When most people think of music at our historic church, they think of our stunning Taylor and Boody Organ and our not too shabby all-volunteer Adult Choir, which has graced the greater Staunton, Virginia community with memorable, high quality musical performances through the years.
Today, however, I’d like to shine a light on our Senior Choristers, who are not to be confused with Senior Citizens.
Senior Choristers are an amazing group of middle and high school students who love to sing, work hard doing so, and have prepared and performed compelling, challenging, and engaging music in the last several years!
Topping the list is their performance of Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, with renowned Richmond-based harpist Anastasia Jellison. This twenty minute, multi-movement piece is technically challenging and sung by some of the best choirs in the world. Our own Senior Choristers didn’t just sing the piece last December, they nailed it. One concert-goer’s comment was “New York quality!”
The eleven young people comprising our current Senior Chorister roster attend public, private and homeschools. Some are regular Trinity parishioners, others are active members of their own churches, and a few come solely to participate in choir.
This tight-knit community of individuals LOVE choir and each other. This summer, seven of them will attend weeklong Choir Courses, sponsored by the Royal School of Church Music America, in Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina, singing with huge choirs comprised of peers from around the country. They’ll return with honed skills and a renewed enthusiasm for their art, their ministry, and the gift they share with our community.
Senior Chorister Lily Hooke, a senior in high school and a Trinity chorister since 2015, recently shared this summation of her experience:
“I have sung in the Trinity choir for many years, and have absolutely loved every minute of it! I am in choir at Trinity for many reasons, several of them being; the wonderful and broad repertoire of music, the fantastic people that I have been able to form friendships with, and the challenge of learning new music. All these aspects have given me given me confidence in myself as a musician and great joy, I am very proud to be able to say that I sing at Trinity!”
Trinity’s Adult Choir has taken four trips to the UK to sing concerts and Evensongs, traveling most recently in 2017 to sing in Oxford and Gloucester. We’re in the initial stages of planning a 2024 trip that will include our Senior Choristers. Their hard work, dedication and opportunities like the summer choral camps mentioned above have prepared and will continue to prepare these young singers for this extraordinary opportunity.
Does your child love the joy of music? New choristers (children, teens and adults) are always welcome at Trinity. Do you know a young person who loves to sing? Send them our way! If not, cheer on* our fabulous choristers and keep encouraging them to share their gifts with our Trinity family and greater community.
— Virginia Bolena, Director of Music, Trinity Episcopal Church of Staunton
*Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news on music concerts, Evensongs, major organ and choral events, and more! You can also join our Music Mailing List.
