St Mary's Cathedral Choir, Sydney
Choir Scholarships 2011
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St Mary's Cathedral Choir is inviting applications from parents who wish to have their son considered for entry to the Cathedral Choir as a Probationer in 2011. Boys who are interested should be about 9 to 10 years old and should be expecting to enter Year 5 at school next year. Applicants do not need to have any previous musical experience. All choristers are trained in theory and practice of singing and in general musicianship as part of their education. Selection to join the choir is based on the quality of a boy's voice and his musical potential. All boys who apply must attend an audition. Auditions will be held in the second half of the year. A convenient time will be arranged for each applicant. Boys who are successful will be awarded a bursary to St. Mary's Cathedral College from the beginning of the 2011 school year. The bursary covers all standard school fees and is paid each year in which the boy remains a Treble in the choir. When a boy's voice changes, he will be offered a continuation of the scholarship to the end of High School, provided his performance during his years as a Treble has been satisfactory. The Cathedral College has splendid modern facilities on the Cathedral site and the choir activities are closely integrated with the Primary class program (therefore, the selected boys must attend the Cathedral College). Opportunities for training in wind and string instruments are now also provided as part of the college music program. Initially, new Probationers receive some of their training during school hours each day, but will also have pre-school practices at 8.00 a.m. on two days each week. Later in the year, boys also attend practice after school on Wednesday. On full admission to the choir they attend an additional practice with the full choir at 5.30 p.m. on Wednesdays. From Easter onwards, they rehearse at 9.30 a.m. each Sunday, before singing at the Solemn Mass at 10.30 a.m. The choir sings every Sunday, except during January and the middle Sunday of the midyear school holidays. The boys who enter the choir have a great many musical opportunities. As well as their regular performance in the Cathedral, opportunities for singing at other locations and functions within the Archdiocese and more widely in the city and beyond are accepted whenever possible. These events provide valuable educational experience as well as opportunity for personal development. If you would like your son to be auditioned for a place as a chorister in the Cathedral Choir, please complete an application form and return it as soon as possible. Interested parents who have other queries should telephone the Choir Director at 92200400 to make enquires. |