Rye Parish Church Choir
The choir of the Parish Church consists of 20 boys and 10 men and is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music. It is also a member of the St. Nicholas Guild of the R.S.C.M. and one of only 28 choirs in England to be in the guild. The boys section is a demonstration choir for the new Choristers Training Scheme which has been recently launched by the R.S.C.M., and on Saturday, 5th February they gave a demonstration to over 160 choirmasters and clergy in Bexhill.
This demonstration took the form of a choir practice under the choirmaster and Head Chorister with the Vicar also taking part.
The boys choir is divided into four teams under team leaders, Richard Care, Peter and Tony Browne and Ian Hickmott. Over these teams are Kevin Williams, who is a Junior Head Chorister and David Johnson, who is the Senior Head Chorister. All of this the boys like and it encourages recruiting and gives a very lively interest to the choir. The choirmaster, Anthony Pape, is a guild adviser and it is his job together with the boys to tell, by means of demonstration and lectures, other choirmasters about this scheme. It is hoped by this that other choirs who do not find it easy to recruit new members, will now find this problem very much more simple.
On Wednesdays the boys choir practice is held. Intensive voice training is given and there is a special class for the young new recruits to the choir.
At the Friday rehearsal in addition to the boys the Gentlemen of the choir come along and rehearse for the Sunday Services and any future engagements.
Although there are a healthy number in the choir room can always be found for more and all interested are welcomed.
From “Rye’s Own” April Issue 1966
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