Christ Church Cathedral Ottawa | Anglican Church in Ottawa, ON

Last Thursday the men of the choir met together for the first time. It was such a joy to hear multiple voices making beautiful harmony in the Cathedral and I am looking forward to sharing the fruits of that rehearsal with everybody this Sunday. Over the last few months, many parishioners have been in touch to ask about when the boys are coming back.

Singing has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic and choirs all over the world have struggled to sustain their music and membership. Choir is a social activity where boys play together, learn from each other, and make beautiful music. Generations of young choristers have started their careers standing next to an older boy, learning to follow the score while immersed in singing.

Unfortunately, distancing, masks and sensible social restrictions prevent adopting our traditional approach to teaching boys. The social side of choir is almost eliminated and the experience of choral singing is transformed from a fun community activity to a more stressful solitary one. Seeing faces and mouths is fundamental to making friends, feeling welcome, following the music and learning how to sing. This is before we consider reasonable parental concerns about mixing groups in extra curricular activities in a population currently ineligible for vaccination.

In light of these challenges, the boys choir is currently operating in a limited way. Our remaining choristers from 2020 will continue to receive individual and small group lessons and plans include opportunities for them to contribute to the musical life of the Cathedral. During their absence we have appointed two soprano lay clerks who, alongside the girls choir (whose ages, unlike the boys, mean that they are nearly all eligible for vaccination), will provide the treble lines for our services.

Once the pandemic has lifted sufficiently, we will rebuild the boys choir. With the support of the clergy, staff and community we will recruit new boys and bring back the unique and precious sound of a boy treble line. In the meantime, I will be working hard with all the dedicated musicians who serve this place to bring the most beautiful music we can to our worship.

Last spring, the Bishop launched the Shape of Parish Ministry Consultation (SPMC) with the following words: What are the shapes of parish ministry that God is calling our diocese to explore? What dreams would God have us dream together? Where is God calling us to be, and where are we called to invest the resources which have been entrusted to us? These are important questions, and we are seeking to answer them together, as a Bishop working with his clergy and people, through a process of gathering and sharing information, conversation, prayer, and collaborative decision-making.

We are currently in the first stage of the process, and, along with all the parishes in the Diocese, have been asked to answer five questions. This is an opportunity to reflect on our ministry over the past few years (including pre-COVID) and to discern what our future might hold. And now it is your turn to answer the following:

1. What is the single most important thing that the diocese should know about our parish/congregation?

2. What are the parish's ministry priorities, and how are these priorities lived out in our decisions and activities and the use of our resources?

3. In what ways does our parish/congregation serve the wider community? How are we engaged with the local community beyond our walls - outreach, events, partnerships?

4. What are the challenges to accomplishing the work we’ve identified above, in terms of finances, building status and human resources?

5. Are there ministry opportunities that we are aware of but not involved in? What would we need to engage in them?

There are several ways to share your input:

On Zoom: A one-hour Zoom will be held on Wednesday, September 22nd at 7 pm. Please email Jane Morris (janedougmorris@gmail.com) to receive the Zoom link.

In Person: Two one-hour sessions will be held on Sunday, September 26th, at 9.30 and 11.45 am. Please register here for these sessions, as you would a worship service.

By Email: Email your responses to the questions to Jane Morris by end of day, Sunday, September 26th.

By Phone: If you, or someone you know, would prefer to speak to someone over the phone, please contact Jane Morris to arrange a call (before Monday, September 27th)

Our Cathedral representatives will be interviewed by members of the SPMC Team on October 5th. Your participation will guide and feature at that interview, so please do contribute!

Thank you for your input and participation in this important work. Please contact Jane Morris if you have further questions.

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