St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church is a vibrant, welcoming congregation in Fort Worth, Texas.  Music has been a central component to the Liturgy at St. Matthew’s and its tradition of performing choral music continues to serve the church and greater community. Throughout the church calendar year, St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church Chancel Choir presents weekly choral anthems, and during Advent and Lent, the choir presents major works, such as Rutter’s Requiem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Randall Thompson’s The Nativity According to St. Luke, Händel’s Messiah, and Mozart’s Requiem.  The choir is under the direction of Emily Davis, Director of Music Ministries, and accompanied by John Wolf, Church Organist and Pianist.  Emily Davis is the Choral Director at All Saints’ Episcopal School in Fort Worth and John Wolf is an organ builder for the Garland Pipe Organ Company. Former Director of Music Ministries, Jolene Webster, who is now the Director of Music Ministries at University United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas, is a guest conductor on this tour.

The choral music ministry at First Presbyterian, Annapolis has a strong, long standing tradition of offering some of the great choral works in the sacred church music canon. They perform the sacred classics, gospel, spirituals and American sacred anthems. Every Lenten and Advent season the Chancel Choir offers such glorious works as Gabriel Faure’s Requiem, John Rutter’s Magnificat and Requiem, Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah, to name a few. These are often accompanied by instrumental ensembles. The Music Ministry of First Presbyterian Church offers persons of every age and ability a place to discover, nurture, and offer their musical gifts.

Conductor: Michael Neumann’s

The Sacramento Youth Symphony (SYS) was founded in 1956 as a 55-member youth orchestra.  In its 62-year history, the SYS has grown from one orchestra to one of the preeminent youth music programs in Northern California. Every year more than 400 young people further their musical skills through introductory, beginning, intermediate and advanced orchestras. The SYS presents over 20 concerts each year.

Portugese Violinhos string orchestra was founded in 2003 and since then has been conducted by Philippo Poêjo. Apart from the fact that the orchestra spreads musical education, it holds high artistic level and, at the same time, focuses on the social responsibility – the musicians give concerts in schools, hospitals, and provide beneficial performances.

The repertoire includes pieces composed by J. S. Bach, G. H. Händel, R. Schumann, A. Vivaldi, E. Elgar and more.

The Silver Tour is a group of all-star high school musicians. This tour’s Symphonic Band includes 50 members, the Jazz Band includes 20 members and the Concert Choir is 20 voices strong. These students represent 19 American high schools and colleges from the states of Pennsylvania and New York and from Canada.

Reviewers from all European countries have noted the “purity of tone,” the “dedication to musical technical
demands and expression,” and the “high quality, entertaining value” of the musicians.

The concert will feature a varied repertoire. The performance will include music from the masters, music
from the American Broadway stage, American folk music and works by contemporary American composers.