All community members who enjoy singing are invited to join the St. John Recovery Choir. Rehearsals are held on Tuesdays and Saturdays. They begin at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 17, at the Gifft Hill School Upper Campus and from 9-10:30 a.m., Saturday, at Hawksnest Beach. New members – experienced or not – are welcome to join. “It’s such a pleasure to work with a variety of singers and to welcome newbies,” said director Kristen Carmichael-Bowers.
The Recovery Choir –named in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria – is non-denominational and performs songs from many holiday traditions – Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa and Solstice.
As always, it will be joined by Ocama Children’s Choir, Love City Pandragons, and several St. John church choirs and musical organizations for the Dec. 16 Holiday Celebration in Powell Park, which will culminate with the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s “Messiah.”
All singers receive guide recordings, sheet music and lyric sheets, and there are also virtual sectional rehearsals on Thursdays on Zoom to help singers focus on their part alone.
For more information or to join the Recovery Choir, go to Sing St. John’s website https://www.singstjohn.org. and click on the box to register. If needed, the $50 registration fee can be waived by checking the waiver box. “We don’t want the fee to deter anyone from joining,” Carmichael-Bowers said. “All are welcome – no exceptions!”
For further information, call 227-4920 or send an email to info@singstjohn.
The Recovery Choir is one of four programs presented by Sing St. John which is supported solely by community donations and grants. Right now, Sing St. John is almost halfway through its annual fall appeal to raise $65,000 to meet a matching grant generously offered by Martha Robes and Dana Robes.
“It’s a great time to donate to Sing St. John,” said Carmichael-Bowers. “Every donation, no matter the size, goes twice as far.” Donations can be made online with a credit or debit card, or through PayPal by clicking this link https://www.singstjohn.org/support-us.html. Checks can be mailed to Sing St. John, Box 37, St. John, VI 00831.
Sing St. John is jointly supported by community members and businesses, as well as a grant from the V.I. Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C., a federal agency; the Virgin Islands Lottery; and Dana and Martha Robes.
