Music at St. Paul’s
St. Paul’s Church is fortunate to have a building with truly magnificent acoustics. The congregation makes full use of those acoustics in their hymn-singing and chanting. At a typical service at St. Paul’s the congregation may sing Gregorian Chant, Lutheran Chorales, Victorian Hymns, Negro Spirituals and Gospel music.
Music Director
Dr. David Farr is our Music Director and organist.
Choir
St. Paul’s choir is made up of fourteen Singers, including four paid section leaders. They rehearse Thursday evenings and sing every Sunday at the ten o’clock Choral Eucharist , and also on Holy Days and other special occasions. On the fourth Sunday of every month the choir sings Compline at eight o’clock p.m. The choir’s repertoire includes music from Gregorian Chant to modern Anglican, and includes Negro Spirituals and American Shape-note music. For major feast days, they normally sing a mass ordinary (Haydn and Mozart are favorites) with orchestral accompaniment.
Choir Membership
Choir membership is open by audition. Singers must have excellent sight-reading skills and be able to sing with a blended tone. Although some members of the choir sing both Sunday morning and Compline, others sing only at Sunday mornings or at the Compline service. In fact, some of the Compline singers are engaged in Sunday morning services elsewhere in the Bay Area. Call Dr. Farr to schedule an audition at the church office, 510-834-4314.
Compline
Since October of 2002 the choir of St. Paul’s has sung Compline on the fourth Sunday of every month at eight o'clock in the evening. The transcendent quality of the Gregorian Chant, along with the gothic beauty of St. Paul's Church bathed in candlelight, has made the service an oasis of peace in the lives of those who attend, both Christians and Non-Christians. The candles are lit at 7.50 and the church remains open for a half hour after the service ends (usually around 8.40). Click here for schedule.
Friends of Music at St. Paul’s
The Friends of Music at St.Paul’s is an organization that supports the music program at St. Paul’s. The Friends facilitate the production of concerts in the church and raise money to pay section leaders and instrumentalists.
