• Boys and men singing in a rehearsal
    A memory from2019
  • Stella
    A memory from2023
  • Boy choristers processing down centre aisle during performance, with large audience on either side
    A memory from2017
  • Young boy chorister singing in red robe, with brass instrument in foreground
    A memory from2016
  • Choir camp 2017
    A memory from2017
  • Tuning fork
    A memory from2023
  • Boy choristers in red robes in a row, singing during concert
    A memory from2011
  • View of the Cathedral from the High Altar looking back down the Nave, with choir singing in choir stalls
    A memory from2017
  • Three boy choristers in choir stall, with service robes on, smiling at the camera
    A memory from2013
  • Nick at blackboard
    A memory from2023

Join
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We quickly learned that being a member of Capella Regalis means your child is part of an amazing and caring community that values not only the musical education of your son, but also the development of his character.

Gina Patterson, chorister parent

Join Capella Regalis and discover the joy of singing!

• Sign up for our Probationers Program to give your child one hour of free music training each week. You can learn more or sign up by attending a half-hour Probationers Program Information Session, or you can request a brief and friendly individual audition (which allows us to make an individual recommendation about which program would be most appropriate for your child).

• Capella Regalis is free for any child age 6+ in our programs. We welcome donations from families who are able to contribute, but there are no dues.

• No prior musical experience or religious affiliation is required. A willingness to learn and commitment to the choir schedule are the basic requirements for participation.

• We help to coordinate transportation (within HRM) to and from weekly rehearsals and services for choristers who otherwise would not be able to participate.  Our choristers hail from all areas of the Halifax peninsula as well as Bedford, Dartmouth, Eastern Passage, St Margaret’s Bay towns, Tantallon, and the South Shore.

• Capella Regalis is modeled on a centuries-old European tradition. In our Probationers Programs, choristers learn the basics of music literacy and discover the joy of singing. At the next level, our Senior Choirs offer the rare musical education of learning and singing new repertoire each week for our Choral Evensong services in the Cathedral Church of All Saints, Halifax. Choristers also perform concerts, tours, and recordings featuring music by Bach, Britten, Monteverdi, Palestrina, Tallis, and many other great composers, from the 10th century to contemporary works.

About our Probationers Programs

Our free, one-hour-a-week Boys Probationers Program (Fridays 4:00 - 5:00 pm) and Girls Probationers Program (Tuesdays 5:15 - 6:15 pm) allow new choristers to try the choir and learn music basics in a low-pressure environment. Probationers transition to the Senior Choirs (performance groups) on an individual basis only when ready.

About our Boys Senior Choir and Girls Senior Choir

Our free Senior Boys and Girls Choirs advance the musical and social growth of choristers through a disciplined approach to music studies. The result of this training for the children is access to some of the greatest music humankind has produced over the last eight centuries, including new repertoire that responds to and expands that heritage. Choristers in our Senior Choirs rehearse twice each week*, and sing Choral Evensong services, concerts, tours, and recordings in a September - June season.

* The Boys Senior Choir rehearses on Tuesdays and Fridays from 3:40-5 PM, and the Girls Senior Choir rehearses on Tuesdays and Fridays 5-6:15 PM. 

About our Young Men's Program

Our free Young Men’s Program gives teenage boys with changing voices a pre-professional music training within a mentorship-based framework to help them navigate the challenging journey to adulthood. Most of our Young Men are graduates of the Boys Senior Choir, and many go on to become paid singers in our Men's Choir. The Young Men rehearse once each week, sing in many services and performances, and participate in music outreach and mentorship initiatives.

How to join Capella Regalis

We accept choristers ages 6 – 13 throughout the year. You can learn more or sign up by attending a half-hour Probationers Program Information Session, or you can request a brief and friendly individual audition (which allows us to make an individual recommendation about which program would be most appropriate for your child).

Please use the sign-up buttons at the top of this page.

Our individual auditions are simple and friendly, and last approximately 10 minutes. You and your child will meet the choir directors. Your child will sing a song of their choosing (if they do not have a particular song in mind, we recommend O Canada or Happy Birthday). We will then do some pitch-matching and ear-training exercises. We are looking to gauge the child's level of interest in the program, ability to focus, and willingness to take direction. At the end of the audition, we will make a recommendation of which program to join, and answer any questions you may have.