Trinity University & San Antonio Choral Society in Concert - London

Come join us for a magical evening of music at St James's Sussex Gardens!

Trinity University and the San Antonio Choral Society are teaming up to deliver a performance that will leave you in awe. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to witness the harmonious blend of voices in person. Mark your calendars and get ready for a evening filled with beautiful melodies and unforgettable moments. See you there!

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~Concert program to be selected from the following~

Trinity University Chamber Singers

O quam gloriosum | Tomás Luís de Victoria
Lay A Garland | Robert Pearsall
Nunc dimittis “Collegium Regale” | Herbert Howells
Chia-wei Lee, soloist; David Heller, organ
O vera digna hostia | Tarik O'Regan
Bogoroditse Devo | Sergei Rachmaninov
Even When He is Silent | Kim André Arnesen
O Shenandoah | Traditional American Folk Song/arr. James Erb
Hymne au Soleil | Lili Boulanger
Jacquelyn Matava, soloist; Haniel Neves, piano
Choral Triptych | Jason Max Ferdinand
i. Prayer Fixes Things
ii. Campfire Prayer
iii. In Need of You

Members of the San Antonio Choral Society

El Cantico del Alba | 18th c. Hymn from the California Missions, arr. Paul Gibson

Haec dies | William Byrd, 1543-1623

If ye be risen again | Orlando Gibbons, 1583-1625
Avary Hartung, soprano
Ardi Saunders, mezzo-soprano
Christian Cruz, countertenor
David Heller, organ

O Lord, Thou Hast Searched Me, and Known Me | Bob Chilcott, b.1955
David Heller, organ

Ave Maria | Josquin des Préz, c.1440-1521

Noe, Noe! | Guillaume Bouzignac, c.1587-c.1643

Messe Basse | Gabriel Fauré, 1845-1924
I. Kyrie eleison
II. Sanctus
III. Benedictus
IV. Agnus Dei

Jaquelyn Matava, mezzo-soprano
David Heller, organ

Seigneur, je vous en prie | Francis Poulenc, 1899-1963

I was glad | Frank Ferko, b.1950

The Trinity University Chamber Singers have performed for the National Collegiate Choral Organization, the Texas Music Educators Association Convention, and the College Music Society National Conference. The enjoy touring nationally, throughout the region, and abroad. In 2018 they served as ensemble-in-residence for the 2018 Eisenstadt Classical Music Festival in Austria where they performed Haydn’s Die Schöpfung and Beethoven’s Mass in C Major. This past Fall of 2021 they collaborated with the Sinfonia Spirituoso chamber orchestra based in California on a program of French Baroque music featuring Michel Richard Delalande’s De profundis. They made their Carnegie Hall debut in June of 2022 at the featured ensemble in Mozart’s Requiem. This summer 2024 they will travel to the United Kingdom and France for a 12-day tour to perform at prominent venues throughout the region and several collaborations including a featured performance of Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem at L'église de la Madeleine in Paris and a live radio broadcast Evensong from Winchester Cathedral.

As advocates for new music, the Chamber Singers have introduced many new works to the repertoire including joint premieres with New York Polyphony and Cantus. The Chamber Singers have been frequent collaborators with the San Antonio Symphony including Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe, and Tristia by Berlioz. Other notable projects include a Spanish Baroque program with the Walden Chamber Players of Boston, Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with period instruments, Tomás Luis de Victoria’s 12-voice Missa “Laetatus sum” in Washington, DC, and the nationally touring Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess multimedia concert. In 2022, the Trinity University Chamber Singers were awarded 3rd place for The American Prize in the College/University Choir division and had the honor to perform for the 2023 TMEA Convention.

