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Sunday, July 11, 2010

SCHOLA CANTORUM ON HUDSON TO SING IN MONTCLAIR CHURCH


A college friend of mine (and a member of the group) tipped me off about a concert scheduled by Schola Cantorum on Hudson in Montclair on Thursday, July 15.

“Schola Cantorum” (literally “school of singers”) was the name by which the very first groups of singers were called, as early as the eighth century.

This critically-acclaimed 30-voice mixed ensemble is committed to Global Cultural Impact through passionate musical experiences, strong educational support for high performance expectations, innovative programming designed to touch lives, and artistic leadership by premiering new works. It was formed as an independent choral ensemble in the fall of 1995. Its members were drawn together by a shared love of great choral music and by a dedication to the highest standard of performance of that repertoire. Beyond that, the group has come, increasingly, to the belief that by making music, a positive difference is made in the world.

Schola Cantorum on Hudson (SCH) embarks on its second European tour July 17, 2010. The concert choir will be in residence at Canterbury Cathedral in England for ten days. The ensemble will sing Evensong services Monday through Thursday at the Cathedral and will sing Mass at The Church of St. Martin’s on Sunday, July 25. (Above: Schola Cantorum performing at Salzburg Cathedral in Austria.)

In preparation for the services in England, SCH will present an Evensong service on Thursday, July 15, 2010, at 7:30 PM at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 73 South Fullerton Avenue, Montclair, New Jersey. Gordon King, Organist/Choirmaster and Choristers Director at St. John’s in the Village in Manhattan, will be the organist for Evensong. Dr. Deborah Simpkin King, Artistic Director and Founder of SCH, will conduct the choir and also perform a few selections on the organ.

SCH will perform additional music, which the group is preparing for the services in England, immediately following Evensong. The service and postlude music are free and open to the public.

“We are so grateful to The Reverend John Mennell, Rector, and Music Director Charles Hunter for making the beautiful space of St. Luke's available to us as we prepare for our Evensong residency at Canterbury Cathedral,” said Dr. King. “The lively reverence that pervades worship at St. Luke's is what we seek to live into, as well, so it is a perfect match.”

SCH is a 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to the advancement of the public interest in, and knowledge and understanding of, choral music. The organization is sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. SCH advances its mission by performing choral music throughout the New York metropolitan area. For more information about the organization and its activities, please visit ScholaOnHudson.org or call 888.407.6002.