Girls from all over the country will come together this summer at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church (UMC), Houston, Texas, for the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) Gulf Coast Course for Girls. The young musicians, ages 10 through 18, will be immersed in a week of sacred music under the direction of world-class musicians and directors.
The training course choir will present one concert and lead four worship services at three different churches. The public is welcome to attend any of these opportunities to hear choral music. The schedule follows:
June 8. Wednesday. Evensong. 6 p.m. Christ the King Lutheran Church, 2353 Rice Blvd 77005.
June 10. Friday. Concert. 1 p.m. Crain Garden, first floor, main building, Methodist Hospital (6550 Fannin), Texas Medical Center 77030.
June 10. Friday. Evensong. 6 p.m. Christ Church Cathedral, 1117 Texas Avenue 77002.
June 11. Saturday. Compline. 9:15 p.m. Labyrinth on St. Paul’s Bankston Green, 5501 Main at Binz/Bissonnet 77004.
June 12. Sunday. Eucharist. 11:05 a.m. Gabriel Fauré Messe Basse for treble voices. St. Paul’s Sanctuary, 5501 Main at Binz/Bissonnet 77004.
The course clinicians are Dr. Paolo Bordignon, Director of Music and Organist for St. Paul’s; Dr. Giles Brightwall, Organist and Choirmaster for St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Houston; and Dr. Joseph Causby, Director of Music and Organist for St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, San Antonio.
Repertoire will include works by Couperin, Gibbons, Scott, Tomkins, Purcell, Archer, Hutto, Farrington, Goodall, Kaiser, Faure, and others.
RSCM - America is the United States branch of the Royal School of Church Music founded in England in 1927 by Sir Sydney Nicholson, Westminster Abbey organist. The goal of the organization is to uplift the spiritual life of its member communities through high quality choral music by providing musical education to singers through a structured choral music program and summer music courses. This is the tenth year that the Gulf Coast course has been based in Houston and the fourth hosted by St. Paul’s.
At 5501 Main Street, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church is a cathedral for Houston that embodies its diversity, inspires faith, and leads change for the common good of all peoples and communities. The modified English Gothic sanctuary is on the corner of Main and Binz/Bissonnet, across from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and within one block of both Museum District MetroRail stops. Free parking is available in two lots across Fannin Street from the church. Website: www.stpaulshouston.org
The accompanying photograph, taken at Rice University’s Bates Recital Hall, shows participants in the 2015 RSCM Gulf Coast Course, including male and adult vocalists who at times sang with the course participants. The medals on some of the young people have been earned through Royal School of Church Music course work.
