The St. Augustine’s Anglican Church in East End is by virtue the home of the St. Augustine’s Chorale. Last Sunday morning, October 11th, the church hosted an official 20th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service for the group.
The Chorale was founded 20 years ago by an ardent church member, Mrs. Margaret Augustus, affectionately known as “Nurse Margaret”. Though she is now somewhat restricted to the confines of a wheelchair, Nurse Margaret’s enthusiasm for singing and the continued wellbeing of the Chorale has by no means dwindled. She is just as excited and exuberant about the group as when it first begun.
Ever since its inception, the Chorale has been passionate about presenting songs that portray the message of the gospel through its annual Easter and Christmas concerts. Audiences pack the church’s auditorium every time the group performs. Tirelessly directing the Chorale — throughout the full course of its 20 years — has been music icon and an expert in the field of orchestration, the legendary conductor, Lennox Vanterpool.
He delivered a brief address during the service: “If you’re happy and you know it say, Amen,” he began with his usual cheerful spirit. “Today, we are indeed happy for attaining this milestone of 20 years. We thank God for his grace and mercies. This is what it looks like when the whole Chorale family comes to church.
“We have shared the gospel in music and song through some eighty presentations thus far. I think that is something to be commended for, and it could have only happened by the grace of God. We give Him thanks for that.” Mr. Vanterpool referred to the German composer and violinist, Paul Hindemith, who once said, “It is impossible to be disagreeable with each other and still make music. We have to be friends of each other at least for as long as the music lasts.” He noted that the music has not stopped yet: “We have been playing and singing for twenty years now, and anyone can see that we are indeed united, happy and growing.”
He shared his vision — with the congregation — concerning having the Chorale engaged more frequently than on Easter and Christmas seasons. He proposed the possibility of the Chorale’s ministry being regularly shared with other congregations who would be accepting of its contributions to their worship experiences.
In reflecting on his impressions of working with the Chorale, Mr. Vanterpool said: “On a personal note, I cannot overemphasise my gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of this group that has been initiated by our Nurse Margaret. I am grateful for all the people whom we have had an opportunity to minister to over the past twenty years. We do thank them for patronising us and for benefiting from our ministry year after year, season after season.”
As far as the service’s sermon was concerned, Bishop Errol Brooks alluded to the scripture found in the book of Philippians 4:4 where the Apostle Paul wrote: “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.” He was making reference to the spirit of joy and jubilation that typically marks the quality of worship which accompanies the renditions of the Chorale.
“We are to rejoice in the Lord,” the Bishop exclaimed. “Today, Paul is exhorting us to rejoice. We cannot be moderate in giving thanks to God. I quote Roberto Benigni who once wrote: ‘It is a sign of mediocrity when we demonstrate gratitude in moderation.’ We are to be excited about what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. We are to be excited in our worship. We must sing out to the Lord lustily, and our faces must reflect the joy of the Lord.”
“Thank God for His redeeming work through Jesus Christ,” he proclaimed… “We thank God for those who give of their time and energy in the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ. And among those whom we are to be thankful for is the St. Augustine’s Chorale. Through the grace of God, this group has, over the past twenty consecutive years, extolled the name, the goodness and love of God in word, in song, and in music. This is a testimony to the commitment of the leadership and members who spread the good news of the gospel. I would encourage the leadership and the membership of this Chorale not to grow weary in well doing.”
During the service the Chorale rendered several songs. Among them were Darlene Zschech’s “Father of Life” and Richard Smallwood’s “Total Praise”. Towards the end of the service, the leadership was commended, and each member was presented with an attractive award in appreciation of the part they played in the Chorale’s ministry.
– Staff Reporter, James R. Harrigan
