The choir from the Church of the Transfiguration “The Little Church around the Corner” will be visiting all the way from New York City this week. Currently in residence at Saint Matthews in Westminster, Organist and choirmaster Dr Claudia Dumschat took time to share their story with us ahead of the Evensong service on Saturday 5 July.
Can you tell us about the choir’s history?
“Dating all the way back to the 1850s, we’ve had hundreds or even possibly thousands of members during that time, with each singer staying in the choir for five or six years. We would have been the oldest continuing boy choir not connected with a school in the United States, but during the pandemic we morphed to boys and girls.
"The addition of girls has been the biggest innovation in recent years, which has worked out really well. It does feel like a very special choir with a lot of history, the premier men and boys choir in New York City for many decades.”
Can you tell us about your tours, you’ve performed in Barbados, Washington DC and Venice in recent years.
“We tend to go to places we have a connection to. We went to Barbados because we had members of the parish who have deep connection there, and we were able to perform in the cathedral and beautiful parish churches. We went to Venice when we were invited to perform and participate in a festival that was in need of a boys choir.
"This year we are in residence with Saint Matthews Westminster, our sister church in London. Saint Matthews will be in residence at Transfiguration Church (The Little Church Around the Corner) in New York in October. It’s wonderful for the children to experience the Anglo Catholic liturgy here in England, and to have a chance to hear the great London choirs live.”
Your choir offers incredible scholarship opportunities, how important is this to the children?
“50 years ago, the church established the Anthony Mercedes Music Fund to ensure the tradition of the choir lived on. I’m very grateful to the people who had the foresight to do that. It really makes a difference to be able to offer that to families and to make the children feel like what they’re doing is truly special. It’s also a good incentive to get up on a Sunday morning!”
Can you tell us about the repertoire you have planned for Saturday?
“It will be a combination of American and British music. The service settings is Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (The Harvard Service) by the American Composer Charles Callahan who died earlier this year. The anthem is by English composer Richard Sheppard, it was commissioned by the Church of the Transfiguration for its 150th anniversary. The Responses will be the traditional English responses by William Smith. The Organ music is from the 3rd Symphony of Louis Vierne. We are very much looking forward to sharing our music with you all.”
Our Evensong service with The Choir of Men & Boys and Girls will take place on Saturday 5 July at 5.15pm – 6.15pm. Find out more about the choir here: littlechurch.org