Join Our Choir School

A series of workshops designed to deepen your understanding and appreciation of music

In this message, Ian Cunningham reflects on the exciting opportunities ahead for the All Saints Choir School. He shares his personal connection to the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) and highlights upcoming events and programs that will inspire and enrich choristers and their families.

From Ian Cunningham

I had hoped to share a few words at the Choir School Kickoff in August, but we decided that I could write a short message to the church and all those in the "Choir School Family."

When I first heard that All Saints was finally becoming associated with the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) and adopting the Voice for Life® curriculum, it was a dream come true.

I spent my first few years at All Saints evangelizing about RSCM, since Voice for Life® was the first pillar of my music education. I later attended the nation's largest RSCM choir residency—an intensive choir camp for young singers—eleven times. The course was held at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Started in the 1990s, it took place yearly until 2019. I attended this choir residency five times as a chorister and then another six as a staff member. It was an integral part of my young adulthood, and I made lasting friendships and connections with vocalists, organists, and conductors from around the country during my time there.

The weeklong camp I attended at King's no longer exists, but some of the alumni formed a new one. In 2022, this new camp began: the RSCM Midwest America Summer Choral Residency at Indiana's University of Evansville. Its registration recently opened for July 21–27, 2025. I am joining the residential staff there this coming summer, and I hope, through this program, to finally introduce my children, Poppy and Soren, to some of the most notable musicians in the country. All of our All Saints Choir School choristers aged 10 and up will have that same incredible opportunity.

There is also a weekend event in Nashville on March 22–23, 2025, roughly halfway between here and Indianapolis, which would work well as a stepping stone for curious choristers and their families. The 26th Annual Cathedral Chorister Festival at Christ Church Cathedral is a two-day event that will allow choristers to work with musicians from across the nation. On Saturday, choristers will rehearse in preparation for a Sunday morning service and evensong the following day. We already have choristers signed up, and we would love for more to join.

All this is to say that Maggie and Brad, bringing us into the arms of this global community, is a gift! The free workshops provided by the Choir School are priceless. The special services the choirs sing—the upcoming Contemplative Evensong on February 5, the Lessons and Carols of Creation later this spring, the Service of Remembrance every November, and the yearly Advent Lessons and Carols in December—are gorgeous and memorable events.

The All Saints Choir School programs have always been something special for the Birmingham area, but all of these upcoming opportunities to sing, learn, and travel are a gateway to unforgettable experiences in the music world at large.

Attached at the bottom are a few highlights from some of my favorite years at RSCM's King's course, 2009 and 2011.

There aren't many visual or audio recordings, but here are a couple of resources:

VIDEO FROM 2013

AUDIO FILES

All of these opportunities are open to any young person. Our choirs and music programs are open to any child in the community, and any of our choristers have the opportunity to register for RSCM choral programs as well as the Nashville Choral Festival in March.

Ian Cunningham

___________________________

We thank Ian for his insight and passion for our Choir School and the opportunities available to our youth! To register for a choir in the All Saints Choir School, or to find our more about our choirs, check out our WEBPAGE. Contact Maggie Gill at mgill@allsaintsbhm.org to find out more, or to receive links to sign up for the following events that Ian spoke about:

March 22-23 will be the 26th Annual Cathedral Chorister Festival

Christ Church Cathedral, Nashville, TN

*Contact Maggie Gill (mgill@allsaintsbhm.org) by February 20 if you are interested in this event

Saturday, March 22, 2025 | Workshop and Rehearsal day

Sunday, March 23, 2025 | 11:15 AM Holy Eucharist & 4:00 PM Choral Evensong (all participating choristers sing these two services)

Guest Director Maxine Thévenot, from the Cathedral in Albuquerque

*To see last year's Evensong from this event CLICK HERE

July 21-27, 2025 RSCM Midwest in Evansville, IN

This seven-day immersive choral experience is an RSCM America Summer Choral Residency for children age 10+ and adult singers.

