Adult Choir

The adult Parish Choir strives to enliven our liturgy and worship with beautiful and well-prepared musical offerings. As an all-volunteer ensemble, our members represent a wide range of musical experience and knowledge, from novice to more seasoned singers. We rehearse each Thursday evening, September through May, with time off in the summer months. We provide musical leadership at the Sunday 10:30 service, as well as on feast days, during Holy Week, and the occasional Evensong. Our repertoire includes Renaissance motets, grand English anthems, American spirituals and songs, and selections from the modern sacred literature, including composers from Palestrina to Alice Parker, from C.H.H. Parry to Cecilia McDowall. Most importantly, we desire for our ministry to support parish mission with music that is transformational: to allow the Divine to transform the hearts of those who are the least or the most powerful, those who are poor in spirit, those who are rich in wealth, those who may need to hear the Gospel in an alternative language such as music.


If you are interested in becoming being a member of the Parish Choir, please contact David Houston, Associate for Music & Liturgy, at 301-864-8880 or by e-mail:  music@saeccp.org.

St Andrews Parish Choir Pilgrimage

 

Pilgrimage is not just going on a trip; it is reflecting on those who have come before. We always have a focus for our pilgrimage, to learn about a person of faith whose legacy continues to this day.  The pilgrimage deepens our connection to the church universal. Similarly, the learning of works of music from across continents and centuries connects us to the church across time and distance. We make a point of learning music connected to our specific destination. The pilgrimage begins well before the trip. There are months of preparation: learning the music; learning about the people and history of our destination; raising funds to allow broadest participation. The participation of non-choir members of the parish in pilgrimage with us, both in the preparation and the travel, is important. It is both exciting and humbling to take part in the ministry of an institution that has been present for millennia.

Salisbury 2023

The Choir Pilgrimage for Salisbury 2023, showing the face of Salisbury Cathedral over a flag of a white cross on a blue background symbolizing St. Andrew.

Four years after Norwich, the Parish Choir was in residency at Salisbury Cathedral in South West England for 5 Evensongs, 1 evening Mass, and the Sunday morning service (July 24-30). Our focus of study was George Herbert. You can read an account of our adventures and listen to selected pieces here.

The choir inside Salisbury cathedral
The exterior of Salisbury Cathedral

Norwich 2019

The Norwich 2019 Pilgrimage logo showing the tower of Norwich Cathedral against a flag of a white cross over a blue background, symbolizing St. Andrew's.

In the summer of 2019, the St. Andrew’s Parish Choir sang for a week in residence at Norwich Cathedral, singing Evensong six evenings and the Sunday morning service. Our focus for study and reflection was Julian of Norwich. Click on the links below to listen to recordings of three pieces sung by the choir at Norwich Cathedral.

Keep Watch, Dear Lord – Craig Phillips

 

Hark I Hear the Harps Eternal – arr. Alice Parker

 

The choir inside Norwich Cathedral
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