Choir Loft Set Up
  • ejklemz
    Posts: 1
    Greetings!

    So my small-town historic church is undergoing some restorations/renovations in the next few years for the centennial anniversary of its consecration. I've succeeded in convincing the (dreaded) committee to take the carpet in the nave out and put literally anything else down, as well as the choir loft. Praise. The. Lord!

    With all this happening I'm taking the opportunity to organize things better. How do you seasoned directors set up your loft logistically? I'm quite new to this business and don't really have anything to compare to, and I feel like no matter where I put people it doesn't work and between the padded chairs I need to replace, the carpet, and the organ fan it's really difficult for anyone to hear each other. It's not a large loft, but not the smallest I've ever seen either. The organ console is massive and must be either on the back wall (where it is now) or in the center of the loft (where it used to be) because the wiring only stretches so far. I usually have an organist and anywhere from 3-10 people in choir. What do you do for kneeling, participation, etc?

    Has anyone found an ideal set up or are we all just suffering?

    Many thanks,
    Underqualified Music Director
  • Chant_Supremacist
    Posts: 228
    Imho: Of those two possible positions for the console, for as long as you have a separate director I would keep the organ at the back, with the organist facing towards the altar (assuming that this affords the organist a good view of the director and the altar, which is the basic rationale here). I would have a generous open space in the centre and towards the front of the loft where the choir gathers for singing, and seating to the right and left of that, ideally with men and women sitting separately as per TLS. Kneelers should be present of course but choir members should also understand that given their distinct role in worship they will not be able to participate in all the same postures at the exact same times as the congregation. With a choir of that size I wouldn't worry about risers.

    There have been a number of other threads on this topic you can search for. One of the basic principles that everyone seems to agree on is modularity, not having things that are so big and heavy or nailed down that they can't be moved around if circumstances suggest it.
    Thanked by 2MatthewRoth mmeladirectress
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,210
    Yeah.

    And if not (we have some open space, but when we have our full mixed choir, they don’t fit) don’t be afraid to put each section in rows, i.e. stand with plenty of time to start a piece at the right moment, make them move around, and do something like sopranos in front overlapping with altos, then tenors, then basses. Our loft is sort of an reversed L, with the bottom piece facing the street side. The men’s schola sits at the far end of the long part along the horizontal axis of the church. The organ console is in the center (facing the back, because the hose isn’t long enough to turn the console so that it faces the apse), the choir can have some sopranos sit to the organist’s left (and that’s where a quartet or quintet can fit) and then in the bottom part of this flipped L is where the choir otherwise sits and where our cabinets are found. I can draw some pictures later.
    Thanked by 2Chant_Supremacist mmeladirectress
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