The children’s choir at St Oswald’s church in Durham has been running for a few years now, and offers children aged up to 12 the chance not just to sing, but to learn more about music in a fun, relaxed way. The church’s new organist David Harris, has ambitious and exciting plans for the choir, drawing on his experience training choristers at Portsmouth cathedral; the children are starting to work for their RSCM ribbons, and will join up more with the adult choir to sing with them, and to learn more about what church choirs do, and why.
The choir get together every Sunday morning from 9.30-10.15 am in St Oswald’s Church, followed by juice and biscuits. The choir is open to all children, and is completely free of charge; there are no auditions, and no previous musical knowledge is required – all that’s needed is willingness and enthusiasm. There’s no official lower age limit, but it’s best if children can read confidently. There’s no requirement for any regular church-going either – the children take part in a service just once or twice a term, and their contribution is always warmly appreciated by the congregation. Parents can stay and listen to the rehearsals, or just collect their children afterwards.
I joined my church choir when I was 9, because there was a programme for children, and it started me on a wonderful journey of singing – and I’m delighted that the same opportunities are still available to children in Durham today. My son has been going for a couple of years now, and he loves it – and I’ve learnt a few useful things myself while listening in on rehearsals.
If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with me, jane@musicdurham.co.uk or email David Harris dharris108@live.co.uk or just turn up on a Sunday morning at 9.30 to give it a try. Or if you’d like to see what they’re doing, the next time they’re singing in church is for Candlemas at 11am on 1 February.
