Choired for sound - the church which once had just three choristers! (From Bournemouth Echo)

Choired for sound - the church which once had just three choristers!

7:16pm Monday 28th December 2009 in

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CHOIRMASTER David Coram admitted: “I didn’t think it would ever happen, to be honest.”

Last Christmas he reformed the choir for Bournemouth’s parish church, St Peter’s.

He had just three boys to start with, but thanks to his hard work and an appeal in the Echo, 13 boys and eight girls took their places to perform a Christmas Eve carol service this year.

They sang traditional favourites such as Away in a Manger and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen in front of a congregation of more than 400.

David’s wife Alice is the director for the new girls’ choir, and they do alternate weekends to the boys.

Cllr Dave Smith’s 11-year-old son Adam is one of two head choristers.

He said: “The choir has been a fantastic education for the boys.

“They’ve had a great year under David Coram’s excellent musical direction.

“They’ve had some fantastic days out singing, like the trip to St David’s Cathedral in Wales.”

David Coram’s target is to fill every chorister’s lectern place by July, when the choir will perform with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra during Bournemouth’s bicentenniary celebrations.

He walked over to a wall and pointed to a photograph on the wall of a 24-strong St Peter’s choir from 1978 and said: “This is what I want.”

He added: “Choristers have recently been on programmes like the X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent.

“I don’t think there has been as much interest in choirs as there is now.”