Sunday: Saint Augustine Chorale Celebrates 139th Anniversay
Saint Augustine Catholic Church at the corner of 15th and V Streets NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
The Chorale, one of the oldest organizations in Saint Augustine parish, is celebrating 138 years of music ministry rich in Catholic and African-American traditions. The choir sings at the 10 am Sunday Mass, at major feast day liturgies and various other occasions throughout the year.
This year they will have a special anniversary concert on Sunday, June 10, at 5 pm in the Church Sanctuary. The Chorale will perform Mass in G major by Franz Schubert and other works with guest soloists Sheri Jackson, Soprano, Issachah Savage, Tenor and VaShawn McIlwain, Baritone. Guest conductor will be Josepha Hammond.
According to the church’s website, “Saint Augustine Parish traces its heritage to 1858 and the efforts of a group of dedicated emancipated Black Catholics. Faced with a society that was not yet willing to put off the last vestiges of slavery and a Church that, at best, tolerated the presence of Black people in its congregation, these men and women founded a Catholic school and chapel on 15th Street under the patronage of Blessed Martin de Porres. In what is perhaps a touch of historical irony, this school was operating four years before mandatory free public education of Black children became law in the Nation’s Capital.”
It is a special occasion to enjoy the music performed by the Chorale and the beautiful Saint Augustine Church at the corner of 15th and V Streets NW .
Like Borderstan’s News stories? Get an RSS Feed for the News Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.
