‘Messiah’ Will Be Part Of Holiday Concert

By The Trinity Choir Of Men And Boys

NEW HAVEN – The Trinity Choir of Men and Boys of Trinity Church on the Green will present its annual Christmas concert on Sunday, December 7, at 3 pm. The performance will be at Trinity Church, at the corner of Temple and Chapel streets and opposite New Haven Green.

The Boys of the Choir represent many towns in the greater New Haven area; church membership is not a requirement. Boys are selected based on passing an audition during which a natural musical ear and voice are sought. They dedicate an average of ten hours per week to rehearsals and Sunday service at Trinity Church.

The current roster includes Monroe resident and Fraser-Woods Montessori School fourth grader Daniel Sbriglio.

A major part of the concert will be a special presentation of the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah. The choir will begin the concert with beloved seasonal favorites designed in the Baroque style accompanied by American Classical Orchestra, a period instrument ensemble conducted by Music Director Thomas Crawford.

 “The brilliant sound of the instruments is a perfect complement to the young voices,” said Trinity Church Choirmaster Walden Moore.

For the first time in one of Trinity’s Messiah concerts, the soprano solos will be sung by the boys from the choir, either as solos or in ensemble, a technique used by Handel. In addition to the boys, soloists Jeffrey Mendelbaum (counterenor), John Meeske (tenor), and Woodrow Bynum (bass) will perform.

Trinity’s Choir of Men and Boys was founded in 1885; it is the seventh oldest continuous choir in the United States. The Boys Choir has sung services and concerts throughout Connecticut and has performed at renowned venues like New York’s Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and the White House. The Boys of the Choir completed a tour of England in June 2001 and performed with the choirs of Wells Cathedral and the Metropolitan Cathedral of Liverpool.

The choir is respected for its high musical standards and its community outreach activities, such as benefit concerts for the Children’s Center, Ronald McDonald House, Shoreline Soup Kitchen, Guilford Interfaith Food Bank and other charities.

Admission for the Christmas concert is a suggested $15 donation, with children welcome free of charge. All seating is non-reserved and advance tickets are not necessary. For further information call the music office at Trinity Episcopal Church, 203-776-2616 or send email to music@TrinityNewHaven.org.