VISITING CHOIR IN AFTERNOON LAUNCHING SECOND SEASON OF COMMUNITY MUSIC SERIES

The Choir of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Fairfield Singing Choral Evensong, September 30, 5:00 p.m.

Preceded by Tea at 4:00 p.m.

Followed by 30 minute organ recital with video projection of the player

Played by Eric Eickhoff, Music Director, Westminster Presbyterian Church, West Hartford

Presented by Sacred Music at the Red Door

At St. John’s Episcopal Church

The St. Paul's Choir, Fairfield, Connecticut is a 50 voice choir consisting of treble boys and girls who sing together with an ensemble of skilled and carefully chosen adult altos, tenors, and basses. The boys and girls receive careful, systematic, and thorough training, and many study voice with one of the choir’s professional section leaders. This represents one Connecticut reinterpretation of the Anglican choral tradition, founded in the cathedrals and collegiate chapels of England, where choirs of boys and men have sung daily services for nearly a thousand years, chanting the psalms and singing a magnificent and ever expanding repertoire of anthems and canticles. 

Since 1996, the St. Paul’s choir has enjoyed an artistic relationship with the noted British choirmaster Barry Rose (formerly of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, and St. Alban’s and Guildford Cathedrals). Over the intervening years, the choir has come to be considered by many to be one of the outstanding choirs of its type in the United States.  In recent years the choir has sung at many of the principal churches in New York City and at Carnegie Hall, and treble members have appeared to critical acclaim in Yale Opera productions at the Shubert Theater in New Haven.  Since 1998, the choir has sung numerous services throughout the British Isles, specifically in the cathedrals in Norwich, Ely, St Albans, Exeter, Bristol, Edinburgh, and Durham.  In July, 2011, the choir was in residence at Hereford, Worcester, and Gloucester Cathedrals.  The choir also enjoys an ongoing artistic collaboration with The American Baroque Orchestra, directed by Mark Bailey.

Sacred Music at the Red Door is the music series of St. John’s Episcopal Church, launched last fall. The name of the series makes reference to the church’s front doors, with their traditional color of welcome and sanctuary. Says Peter Stoltzfus Berton, Artistic Director: “The series has helped to establish St. John's as a destination for those seeking musical refreshment and excellence, drawing on the existing strengths of the St. John’s Choirs, guest choirs and choir collaborations, the church’s noted architecture, location, exemplary Austin organ, and Anglican heritage. The three main elements provided by the series are: concerts, monthly evening worship (Evensong) with brief organ recitals, and enhanced Sunday morning worship on more occasions throughout the year (with special offerings with instruments, or formats like Lessons and Carols).” Berton is Music Director of St. John’s Church. He sees churches as “a unique resource for music in the Greater Hartford area also so capably served by other outstanding arts organizations. What churches can offer is an unapologetic and authentic setting for some of the world’s most profound and nourishing artistic creations.”

Other events in the Sacred Music at the Red Door series this Fall are:

Sunday October 21 at 5:00 p.m.  70 voices of the Combined choirs of St. John's Church and Trinity Church, Hartford sing Evensong in celebration of the 20^th  anniversary of the devastating fire which destroyed St. John’s fin 1992. A half-hour recital by Douglas Bruce, organ with Myriam Dickinson, flute follows (both artists are from Germany, performing as DUO MYDO).

Friday October 26 at 7:00 p.m. Pipescreams, A Halloween concert presented by the Greater Hartford Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. The music of dead composers by local keyboard wizards making mischief in a wacky, video-enhanced program. Treats to follow; costumes welcome! $5 suggested donation at the door.

Sunday November 4 at 5:00 p.m.  Candlelight Concert  Gabriel Fauré’s lyrical Requiem, and other works including the Fauré Cantique de Jean Racine and Bach’s Jesu, joy of man’s desiring form an evocative meditation on life and death in observance of All Saints Day and Veterans Day, featuring the Adult and Youth choirs of St. John's with organ and chamber orchestra. Preferred Seating $30; General admission $15; students and seniors $10. Two for one admission when you show your Lets Go Arts card (a program of the Greater Hartford Arts Council). Reception following.