Since 1993, the Strath Haven Cantata choir has been traveling to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine to perform in the mass of the Feast of St. Francis Day celebration.
The choir, which was previously under the direction of Mr. John Shankweiler, who retired in June of 2024, again traveled to New York, but with a new director, Mrs. Lindsey Reinhard Silva.
“This was my first overnight trip as a public school teacher,” Silva said. “I was really excited to take the students.”
New to Haven and WSSD, Silva adopted all three of Haven’s choral ensembles: Camerata, Cantata, and Silvertones. This also meant continuing traditions, like the Cantata trip, with current and new students.
“I know that many had done it before, but I also know that different people have different styles of going on trips,” Silva said. “I felt really great with the attitude of everybody going into [the trip].”
Preparation for the trip and mass began weeks prior with Cantata members rehearsing with Silva during fifth block and Sunday afternoon sessions. Rehearsal times were not only used to teach the music to new students but to also help older students regain a familiarity with the music.
“Students had sung this piece before, but I feel when we went to start rehearsals, I noticed a gap in perceived knowledge of it versus the actual, ‘Oh yeah, I really am confident in my voice’ part,” Silva said.
The continuous rehearsal process with Cantata helped members learn the music effectively, benefitting for the mass in New York City.
“I was like ‘let’s take the opportunity to really break it down and learn this piece from the inside out,’” Silva said. “I feel like that approach made us a lot more successful when we actually got [to the mass], it was a pretty intense process for the first few weeks of school, but I think it got us to a good spot.”
For many, including freshman Scarlett Rein, Cantata members look back on the rehearsal process.
“We did a lot of work leading up to it,” Rein said. “We had a Sunday class and rehearsals and it was pretty easy.”
After a 2-hour bus ride on Saturday, October 5, into New York City, students arrived at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine where they dropped off their personal overnight belongings. From the cathedral, students made their way to Midtown Manhattan, via MTA New York City Subway.
In Midtown, students ate lunch and then watched the afternoon showing of the Broadway show ‘Once Upon a Mattress.’ Before a three-hour evening rehearsal for the mass, students watch a show, a choice made by Silva.
“I wanted to pick something that was not gonna leave me crying for the rest of the afternoon,” Silva said. “I looked at the rest of the cast, and I was like, ‘Holy cow, this is such a star-studded Broadway production.’”
After the show, students made their way back to Uptown to the cathedral for a three-hour rehearsal with the instrumentalists and other members of the greater chorus for the mass.
“The music is very beautiful,” sophomore and tenor Louis Lanza said. “It was very interesting to sing in a space where you have to only rely on the conductor instead of what you hear.”
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, constructed in 1892, has a floor area of 121,000 sq. feet with a building length of 601 feet, making it the largest church building in the world.
The Cathedral, head of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, celebrates St. Francis Day, where the Blessing of the Animals takes place. The music of Paul Winter’s Missa Gaia complements the celebration.
After a night of sleeping on the gym floor, the mass took place the following morning on Sunday, October 6. The mass is open to the public and people can bring their pets to participate in the Blessing of the Animals.
“I don’t think anyone made a really noticeable mistake, it was very smooth running,” Lanza said. “Dogs were barking constantly, it was really funny.”
After the rehearsal and a small lunch break, students loaded onto a bus back to Wallingford. The trip offered students a unique experience which Silva hopes will continue soon.
“I’m really looking forward to more opportunities to travel students,” Silva said. “I think getting involved with the community is a really important thing, and you learn a lot when you’re not at home.”
For the many members of the choir, they hope to return to New York City next year.
“I would totally want to do it again, that’s my goal,” Hein said. “I want to be in it next year, it was so much fun.”
