During the week of June 8–11, the Episcopal Chapel of St. John the Divine in Champaign, Illinois, hosted a choir camp for its own “Canterbury Choristers” and choristers from Champaign’s Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal Church. Modeled after training courses for advanced singers held by the Royal School of Church Music, the nine choristers were “in residence” for daily Evensongs, concluding the week with a sung Mass.
Ranging in age from 8 to 17, the choristers were challenged to learn and perform different music each day. Repertoire included a set of Preces and Responses by Stephen Darlington; Evening Canticles in G Major by John Wood and Herbert Sumsion; a set by David Hogan entitled “Washington”; two settings of the Phos Hilaron by Richard Proulx and David Hogan; and Hail, gladdening light by C. S. Lang, enhanced by the addition of the “vicars choral”—a.k.a. “The Chorister Dads”; plainsong chanting of the daily psalms; How Like an Angel I Came Down by Malcolm Archer; Hebe deine Augen auf (“Lift thine eyes” sung in German from Elijah) by Felix Mendelssohn; and Give us the wings of faith by Mark Blatchly. The last day featured the Missa Brevis by Benjamin Britten on the feast of St. Barnabas.
Keith Williams, organist and music director of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Champaign, assisted in the organ-playing duties for the Mass. Choristers included Katherine Buzard, Emma Lloyd, Elizabeth Russell, Ethan Russell, Abigail Shelato, Emily Warren, Sam Warren, Samantha Wells, and Celia Williams.
