The music ministry at Christ & Holy Trinity is pleased to offer portions of the Voice for Life program to Elementary Choristers and Middle Choristers (children in grades 2 through 8). The following represents the scope of this outstanding program:

Voice for Life is a curriculum devised by RSCM America (Royal School of Church Music).  The overall goals of its use are twofold:
•    To improve the musicianship, vocal awareness and vocal health of the chorister.
•    Building on these principles, to positively enhance the sound and musical solidity of the choir as a whole.

The curriculum centers around four basic concentrations of study:
•    Vocal production – exercises which expand the vocal range, improve resonance and support proper breathing technique, while encouraging ease of singing.
•    Ear training – hearing and distinguishing pitches and intervals and realizing tonal relations.
•    Sight singing – exercises in reading notes on the page, correlating this to hearing and singing the intervallic and tonal relations (this ties into ear training).
•    Music theory – understanding and comprehension of musical notation.

Vocal production, ear training and sightsinging are all covered during small-group appointments, set adjacent to regular rehearsals both before and after. Music theory instruction is given through short homework assignments. These assignments are expected to be completed, as the next appointment is contingent upon their completion.

The small-group appointments occur every three to four weeks, depending on the rehearsal schedule. The meetings are approximately 15 minutes in duration and are comprised of two or three choristers. All Elementary and Middle Choristers are assigned times for this session. Such instruction is essential, both for the musicianship and confidence of the chorister, as well as to enhance and improve the social structure and community of the whole choir. The concepts are reinforced through the regular weekly rehearsals and are ultimately manifest in the music offerings on Sunday morning. Thus, Voice for Life is integral to the further success of the chorister program, as well as each individual chorister.

Please check the website for each new cycle of schedules. These will be available on this page of the website, as well as through email, one week before each cycle begins. This also will serve as a reminder to complete and hand in the homework packets for the music theory portion.

For more information, please go to www.rscmamerica.org, for a more detailed layout of the curriculum we are integrating and adapting.