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Rites  of  Passage – A  Sibling’s  Art:  A  Summer  Festival  Anecdote    

 

 

 

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t’s  a  repertoire  choice  that  can  be  counted  on  annually  at  St.  Bart’s:  Leonard   Bernstein’s  Chichester  Psalms  sung  as  part  of  the  Summer  Festival  of  Sacred   Music  on  the  Sunday  closest  to  July  4,  featuring  American  composers.   Thoroughly  modern  in  its  rollicking  dance  rhythms,  tender  “Broadway-­‐esque”   melodies,  and  sometimes  edgy  harmonies,  it  evokes  New  York  City  to  perfection.       Its  second  movement,  a  setting  of  Psalm  23,  “The  Lord  is  my  shepherd,”  written  for  a   boy  treble  accompanied  by  harp,  is  one  of  the  most  endearing  moments  of  the  work.   The  solo  is  sung  by  a  treble  chosen  from  St.  Bart’s  Boy  and  Girl  Choristers.  For  three   consecutive  years,  from  2012  to  2014,  the  soloist  has  been  Thatcher  Pitkoff,  who   rendered  the  music  beautifully  with  a  full  ringing  tone  and  confident  execution.   Thatcher  turned  13  this  past  year  and,  with  the  onset  of  adolescence,  his  treble  voice   naturally  changed  to  a  lower  octave,  prompting  the  need  for  a  successor.  Peter   Barrie,  aged  12  and  a  four-­‐year  member  of  the  Choristers  program,  was  chosen  to   sing  the  solo  this  year  and  he  proved  himself  beautifully.    

2 An  iconic  moment  in  this  second  movement  occurs  when  the  men  of  the  choir   suddenly  interrupt  the  plaintive  Psalm  23  with  the  words  “Lamah  rag’shu  goyim?”   translated  “Why  do  the  nations  rage?”  from  Psalm  2.  It’s  a  sinister  moment,  the  men   sounding  demonic  and  wraith-­‐like.  Above  this  however,  Bernstein  juxtaposes  the   sopranos  and  altos  of  the  choir  with  the  melody  of  Psalm  23,  signifying  the  triumph   of  peace  and  grace  over  violence  and  evil.     or  the  past  few  years,   veteran  Chorister  Chloe   Pitkoff,  Thatcher’s  older   sister  and  a  gifted  artist,  has   created  a  series  of  drawings  in   response  to  the  “Lamah  rag’shu”   moment  entitled  “Llama  got  my   shoe,”  an  amusing  take  on  what   the  Hebrew  words,  sung  at   breakneck  speed,  sound  like.  In   each  drawing,  a  llama  is   depicted  with  a  shoe  in  its   mouth,  sometimes  alongside  a   visibly  annoyed  rider  with  one   shoe  missing.  Chloe’s  intent,  to  the  delight  of  all  the  musicians  involved,  was  to   lighten  the  burden  of  quickly  preparing  this  supremely  challenging  work.  In  so   doing,  she  created  an  annual  tradition  of  her  own,  animated  by  her  keen   imagination.     Last  July  5,  as  Peter  effortlessly   presented  his  solo,  Thatcher   attended  the  service,  sitting   noticeably  in  the  North  Gallery  in   loyal  support  of  his  successor,  an   affirmative  “passing  of  the  torch”   from  an  experienced  singer  to  one   clearly  on  his  way.  Chloe  also   attended  and  provided  another   installment  of  her  “Lamah,”  this   one  not  a  pencil  drawing,  but  a   lush  painting,  vivid  in  color,  detail   and  drama.  A  humorous  jest  was  transformed  into  a  gesture  celebrating  the  rite  of   passage  for  two  of  her  choral  colleagues,  one  from  childhood  into  young  adulthood   and  the  other  toward  the  blossoming  of  youth:  a  work  of  art  illuminated  by  heartfelt   symbolism  and  rendered  with  generosity  and  thoughtfulness.       A  church  music  program  is  a  ministry,  both  to  the  congregation  and,  if  it  is  effective,   to  its  participants  as  well.    It  too  is  a  community  of  faith  and  trust  with  the  human   instinct  to  offer  praise  at  its  core.    This  story  of  three  extraordinary  children  

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3 inspired  and  united  by  the  miracle  of  music  is  just  one  of  countless  others.  It  could   not  happen  if  it  weren’t  for  your  support.  Thank  you.     —William  K.  Trafka,  Organist  and  Director  of  Music