St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
Thursday, May 17, 2012
 
 
 
 
 
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Virginia Girls Choir

The Virginia Girls Choir is a community-wide choir for girls in grades 4-11. Choir members participate in Sunday worship twice a month, a weekly Evensong service, concerts and special appearances, trips and tours. Girls also earn stipends and college scholarships.
 
No prior musical training is required--we are looking for girls who love to sing!
 
Please contact Dan Moriarty to make an appointment (288-2867).
 
 
In their own words: members of the Virginia Girls Choir explain their experience singing in the choir
 
 
The Virginia Girls Choir
 
Virginia Girls Choir at the Bishop's Chapel at RoslynThe Virginia Girls Choir, founded at St. Stephen's in 2008, is an auditioned group of girls in grades four through ten who come from across the greater Richmond area. The girls work to sing with spirit and understanding in a variety of musical styles, with the music of the Anglican tradition taking pride of place in their repertoire. They have performed under the direction of noted choir trainer Dr. Barry Rose, and have performed with recording artist and composer Ana Hernández. Their director is Dan Moriarty.
 
At St. Stephen’s, the choir sings Evensong every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., and on alternating Sundays at the 9 a.m. service. The choir also performs for civic events in the greater Richmond community and beyond. In June the choir gave concerts at Chester Presbyterian Church, River Road Church, Baptist, and at Shrine Mont in Orkney Springs, as well as for services at Epiphany Church in Danville, and Washington National Cathedral. Past tours included performances in Williamsburg, Philadelphia and New York.
 
The choir released their first CD in 2010, a Christmas recording made in collaboration with Ana Hernández, called “An Unexpected Christmas”. With sixteen original arrangements of familiar carols, as well as several new tunes, the CD received airplay in both the U.S. and Canada, and led to appearances on Lite 98’s “Wake Up Show” with Bill Bevins and Shelly Perkins, and WCVE’s “Virginia Currents” TV show with May-Lily Lee. 
 
The choir has been invited to sing at Lincoln Cathedral in the UK in the summer of 2012, providing that adequate funds can be raised for their travel.
 
While singing in a choir of great renown is, by its nature, a reward, choristers grow in confidence, poise, self-esteem, collegiality, as well as gain deep awareness and appreciation for the disciplined study of poetry, music and the arts.  To support the sense in which the founding members of the Virginia Girls Choir understand professional commitment and skill, each girl earns a monthly stipend, as well as a modest scholarship in her name to be placed in a college fund and presented to her at the end of her time in the choir.
 
While the choir is in residence at St. Stephen’s Church, choir members come from every part of the city. Some are St. Stephen’s parishioners, though many choir families come from other faith traditions and congregations.