell Choir rehearses on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. The group rings a few times a year at the 9 a.m. service in Palmer Hall or at the 11:15 a.m. service. Please contact Greg Vick if you have questions about the Youth Bell Choir, or if your child is interested in ringing.

The Adult Bell Ensemble rehearses on Tuesdays nights from 6:15 until 7:15 p.m. They ring several times a year at the 11:15 a.m. service. Please contact Greg Vick if you have questions about the Adult Bell ensemble, or if you are interested in ringing.

Recordings
Sanctuary: Music from the Compline Service at St. Stephen’s Church
Sanctuary, an ensemble who sing Compline each week, released a CD of music for Compline in October 2012. Take home the Renaissance motets and sublime chant heard each week at Compline. You may purchase it here, or in the parish bookshop.

An Unexpected Christmas with the Virginia Girls Choir and Ana Hernández
The CD, released in 2010, is available in the parish bookshop (or online), and makes a wonderful gift that your family and friends will treasure.

St. Stephen's organ

Read about St. Stephen's organ here.

Music Contacts

Dan Moriarty, Director of Music, 288-2867, ext. 347

Greg Vick, Associate Director of Music, 288-2867, ext. 304

Ashley Rotella, Palmer Hall and Cherub Choir Director, 288-2867