Transfiguration Choir of Men & Boys
Transfiguration Camerata
Tranfiguration Girls Choir (Choir)

Founded: Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Transfiguration Choir of Men and Boys

The oldest such choir remaining in the USA, the Choir of Men and Boys consists of 8 men and 16 boys, ages 8-14, auditioned and selected from the New York metropolitan area, with diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. The boys rehearse several times each week and not only are paid but also receive incremental merit-based scholarships through the Anthony J. Mercede Scholarship Fund. The full Choir of Men and Boys sings most Sunday mornings at the 11:00 A.M. Mass.

Every summer the boys attend a week-long Choir Camp at Camp Incarnation in Ivoryton, Connecticut, where they prepare their music for the church year. In addition to rehearsing several hours a day, the boys get to swim and canoe in a beautiful lake, play soccer and other games, and roast marshmallows in a bonfire every night. Several parents also enjoy being chaperones, and older, former choirboys serve as counselors. In recent years the girls choir has been going to their own Music Camp at a nice hotel in Cape May, where they can swim in the ocean. Click here to see a slideshow of all the fun the choirs have!

Special Projects

In June 2014, members of the boys and girls choirs travelled to Philadelphia, where they performed on Saturday night at a historic downtown church and on Sunday in a suburban parish, after which they enjoyed a barbecue on the lawn of the large house where they were staying. In the summer of 2014, several members of the Boys Choir were in a performance art piece, “Fault Lines,” duets involving both movement and singing, at the prestigious Gladstone Gallery in Chelsea. Thousands of visitors saw their multiple performances over six weeks.

In January 2015, the Boys Choir performed in the all day Diocesan Treble Choir Festival at the enormous, resonant Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan. This was a chance to meet and hear various other choirs from around New York City. In June 2015, the combined Boys and Girls Choir travelled to Washington D.C. to participate in the international Serenade Festival. In addition to sightseeing, they performed in several venues with outstanding adult and children’s choirs from around the world and were praised in The Washington Post. This was an experience they will remember for the rest of their lives. In August 2015, members of the Boys Choir and the Girls Choir recorded music at a professional sound studio for Macaulay Culkin’s “Pizza Underground” project, a parody of the Velvet Underground. All involved had a great time. In September 2015, the boys recorded a singing video commercial for the popular TV show, The Big Bang Theory. They were very excited to be in this show, which most of them watch regularly, and sing the fun “Nice Kitty” song.

In January 2017, the choir of men and boys, and other featured soloists performed in costume "Amahl and the Night Visitors" on the eve of the Epiphany. The cast made a repeat performance at Mary Manning Nursing Home.

Transfiguration Camerata

The Camerata is a semi-professional chorus which is open to all adult and teenage singers, SATB. An audition is required. Rehearsal schedules will vary with each project.

Last year's performances included Menotti's Amahl and the Night Vistors, Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde, J.S. Bach's Cantatas BWV 78 and BWV 1. This June we will perform Schubert's Mass in G with orchestra.

The choir also sings during the active season for special church services and during the summer months, when it rehearses at 9:30 A.M. for the 11:00 A.M. service.

Transfiguration Girls Choir

The Girls Choir performs traditional Anglican choral anthems and hymns, plus spirituals and sacred folk songs, about once a month in church and meets every Saturday morning from 10:30 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. and/or Wednesday evening from 5:30 to 6:30 P.M. Skills fostered are singing, sight reading, musical understanding, teamwork, deportment, and performance. For girls age 9 to 17.

Source: The Church of the Transfiguration Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (September 2017)

Claudia Dumschat: Short Biography | Transfiguration Choir of Men and Boys / Camerata / Girls Choir | Recordings of Vocal Works

Links to other Sites

The Church of the Transfiguration / Music: Choir Of Men And Boys