St. Peter's, Stockton

ST PETER'S CHURCH CHOIR, STOCKTON ON TEES

Telephone: 01642 644549

E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Introduction
A strong and active choir has been in existence since St Peter's Church was dedicated in 1881.

Currently the choir consists of 13 sopranos, young people of school/college age, and over twenty men, comprising counter-tenors, tenors and basses. The men's choir covers a wide age range: teenagers who recently moved on from the boys' choir and older men, some whom have sung with the choir for 60+ years.

The main rehearsal for the choir is held every  Friday evening from 6.45 pm until 8.30pm. (men join the sopranos at 7.30 pm). A rehearsal for sopranos is held on a Sunday morning, during school term times, at 9.15 am prior to the 10.00am service.

Anthems and motets are sung at each of the two Sunday services and there are two settings to the Eucharist - by Malcom Archer and Christopher Tambling - which alternate weekly.

The choir's repertoire embraces a wide range of mainly English Church Music covering five centuries.

The choir also sing at special midweek holy day services throughout the year: e.g.. Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday. Ascension Day, St. Peter's Day, All Saints day.

Since the 1980's it has become a tradition for the choir to be involved in a bi-annual European singing trip. Such tours have enabled the choir to sing in some of the most famous cathedral and churches in Europe: e.g. Notre-Dame, Sacre Coeur, Chartres, Rheims, Strasburg, Lubeck, Haarlem.

Occasionally during the year the choir sings services in Durham Cathedral when the cathedral choristers are on holiday.

There is always a need to recruit young people for the soprano line in order to balance the consistently strong men's choir. A very short audition is necessary, simply to establish a young persons ability to pitch a note. There is not a requirement for prior singing experience.

Anyone interested in joining the choir should contact the choirmaster, George Barber, in church after one of the services, or by telephone or e-mail.