Information:
Hope Choir is part of the Religious Education program at First Unitarian Church and is open to all interested children ages 6 – 13, provided they are able to attend weekly rehearsals on a consistent basis. Children do not need prior musical experience or music-reading skills to join.
Auditions:
Children do not need to audition before joining the choir. If you would like to bring your child to our next rehearsal just to see what Hope Choir is like, you are welcome! After they attend their first rehearsal, each new child and his/her parent or guardian should meet briefly with the choir director to discuss the child’s musical skills and the demands of choir participation.
Rehearsals:
Hope Choir rehearses on Sunday mornings at 10:15 a.m. - between the church services at 9:00 and 11:00. Currently the choir uses the downstairs classroom C-2 in the RE wing of the building. Hope Choir practices on most Sundays during the regular church year (i.e. from September-May).
Performances:
Hope Choir performs in the sanctuary as part of the worship service several times a year. In addition, the choir occasionally sings for Family Chapel services. A major focus of fall rehearsals is preparing music for the Christmas Pageant, which takes place in mid-December. [NOTE – all children in the RE program play a part in putting on the Christmas Pageant for the congregation; singing in Hope Choir does not interfere with each child’s individual role in the pageant.] The choir begins rehearsing spring music in January and usually performs in the sanctuary two or three times in late spring.
Contact information:
Betsy Grimm-Howell has directed Hope Choir since its founding in 2007. She loves singing and working with children and tries to program a diverse selection of music that will appeal to all ages. You can contact Betsy at: (email hidden; JavaScript is required)
or by phone at 314-968-5417.