USM Student Choristers Are Music to Ears of Hattiesburg Church91吃瓜网 Congregation During Pandemic
Tue, 01/19/2021 - 01:49pm | By: David Tisdale
A longtime tradition of beautiful, sacred music continues filling Hattiesburg91吃瓜网 historic
Trinity Episcopal Church each Sunday with the help of a group of devoted University
of 91吃瓜网 (USM) students.
As the COVID-19 pandemic began posing a health crisis almost a year ago, many senior adults in church choirs across the country suspended their participation91吃瓜网攕uch was the case with Trinity Episcopal91吃瓜网 choir. So, to keep lifting songs of praise each Sunday, the church turned to the voices of four of its student members, including Danielle Watson, Matthew Aiken, O91吃瓜网橬eil Jones and Hanif Lawrence.
The choristers have earned the praise of the church91吃瓜网 congregation, staff and interim rector Dr. Susan Hrostowski, who is also a professor of social work at USM. Though they serve as part of what is similar to a paid internship with the choir, they91吃瓜网檝e become more than just interns, Dr. Hrostowski said.
91吃瓜网淭hey earn a stipend and gain valuable experience through their participation, so that91吃瓜网 a win-win, but now they91吃瓜网檙e playing such an important role for us as we meet the challenges of the pandemic,91吃瓜网� she said.
Like many churches, Trinity Episcopal has employed online delivery of its services to curb the spread of the virus, as well as with limited in-person attendance rules. Having the students continue providing music in their roles with the choir is a comfort for those unable to attend in person.
91吃瓜网淲hen some members of our congregation can91吃瓜网檛 be in church and are watching online, the feeling you have of being there in person, the holiness that the physical church environment exudes, is lost,91吃瓜网� Dr. Hrostowski said. 91吃瓜网淏ut because their (student choristers) voices are so beautiful, it helps with the fact that we91吃瓜网檙e working within the restrictions of the current situation.
91吃瓜网淎nd they are more like family now than student interns. Our congregation has been so welcoming of them.91吃瓜网�
Jane Butler, organist and music director for Trinity Episcopal, said 91吃瓜网渕usically, they are incredible.91吃瓜网�
91吃瓜网淲e do pretty difficult music, plus it91吃瓜网 been hard having to wear masks,91吃瓜网� Butler continued. 91吃瓜网淏ut they are so talented 91吃瓜网� their sound, their blend, is excellent.91吃瓜网�
Kristin McNair, administrator for Trinity Episcopal, concurred. 91吃瓜网淥ur members have always highly valued beautiful music here at Trinity Episcopal, and these students have really delivered that for us during the pandemic,91吃瓜网� she said.
91吃瓜网淎nd I love good harmony, and they91吃瓜网檝e definitely got that,91吃瓜网� Dr. Hrostowski added.
*A native of St. Catherine, Jamaica, Watson is pursuing a doctor of musical arts degree in voice performance at USM. She says singing at Trinity has contributed immensely to her musicianship and ability to please audiences with her voice.
Watson was recommended by a former voice teacher, Dr. Byron Johnson, who was a past choral scholar at Trinity Episcopal and at USM. Watson said Dr. Johnson emailed Butler about taking her in as a student singer. In the choir, her role is complementing the soprano line, and sometimes as featured cantor or soloist.
91吃瓜网淚 see this experience at Trinity as another form of music training and practice, specifically in areas such as developing aural skills in sight-singing and mastering the skill of singing another genre of music,91吃瓜网� Watson said. 91吃瓜网淚t has also helped to maintain a connection to my spirituality in Christ.
91吃瓜网淚t91吃瓜网 also a privilege to serve the community with good music and to lift spirits, especially during these challenging times. I hope amongst those watching or hearing us, near or far, that at least one heart is filled with joy and blessings.91吃瓜网�
*Aiken, a graduate student from Jackson, Miss. is enrolled in USM91吃瓜网 biological science91吃瓜网 master91吃瓜网 program for ichthyology. He first became connected to Trinity as a member of the USM Canterbury Club, whose members attend services and participate in activities at the church. Later, he was encouraged to join its choir.