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More Announcements

Adult Confirmation Classes Begin Feb. 23

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Are you an adult interested in preparing for confirmation, reception, or reaffirmation of your faith at the bishop’s visit on May 11? Are you interested in an introduction to the Episcopal tradition or a “refresher”? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, please join us at 9:45am on Sunday, February 23, in the Great Hall. If you have questions or to let us know you want to be a part of these classes, please contact The Rev. Brad Landry ( blandry@allsaintsbhm.org ) or The Rev. Cindy Carter ( ccarter@allsaintsbhm.org ). All are welcome!

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Meals for EYC/Youth

January 23, 2025

Our youth program needs your help providing meals for Sunday school breakfast and then for dinner on Sunday evenings. You can cook or bring anything you think would be enjoyable to eat for our youth. Breakfast should serve approximately 10-20 people, Sunday school begins at 9:45am. Dinners should be provided for around 20-30 people. Check with Grace below for specific dinner times. SIGN UP to serve breakfast SIGN UP to serve dinner For more information, contact our Director of Youth Ministries, Grace Turner ( gturner@allsaintsbhm.org ).

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January 7, 2025

Your help is like syrup on a pancake - essential and oh-so-sweet! We need supplies, food and workers for our annual "Shrove Tuesday & Pancake Supper" which is Tuesday is March 4, 5:30pm-7:00pm! Your help is greatly appreciated! We will have to-go boxes available for those who wish to use them. The meal will cost $8 per person or $25 per family, and all proceeds will benefit our youth programs . Please bring all supplies to the Great Hall. Burning of Palms: If you have saved any palms from last year, please bring them this evening. After dinner, we will burn last year's palms to use in our Ash Wednesday service. More about this evening: Shrove Tuesday, also know as "Pancake Tuesday" or "Pancake Day" is the final day before the 40-day period of Lent begins. Its name comes from the Germanic-Old English word “shrive,” meaning absolve, and it is the last day of the liturgical season historically known as Shrovetide. Because it comes directly before Lent, a season of fasting and penitence, this was the day that Christians would go to be “shriven” by their confessor. Shrove Tuesday also became a day for pre-fasting indulgence. In particular, the need to use up rich ingredients such as butter, milk, sugar and eggs before Lent gave rise to the tradition of eating pancakes on this day. On Shrove Tuesday, we also burn the palms distributed during the previous year's Palm Sunday liturgies to make the ashes used during the services held on the very next day, Ash Wednesday, February 14.

Ash Wednesday

January 6, 2025

Ash Wednesday is Wednesday, March 5! Services will be at 12:00pm & 6:00pm ( +Live Stream ) . The nursery will be available for infants - 6 years old. Falling six and half weeks before Easter, this will mark the beginning of the forty days of Lent in preparation for Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. The ashes are a sign of penitence and a reminder of mortality, and may be imposed with the sign of the cross. The Ash Wednesday service is one of the Proper Liturgies for Special Days in the BCP (p. 264). Imposition of ashes at the Ash Wednesday service is optional.

Donate Altar Flowers

By bwallace • December 24, 2024

Altar Flower Memorials You are invited to donate altar flower arrangements to honor, remember, or give thanks for someone special. These arrangements can be dedicated in honor of a loved one, in memory of someone who has passed, or in thanksgiving for a particular blessing or person in your life. Each memorial dedication will be acknowledged in the bulletin for that week, ensuring your tribute is shared with the congregation. Flowers are $100.00 and checks should be made out to All Saints Episcopal Church. If you are ordering flowers and would like to dedicate them in honor, memory or in thanksgiving for someone, please indicate what you would like for the dedication to say. If there is no dedication filled in we will assume they should be dedicated “to the Glory of God." The flower guild can create your arrangement but if you would like to order them from the florist we will honor that request. Please comment that you are using a florist and contact Mountain Brook Florist or Dorothy McDaniel's directly. With questions, contact office@allsaintsbhm.org or allsaintshwdflowerguild@gmail.com