On Saturday, August 31, 2019 St. Francis by the Sea at 7:00 pm.
Haiti’s Musical Ambassadors Les Petits Chanteurs (The Little Singers) and Chamber Ensemble of Holy Trinity Music School Stopped here at St. Francis by the Sea in Blue Hill, as well as seven other towns in Maine, NYC, Washington, DC . In all 24 cities in 10 states .
Les Petits Chanteurs and the Chamber Ensemble of Holy Trinity Music School (HTMS), a choir of 30 singers (ages 10–16) and an eight-piece chamber ensemble from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, performing choral and instrumental works of classically arranged Haitian folk and sacred music.
The program by Haiti’s musical ambassadors showcases their home country’s rich musical traditions, highlights the talent nurtured in the school, and raises awareness of Haiti’s ongoing rebuilding effort and need for assistance.
Father David Cesar, director of the Holy Trinity Music School, comments:
“The concert tour of Les Petits Chanteurs and the Chamber Ensemble is vital to our music program at Holy Trinity Music School. For the first time in our 63-year history we do not have an official Music School space. We function without a concert hall. We have been in temporary spaces, without real practice rooms, often practicing and giving instruction outside with our concert hall destroyed since the earthquake of 2010. In that earthquake we lost all our buildings. We have been able to continue our work and even our two summer music camps. We have found some spaces in which to perform. But we long for a permanent home. We have not given up. We will never give up. Music is our life. To have Les Petits Chanteurs tour the United States on our behalf, telling our story, provides hope for all of us – our orchestra members, teachers, students, administrators, parents and supporters. The music will never stop.”
The Holy Trinity Music School (HTMS) was established in Port-au-Prince in 1956 by Sister Anne-Marie of the Convent of St. Marguerite and is part of the Episcopal Church of Haiti. As a nonprofit institution, HTMS provides training in music for Haitians of all ages and from all social strata. In the mid 1990s, Father David Cesar became director of the music school, which now has a teaching staff of 50 (all trained by the institution) and offers programs providing musical training at the highest level to more than 1,500 students in all instrumental and vocal areas.
The press release continues. “As the oldest community music school in the country, HTMS is proud to serve as the point of reference in the domain of art music in Haiti. A leader in this field, the school strives to eliminate existing barriers to participation by enabling a diverse group of children, youths and adults to benefit from the good that music study can bring. To this end, HTMS has helped to establish numerous music programs across Haiti in underserved areas.”
The video is available for your viewing pleasure at https://vimeo.com/185850325