May 13, 2003 – Opportunities for camping and choral singing are bringing a well-traveled mainland college choir to St. Thomas and St. John this month.
From their camp base at Cinnamon Bay on St. John, the Chapel Singers of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, will make three forays to local congregations to share their musical gifts. The choir of 35 undergraduate students under the direction of John Rose will perform:
– A full choral concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, at St. Ursula's Episcopal Church in Cruz Bay. It's fund raiser for St. John Methodist Church, which is raising money to buy pews; admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children.
– A few psalm settings as part of the Erev Shabbat service at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 23, at the Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas, in Charlotte Amalie.
– A full choral concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 24, at St. Thomas Reformed Church, also in Charlotte Amalie. Admission is free for this performance.
The Chapel Singers' program in the Virgin Islands includes works by Trinity College Chapel composer-in-residence Robert Edward Smith, as well as by Benjamin Britten, S.S. Wesley, Michael Tippett, Gordon Jacob, Hans Leo Hassler, Mozart and Elgar.
In addition to conducting the choir, Rose, serves as Trinity College organist and director of chapel music. A noted concert and recording organist who has performed throughout the United States and abroad, he gave a recital at St. Thomas Reformed Church in 1997.
The choir, founded in 1825, was an all-male ensemble prior to the admission of women to Trinity College in 1968. It has been presented in England at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, Chichester Cathedral and Clare College at Cambridge. It has toured Italy and throughout the United States, having performed in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral last year.
Besides an active concert schedule, the choir provides music at Trinity College for academic convocations, as well as Sunday worship and special holiday services during the school year.
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