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Dr. Gary Seighman is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Trinity University. He is the recipient of the 2023 Most Innovative Programming Award from the Texas Choral Directors Association. Under his direction, Trinity’s choirs have garnered regional and national accolades with invited conference performances, tours throughout the United States and abroad, innovative collaborations, and third place for the 2022 American Prize. A charismatic and passionate artist, Seighman is highly sought after as a clinician, guest conductor, and speaker. In June 2022 he served as guest faculty artist with Manhattan Concert Productions for whom he conducted Mozart’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall. He returned to Carnegie Hall in February 2023 to conduct the Treble Choir for the High School Honors Performance Series. He has traveled to East Asia five times since 2015 where he conducted for the Peking University Summer Opera Program, led graduate masterclasses in Taiwan, and guest conducted throughout China. In 2019 he was artist-in-residence at University College-Dublin. A year earlier he was chorusmaster for the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt and Vienna. The current 2023-2024 season includes speaking engagements in Denver and Minneapolis, leading multiple TMEA region choirs around the state, conducting the International High School/Youth Choir at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, and a tour to France and the U.K. with the Trinity Chamber Singers. He will return to Carnegie Hall in 2025 to conduct the National High School Honors Mixed Choir.

As San Antonio's premier community choir, the Choral Society boasts an ensemble of over 100 voices, presenting four to five major concerts each season. The primary group adeptly tackles masterworks and significant repertoire spanning various styles and epochs, consistently delivering season concerts brimming with professionalism and fervor. The choir focuses on classical, contemporary, and culturally diverse music and enjoys collaborating with other performing groups in the community.

Members have proudly introduced debut performances of choral compositions by nationally acclaimed composers. Their illustrious performances extend to events such as Luminaria, the historic return of the Travis Letter to the Alamo, Spurs basketball games, the New Year's Eve Celebration at Sea World, the annual Texas Choral Directors Association convention, the commemorative San Antonio Founder's Day Celebration, the Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Ecumenical Service, as well as a multitude of citywide gatherings.

The Choral Society's expansive collaborations span a diverse spectrum, including harmonious partnerships with Symphony Viva, The Youth Orchestra of San Antonio, Children's Chorus of San Antonio, Texas Children's Choir, Chapel Boychoir of San Antonio, River City Ringers, San Antonio Wind Symphony, South Texas Symphonic Orchestra, Chaski, X-Factor Band, Kyle Keener Jazz Band, Heart of Texas Concert Band, Yale Glee Club, Munich International Choral Society, and numerous local university and church choirs.

Devoted to nurturing the future of music education, the Choral Society's robust outreach initiative sponsors 2-3 student conducting interns annually. This invaluable program provides aspiring conductors with crucial podium experience. Moreover, the Society bestows college scholarships upon graduating high school seniors intent on pursuing degrees in music. In alignment with its commitment to community enrichment, the Choral Society has generated substantial funds for local children's charities, including SA Youth, St. PJ's Children's Home, Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA), Morgan's Wonderland, Haven for Hope, Corazon Ministries, San Antonio Youth Literacy, and the San Antonio Food Bank, notably through their cherished annual Messiah event.

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Dr. Jennifer Seighman, in her thirteenth season as Artistic Director of the San Antonio Choral Society, has passionately led the 100-voice ensemble to exceptional artistic heights. With a deep expertise in choral pedagogy, her guidance has attracted top-tier talents and facilitated celebrated collaborations, including performances at prestigious venues, two international tours and the establishment of Sonoro, a renowned 24-voice mixed chamber choir. Additionally, Dr. Seighman serves as Director of Music & Organist at the historic St. John's Lutheran Church in downtown San Antonio. Her transformative impact on the music program has been highlighted by her leadership in replacing the church's existing organs with a world-class pipe organ crafted by Orgues Létourneau Ltée, slated for installation in 2025.

Graduating magna cum laude with the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Westminster Choir College, Dr. Seighman studied voice and organ and sang with renowned orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the NJ Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. She received a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Oklahoma and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Sacred Choral Music from the Catholic University of America. Her doctoral research was dedicated to a comprehensive multi-case study of Catholic choir school programs across the United States, findings she presented at the Psallite Domino liturgical music conference in Liverpool, England. Residing in San Antonio with her family, she remains sought after as a clinician, conductor, and adjudicator.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

St James's Sussex Gardens, Sussex Gardens, London, United Kingdom