Choir of Men and Boys

Founded in 1885, The Trinity Choir of Men and Boys is the oldest continuous choir of men and boys in Connecticut and the sixth oldest in the United States. It is heir to a musical tradition begun in the Middle Ages and carried to this country in the nineteenth century.

The choir is respected not only for its high musical standards but also for its community outreach activities, such as benefit concerts for the Children's Center, Ronald McDonald House, Sage Services, Newington Children's Hospital and the Fair Haven Parents' Ministry.

On the occasion of its 100th anniversary in 1985, Governor William O'Neill stated that the Choir of Men and Boys has "represented our state proudly in our own country and overseas, and has established a long and proud tradition of excellence and fellowship."

The Choir of Men and Boys' schedule includes regular participation in Sunday services at Trinity and annual Christmas and spring concerts. The boys have a separate identity as the Trinity Boys Choir, singing services and concerts throughout Connecticut and the eastern United States. The Boys Choir has also won acclaim for its performances in England and Italy.

The choir regularly appears with other area musical organizations. In 1973, the Boys Choir participated in a performance of Leonard Bernstein's Mass with the composer in attendance. In 1985, the Boys Choir was the treble group in a performance of Benjamin Britten's monumental War Requiem, under the baton of renowned conductor Robert Shaw. The Choir of Men and Boys, the Orchestra of the Old Fairfield Academy and members of the choir of Christ Church, Greenwich, presented the first New England performance of Handel's complete Messiah sung by a choir of men and boys accompanied by Baroque-style instruments in December 1988. During the same season the Boys Choir appeared with Orchestra New England in Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream.

The Boys Choir joined the New Haven Symphony Orchestra in a holiday concert in December 1991; the following March, they performed an all-British program at the Yale Center for British Art. The 1994-95 season included a performance of the Fauré Requiem with the Fairfield Orchestra.

During the 1995-96 season, the Choir of Men and Boys participated in an encore performance of Handel's Messiah with the Orchestra of the Old Fairfield Academy, and the Boys Choir served as the treble choir in a February 1996 performance of Mahler's Third Symphony with the Julliard Orchestra at Lincoln Center. In November 1996, the choir joined two other choirs of men and boys at Grace Church, New York, for a performance of Mozart's Coronation Mass. The Choir of Men and Boys sang at St. Thomas Church, New York, and the Boys Choir appeared with the Fairfield Orchestra in a concert at Carnegie Hall during the 1997-98 season. In December of the 2003-2004 season, the Choir joins with the American Classical Orchestra in presenting the Christmas portion of Messiah.