The Saint Anselm College Choir’s annual spring concert, one of the most attended choir events, will take place on Saturday, April 8. But this year’s concert is even more special, because it is the event’s twentieth anniversary. As part of the celebration, alumni are welcomed back to the Hilltop to sing with the choir. Any choir alumni present will be invited to sing with the choir in the iconic “I Love You, Lord,” a song so closely associated with the choir.

Choir director Eric Bermani says, “I have begun a database of alumni choristers living in the Manchester and greater Manchester area with the vision of incorporating their talents and experience in future events ranging from liturgies to concerts to European tours.”

The choir has been preparing for the concert since January. Rather than utilizing the choir stalls, the choir will be assembled on the sanctuary steps and there will not be an inclusion of spoken scriptural passages.  However, this lack of “spoken scriptural passages” does not detract from the sacredness of the evening because the bulk of the music is, indeed, sacred music since its text is drawn directly from sacred scripture.

“The evening will indeed take on a special dimension. 2017 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of the college choir making it a milestone year for the choir as well as for the college,” explains Bermani. “I will be taking time to issue a formal sort of ‘thank you’ to our director emeritus, Fr. Bede Camera, O.S.B., for the vision he had and the profound dedication he gave to the choir as well as to music ministry in the Roman Catholic Church.”

By way of that acknowledgement and appreciation, the choir will thank the past choristers who engaged in this “important ministry,” as well as the current choristers and simultaneously give a nod to the future choristers, says Bermani.

He continues, “The evening will be functioning in a multitude of ways:  the annual spring concert, a formal thank you to Fr. Bede and the vision he had, to the current choristers and to the future of the college choir.  Of course, this is all happening within the context of the vigil of Palm Sunday so the particular, and quite unavoidable, timing has also had an impact on the shape and form of our musical selection.  I anticipate having a gathering in campus ministry following the concert for alumni choristers and current choristers to have a moment with Fr. Bede and to reminisce and to catch-up.”

Seniors choir members Caresse Mailloux and Peter Fidrych have remarked upon the great friendships that they have made through being part of choir.

Mailloux has had a very similar experience in choir, enjoying the beauty of the music: “Together, we make up a very close-knit family inside and outside our choir rehearsals, Masses, and concerts. I am most looking forward to singing and conducting for the last time in the beautiful Abbey Church, with which I have a special connection and affinity, with the amazing people who make up our choir. Joining with the community in praying to God, not through speech, but through music is incredible. Not only are we using language, but we are hopefully moving souls. Moving other souls through notes, our souls, and passion.”