The SCJ Children’s choir was established in 2017 after consultation with the members of the Schola Cantorum Jubilate. It aims at giving children an understanding of choral music as well as an appreciation to some great choral works. This, being done while taking into consideration the children’s ages varying from 8, all the way to 12.
Children are given tutorship regarding vocal technique, music notation and musical interpretation. In fact, the sessions are mainly characterised by singing, clapping and vocal exercises. The children love it. Everyone finds a way of joining in with the rest of the choristers in their own unique way. It is a quality shared by all choristers and it keeps the choir going.
The choir premiered on the 28th December 2017 during the ‘Sing Noël’ concert in which they sung ‘The Little Shepherd Boy’ as well as ‘Can you count the stars?’ The latter, being sang together with the Schola Cantorum Jubilate. This new concept was much loved by the audience. And more young children asked to join though they need to wait till the next call for new choristers. However, prior this unveiling the choir did a small concert of their own in front of their own parents a few months after the choir’s establishment.
Marouska Attard manages the choir as the conductor. Apart from being the conductor of the main choir she has spent her career teaching music to young children. Joining her is Amy Rapa who is the pianist. Amy started collaborating with SCJ since May 2016 in the first edition of ‘Blooming…afternoon tea with SCJ’ concert. Now, she is aiding Marouska in the Children’s Choir session.
The SCJ Children’s Choir is looking forward for some exciting projects. Some include collaborations with the ‘Malta School of Music Young Singers’ conducted by Marouska herself. The future certainly looks promising and as time passes, the choristers are getting ever more enthusiastic.
The choir is currently made up of 25 choristers and there is no plan to stop with the addition of choristers. Any child between the age of 8 and 12 is encouraged to join the choir as the experience is rewarding. The worry was the lack of will by people out in the modern world to join choirs, but the SCJ Children’s Choir shows otherwise. Certainly, the art of choral music will never die out.
