THE SAINT THOMAS CHOIR & CHOIR SCHOOL

The Reverend Andrew C. Mead, OBE, DD, Rector, Saint Thomas Church

John Scott, LVO, DMus, The Nancy B. and John B. Hoffmann Organist and Director of Music

The Reverend Charles F. Wallace, Headmaster, Saint Thomas Choir School

The Choir of Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue is the leading ensemble in the Anglican choral tradition in the United States. Directed since 2004 by John Scott, formerly Organist and Director of Music at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, the Saint Thomas Choir performs regularly with period instrument ensembles, Concert Royal and Sinfonia New York, or with the Orchestra of St. Luke's as part of its own concert series. Its primary raison d'être, however, is to provide music for five choral services each week. Live webcasts of all choral services and further information including recordings of the choir, may be found at www.SaintThomasChurch.org.

Supplementing its choral services and concert series, over the past three decades, the choir has toured throughout the United States and Europe, with performances at Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral in London, Kings College, Cambridge, Windsor, Edinburgh, St. Albans and the Aldeburgh Festival. In 2004, the choir toured Italy, and performed for a Papal Mass at the Vatican. During 2007, the choir performed Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion for the opening concert of the Mexico Festival in Mexico City as well as at Saint Thomas Church. Recent concert highlights have included Rachmaninoff Vespers; the U.S. premiere of John Tavener’s Mass; a concert of American composers featuring works by Bernstein and Copland as well as a composition by Saint Thomas chorister, Daniel Castellanos; the first modern performance of Richter’s Missa Hyemalis; a Henry Purcell anniversary concert, and the world premiere of Scott Eyerly’s Spires. In April 2009, the choir performed in the British Choirs Festival at Washington National Cathedral alongside the choirs of Canterbury Cathedral and Washington National Cathedral.

The Men of the Saint Thomas Choir are all professional singers; the Boy choristers attend Saint Thomas Choir School. Founded in 1919, it is the only church-related boarding choir school in the United States, and one of only a handful of residential choir schools remaining in the world. The Choir School offers a challenging pre-preparatory curriculum, inter-scholastic sports, and musical training for boys in grades three through eight. The Choir School is committed to training and educating talented musicians without regard to religious, economic, or social background. Choristers are sought from all regions of the country. Details of admissions procedures and audition requirements are available at www.ChoirSchool.org.