By Joel Marshall ’24
The Thomas More College Choir is a student-led organization that performs for Convocation, Graduation, and banquets, in addition to two annual public concerts: an Advent concert and an Easter concert. Our style of music is strictly classical church music with an emphasis on Renaissance polyphony, but it also includes music from other time periods. We have been gradually expanding our repertoire to include more advanced music. These concerts are inspired by the carols and lessons format with related poetry and scripture readings placed between the musical pieces. Over the past four years, the Choir has evolved from being a casual group that performed simple anthems once a week to being a more robust institution and a staple of our College’s tradition.
This past semester’s Advent concert at Ste. Marie’s Parish in Manchester featured a performance of Biebl’s Ave Maria, in which the solo choir sang from the loft, allowing us to take full advantage of the church’s acoustics and Victorian neo-Gothic aesthetic. Other featured composers included Praetorius, Charles Wood, and Palestrina. As always, the pipe organ gave the performance a greater sense of grandeur—especially because of the complex and ornate postlude provided by Ste. Marie’s organist, Rob St. Cyr.
The Choir has also performed on other occasions this academic year, including at a dinner honoring former Ambassadors to the Holy See Raymond Flynn and Mary Ann Glendon. Recently, the College Choir sang at the Mass offered for the chartering of the New Hampshire chapter of Legatus. The Mass was offered by the Most Rev. Bishop Peter A. Libasci (Diocese of Manchester) in St. Joseph’s Cathedral. Bishop Robert F. Hennessey, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston and Vicar General of the Merrimack Region, as well as distinguished guests from throughout the United States were present.
Our plans for this spring semester include two Easter concerts, which will feature a number of pieces representing the different days of Holy Week, beginning with Palm Sunday and concluding with Christ’s Resurrection. The selection will include William Byrd’s Emendemus in Melius and Charles Wood’s arrangement of This Joyful Eastertide, in addition to hymns and motets composed by Tallis and Palestrina. The readings will consist of Scripture and poetry by Homer, Dante, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and T.S. Eliot. The Easter performances will take place at 7:30pm on April 13 (Ste. Marie’s Parish, Manchester) and April 14 (St. Patrick’s Parish, Nashua). All are welcome to attend.
For further reading:
Christus resurrexit:The Thomas More College Choir Presents Easter Concert
