On Sunday
30 July we had the unique pleasure of welcoming the
choir of Trinity Church Princeton, New Jersey, to sing
with our choir during the Parish Mass at 10.15am. Our
Director of Music Justin Miller knows the church well as
he studied in Princeton some years ago, and their
Director of Music, Tom Whittemore, was a great friend
and mentor. Trinity Church is the flagship American
parish for choral music in the USA, and their choirs are
superb. Their visiting choir of 55 singers of all ages
made for a spectacular sound with our own choir.
The service included the conferral of the honorary title
of Organist Emeritus on Dr John Bertalot, a
former Director of Music of both churches, who has been
a great supporter of our music here at St Matthew’s for
many years. Dr Bertalot began his career at St Matthew’s
fresh from Cambridge in 1958 and was with us until 1964.
During communion the combined choirs, conducted by Dr
Bertalot, sang his own arrangement of Soul of my
Saviour, while Justin played the organ. This was its
second performance, the first being for Ian Harrison and
his choir at St Stephen’s Church, Bournemouth, in April.
As a memento of the occasion we were delighted to
present Dr Bertalot with a print of the John Piper
painting of St Matthew’s, with the Piper-designed frame.
Please find below a selection of photos.
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