Welcome to our Choir
Music is central to our worshiping and community life here at St James’s and we deeply value the contribution it makes to our services, as well as the difference it can make to people in our local community.
We welcome anyone who wants to come and sing into our ranks and will work with them to achieve the best from their voice. Children are welcome from 7 years old, but we equally welcome new members to our ranks from among the recently retired!
Singing is a great way to meet people, learn new skills and keep your mind active!
Steven Blomfield, composer, teacher and musician, is a our choirmaster at St James. He works alongside our director of music and organist, Paul Siddall, to put together our music for services and other events. He is reponsible for leading and training the choir. Steven is also availible for private lessons in voice, piano and guitar for those intrested in further tuition.
Our choir members follow the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) Voice for Life programme. The scheme is used in cathedrals and mong many leading choirs around the country. Each level encourages the singer to develop their skills and recognises the progress they have made.
There are 5 main levels, progressing from white through to yellow, with three special levels for those who have completed the initial programme.
Scholarships for Choirister
We love our town, and we love living by the sea, but we lament that there isn’t always the oppotunities we might wish there to be for our young people. In response to this, and through the generosity of local people, we aim to award 5 scholarships each year to young members of our choir so that they might meet the costs of a musical eduction.
In exchange for these awards, the young people agree to share their developing skills with us by being part of our choir. The awards are enough to meet the costs of a weekly music lesson, and there is no restriction in what instrument this might be. Our only stipulation, alongside joining the choir, is that your music tuition follows a recognised grade system which cotains an appropriate amount of theory.
Those interested in finding our more should contact the vicar frjustin@stjamesclacton.org.uk or the choirmaster@stjamesclacton.org.uk
