St Anna Choir - 2010 Christmas
St Anna Junior Choir - 2010 Christmas
The Saint Anna Greek Orthodox Choir has received the praises of His Eminence, Evangelos, Metropolitan of New Jersey, during his two visits to the community.
Under the directorship of Diana Grina, the choir has developed into a pleasant and soothing accompaniment to Father George and Psaltists Seraphim and Ann Danckaert and George Parsenios.
2010 was a great year of growth for the choir, which succeeded in evolving nearly all of its Sunday music to include sections in both major and minor modes. Choir members also purchased beautiful new robes thanks to the generosity of several parishioners and the Philoptochos, who also gifted a new keyboard. Director Diana also established a youth choir, which she hopes will solidify in 2010-2011.
St. Anna Church Music Ministries:
We have expanded our choral ministries and now offer two ways for singers to participate in our choral music ministries! In 2010 we launched our adult and youth concert choir and gave a memorable Christmas concert for the people in the surrounding geography. We look forward to our 2011 performance. To listen to two clips from the Christmas Concert, please click on tracks in the sidebar.
Liturgical and Concert Choirs:
Liturgical Choir: The liturgical choir sings during Sunday Divine Liturgy and special holiday services from September through June. Rehearsals are held on a regular basis during this period. Music is performed in Greek and English. It is not a requirement to read or speak Greek as our music offers phonetics for the non-greek speaking singer. Reading music is not essential, although helpful, and rehearsals are held to assist all.
Concert Choir: The concert choir was formed in 2010 for the purpose of performing sacred music in a concert setting for the general public during holiday periods. The concert choir provides an additional opportunity to perform an expanded repertoire of sacred music and also is an opportunity for those whose schedules limit their ability to rehearse and sing regularly in the liturgical choir.
The performance repertoire consists of sacred music spanning centuries and cultures and includes traditional & classical Christian, ancient Orthodox, and modern Orthodox concert works. The concerts enable the St. Anna community to provide goodwill through choral music, offering an inspirational and spiritually uplifting experience for others in the local geography. We have both an adult and youth division, for children 9-13 yrs. old.
Rehearsals are held in the months prior to performance. Some vocal instruction is included for both adults and youth. The goal for 2010-2011 is to increase voices, especially male ones. The choir practices during the ecclesiastical year, increasing sessions during Holy Week and Christmas. The choir takes a hiatus during the summer months, when the psaltists only assist Father. If you are interested in joining, please contact Diana Grina at dianakg2003@yahoo.com.