- The St Francis Choir
-
The
Choir of St Francis of
Assisi
in Welwyn Garden City was established in 1935 when the present church was
built, and
was a mixed choir of boys, girls, ladies and men.
In 1964, under Malcolm Warwick, it was changed to
boys and men only and became
a fully robed parish church choir. Since
then the choir has flourished under the
musical direction of Andrew Bruce, Richard
Harrison and Andrew Crookall. The current Choral Director is
Elizabeth Green and
the organist is Robin Coxon.
For young boys wishing to enjoy singing while learning the art of good vocal
production along with the opportunity
of developing musical talents in a disciplined
environment, this is an ideal way of starting which in turn can lead to
further
opportunities of singing in college chapel choirs when at university. These are
sought after positions as
Choral Scholars or Exhibitioners in respected musical
establishments and so many of the young men will have begun
their singing lives in
their local church choirs.
The boys were and still are
auditioned mostly from the local primary schools or join from the regular
congregation, as
do the men. The practice
of visiting cathedrals to sing services for a week in the summer holidays is an
important annual event, established over 30 years.
The choir sang in
Portsmouth
in 2005,
Exeter
in 2006 and Salisbury Cathedral in 2007. These
weeks are always eagerly anticipated as a time for dedicated teamwork, excellent
singing in beautiful buildings and enjoying the free time with extra summer
activities. The group self-caters in
suitable accommodation and home - cooked
food is provided by an equally dedicated team of cooks and helpers.
In 2008 the Choir Week will be in Christ Church Cathedral,
Oxford
.
There is currently a choir of
11 boys and 11 men to sing three morning services and two evening services on Sunday
each month. The boys practice 7 – 8pm
on Monday evenings and 7.30 – 9pm on Friday evenings.
The men practice 8.15 – 9.30pm on Friday evenings.
The choir welcomes interest
from new choristers – boys and men. If
your son or yourself would like to join this choir please contact Elizabeth Green on
01707 – 891828 or email to lizgreenlane@hotmail.com
November
2007
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