The choir began in 1994 under the direction of the Rev. Fred Shapiro and the late Andy Shapiro. From its beginnings as a loose-knit group of about 20 people, the choir has grown over the years to its present size of 60 members. Our Director is John Harrison, and our band members are Andrew Moroz on piano, Keith Gibson on drums, John Ryan on bass, and Ira Friedman on organ, and Max Bronstein-Paritz on guitar.

We sing! We clap! We shout! We play! We laugh! We pray! Sometimes we cry. We do all this at Trinity United Methodist Church of Montpelier, Vermont, during our Monday night rehearsals from 7:00 to 8:45 p.m.

Over the years we have performed under the gospel tent at the Discover Jazz Festival in Burlington, Vermont; at Montpelier’s First Night New Year’s Eve celebration; and at the Farmer’s Night concert series at the Vermont State House. We have been privileged with the opportunity to sing with Tammy Fletcher, Vermont’s homegrown blues great, and with gospel legend Fontella Bass and jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie. We sing at benefits, church services, prisons, nursing homes, and memorial services, but the heart of what we do happens at our Monday evening rehearsals. It’s there that we share with each other, open our hearts, take chances, and witness the movement of the Spirit. When all of that carries over into our concerts, we are all blessed.