On 10th Anniversary, Trinity Wall Street Remembers Tragic Events of 9/11 with Week of Free Concerts
Observances Include Full Day of Concerts on Sep 9 with Choirs from Regions Forever Linked by 9/11: New York, Washington DC, Pennsylvania & Boston
After September 11, 2001, it was in Trinity Wall Street and St. Paul’s Chapel – just a stone’s throw from Ground Zero – that many sought spiritual refuge. Now, ten years on, the 300-year-old Episcopal parish presents a wealth of musical offerings – all free, and open to the public – in its weeklong observance of the tenth anniversary of the attacks (Sept 4–12). Opening on Sunday, September 4 at 9am, when Trinity Wall Street’s Director of Music and the Arts Julian Wachner leads the resident Trinity Choir in an all-Fauré service, the week builds to a climax on Friday, September 9, with a full day of concerts featuring celebrated choirs from New York City, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, and Boston – regions forever linked by the tragic events of 9/11. After taking turns to give hourly performances throughout the day, the five adult choirs come together for a final, stirring concert at 8:30pm, with guest star appearances by Grammy Award-winning violinist Gil Shaham and Metropolitan Opera singers Angela Meade, Anthony Roth Costanzo, and Luca Pisaroni. The week’s highlights also include a recital by the Chiara String Quartet and six performances by Wachner, the Trinity Choir, and the Trinity Baroque Orchestra in their popular “Bach at One” series, showcasing the motets of J.S. Bach (Sept 5–8, 10, 12). The same forces make their debut recording of the complete motets on the Musica Omnia label; due for release on September 1, the album is offered as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks.
One of the oldest, largest, and most vibrant of all Episcopal parishes, Trinity Wall Street is located in the heart of New York’s financial district, where it has created a dynamic home for great music. Informed by the theme “Remember to Love,” the week of commemorative concerts is designed to honor the memory of those tragically lost, and to mark the unparalleled efforts of the first responders, recovery workers, and volunteer community by offering contemplation, solace, and the embrace of a hopeful future. As the Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper, 17th Rector of Trinity Wall Street, observes:
“Ten years ago, the final act of many 9/11 victims was one of love. Facing the unthinkable, their parting gesture was to reach out to their families, friends, and colleagues. Ten years later, let us ‘Remember to Love’ those who are gone, those who remain, and those to come. Let us further remember and honor those who perished by generating a post-anniversary community committed to reconciliation and peace.”
Except where noted, concerts take place at either Trinity Church, on Broadway at Wall Street, or St. Paul’s Chapel, on Broadway and Fulton Street. Having survived intact both New York’s Great Fire of 1776, which destroyed the original Trinity Church, and the annihilation of the World Trade Center across the street, St. Paul’s has come to be known as “the little chapel that stood.”
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