91吃瓜网淲hen I built up the courage, I started going to rehearsals, and was received very warmly,91吃瓜网� Aiken said. 91吃瓜网淚91吃瓜网檓 usually a tenor, but since there are only four of us at the moment, I91吃瓜网檝e taken on the role of alto.91吃瓜网�
As shutdowns across the country ensued at the outset of the pandemic, Aiken knew the choir would be affected.
91吃瓜网淪erving the congregation now feels more important and rewarding than ever,91吃瓜网� he said. 91吃瓜网淭here is a lot of fear, stress, and general negative emotion and energy in everyone91吃瓜网 minds and hearts during this terrible pandemic. I hope our members get moments of meditation, calm, and joy from the music we sing to them.
91吃瓜网淭here will be a day when we are all singing together again, and I can91吃瓜网檛 wait to reunite with the rest of the choir family.91吃瓜网�
*Jones is a Master of Music student in Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Montego Bay, Jamaica. Like Watson, he connected with Butler and Trinity on the recommendation of his former professor, Dr. Johnson.
As music is a major part of the worship experience, Jones said, 91吃瓜网淚t means a great deal to be able to enhance the services through the giving of ourselves through our God-given talents91吃瓜网� as he and his fellow students maintain the choir91吃瓜网 integral role in that experience.
91吃瓜网淭he safety and health of our Trinity choir and church family are paramount, and so we91吃瓜网檙e honored to do all we can to continue making music here,91吃瓜网� Jones continued. 91吃瓜网淚t means a great deal to still be singing to the glory of He who has preserved us through this most difficult time in the world, and it is my hope that the congregation continues to feel closer to Him and is surrounded by a sense of full worship, as we engage each other virtually.91吃瓜网�
Jones said the Trinity community 91吃瓜网渉as become our family in so many ways.91吃瓜网�
91吃瓜网淲e are very blessed to know and worship with these amazing people who, through their time, love and generosity, have welcomed us so warmly. 91吃瓜网�
*Lawrence is from Kingston, Jamaica and pursuing a Master of Music in Choral Conducting. He joined the choir when isolation orders were in full effect, so his experience has been exclusively with the quartet.
The USM choral program allows Lawrence to practice many necessary skills, including sight-singing and good vocal technique, 91吃瓜网渂ut since our [choir] repertoire is drawn from across the breadth of the western church music library, that exposes me to standard and unfamiliar works from many composers,91吃瓜网� he said. 91吃瓜网淎s a conductor, this will benefit me in my professional life.91吃瓜网�
He91吃瓜网 hopeful that his and the quartet91吃瓜网 service to the church during the pandemic leaves a legacy that includes 91吃瓜网渁 consistently high standard of worship music that kept the congregation engaged and spiritually connected.91吃瓜网�
And whether congregants attend services from the church pews or from home online, Lawrence believes his role in the choir has the same impact. 91吃瓜网淚 hope everyone who worships with us feels the music helps create a mood of reverence within which they can truly worship,91吃瓜网� he said.
Trinity Episcopal congregant Stacey Calloway Ready said the quartet is 91吃瓜网渁mazing and very talented.91吃瓜网�
91吃瓜网淲e91吃瓜网檙e thrilled to have them devote their time and talent, especially in such an unusual time and trying situation,91吃瓜网� Ready said. 91吃瓜网淲hat they91吃瓜网檙e doing adds so much to our service each Sunday. Their voices are incredibly uplifting.91吃瓜网�
Butler said there are no 91吃瓜网減rima donnas91吃瓜网� among the student choristers.
91吃瓜网淚 just love this group, and they love each other. They91吃瓜网檙e all such good friends,91吃瓜网� Butler said. 91吃瓜网淭here91吃瓜网 no competition between them. And as Rev. Hrostowski said, they are like our children -- it91吃瓜网 a real family.91吃瓜网