Noted for their special Easter and Christmas cantatas, the popular St. Augustine’s Chorale presented a Celebration of Psalms on Sunday, August 23, before a mixed and appreciative audience representing church and community.
The programme of well-rendered psalms and other tunes, engaged both the junior and senior chorale groups. The singers were directed by Mrs. Margaret Augustus and Mr. Lennox Vanterpool respectively, and had two distinct purposes. One was to celebrate the Fifteenth Anniversary of the St. Augustine’s Chorale. The other was to award former members and others whose contributions, over the years, had been of much value to the development of the Chorale.
The awards were presented during what may have been a short intermission in the singing of the Psalms. The awardees were: the late Mr Anthony Chance and the late Valentine Fleming; Ms. Kathleen Fleming; Mr. Ambrose Harrigan; Mr. Evans Harrigan; Mr. George K. Harrigan; Mrs. Ursula Harrigan; Mr. Winston Harrigan; Juliette Hawley; Mr. Cardigan Hodge; Rev. Menes Hodge; Mr. Steve Hopkins; Mrs. Ethel Liddie; Mr. Franklyn Richardson; Mrs. Audrey Rogers; Mrs. Claris Sasso; and Mrs. Ursula Sweeney.
The St. Augustine’s Youth Chorale got the programme off to an enjoyable start with the young voices, individually and collectively, singing with much beauty and passion. One tune was God Make My Life A Little Light. Their next presentation was Psalm 119 verses 89-14.
The main selections by the seniors of the St. Augustine’s Chorale, during the first part of the programme, were: Psalms 84 and 111 from the Psalter; You Are All We Have based on Psalm 16; The Lord is King based on Psalm 93; In The Sight of The Angels based on Psalm 138; Psalm 99 from the Psalter; Wonderful Merciful Saviour; Shepherd of My Heart based on Psalm 23; Psalm 37: Part 1 verses 1-7 from the Psalter; Jesus, Lamb of God; and Psalm 46 from the Psalter.
Just before the presentation of the awards, St. Augustine’s Chorale member, Mrs. Chanelle Petty Barrett, gave a historical overview of the formation of the senior St. Augustine’s Chorale, and the roles played by Mrs. Margaret Augustus, President, and Mr. Lennox Vanterpool, Director. Working together, they both have helped to steer the direction and development of the performing groups over the years. There have been performances by the St. Augustine’s Chorale – beyond the Anguilla landscape – in Aruba, St. Maarten/St. Martin and the Bahamas. Among other matters, Mrs. Petty Barrett said the performers had been able to raise money to purchase their own piano and a public address system, and plan to raise funds for the Morris Vanterpool School.
Just after the presentation of awards, the St. Augustine’s Youth Chorale returned to sing the well-known Psalm 23: The Lord’s My Shepherd.
The rest of the programme included two other selections by the St. Augustine’s Chorale: O Praise Ye the Lord based on Psalm 150 and Psalm 151 from the Psalter.
The Benediction was pronounced by the Right Reverend Errol Brooks. He took the opportunity to commend both chorales for their performances and to speak about his love for the Psalms. “We have a wonderful heritage. The Psalms have come down to us from the Jewish synagogues and are part of our Judo-Christian heritage,” he told the congregation. “When the Psalms are chanted, there is nothing like it – and I am showing my bias now. I have an appreciation for all traditions but, as an Anglican, there is nothing to stop discipline and order. I would like to thank the Chorale for their performance – and those who came up with the idea of this award ceremony for those persons, giving them their flowers while they are living [except for Anthony Chance and Valentine Fleming, both now deceased].”
Commenting on the singing of the Psalms, Mr. Vanterpool, who interchangeably played the accompanying piano music and directed the Chorale, stated: “I concur with the Bishop in relation to the beautiful writing of the Psalms and the Psalter. It is always a special sort of a challenge, first of all to deliver them; but I think there is a special blessing too whenever we get a chance to perform them. They are beautiful and really speak to the soul of human need and human life.”
