A Festival of Psalms: Choral Concert featuring Organist David Briggs

Details

Join us for a world premiere choral concert of father-daughter duo David & Kerensa Briggs, entitled A Festival of Psalms. Janet Yieh will conduct this forty-five minute choral psalm setting, featuring David Briggs on organ, The Choir & Choristers of Heavenly Rest, Members of the Canterbury Choral Society, and Brass Quintet & Percussion. A second part of the concert will feature organ solo by David Briggs. The concert will be about 90 minutes.

About the Artists:

is an award-winning organist known for his unbridled virtuosity and passion for making organ music vibrant and accessible to a wide and diverse audience. He teaches performance at Cambridge University, and is currently Artist-in-Residence at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.

Described as 'poignant, ambivalent, quietly devastating music' in the New York Times, Kerensa Briggs is an award-winning composer specializing in choral music. Her music has been performed internationally at venues including St Paul’s Cathedral and the Sistine Chapel, and is regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Classic FM and BBC Radio Scotland by ensembles such as The Tallis Scholars and the BBC Singers. Kerensa was winner of the National Centre for Early Music Young Composers Award 2014 and is a member of the TheoArtistry Composers scheme at St Andrews' Institute for Theology and The Arts and the ‘Illuminate’ women’s music project. She is currently Composer in Residence for St Louis Chamber Chorus.

Director of Music at Church of the Heavenly Rest on the Upper East Side in New York City, where she oversees a vibrant music program for all ages, conducts the choirs and plays the 138-rank Austin Organ. An innovative concert recitalist and sacred music specialist, Janet has been lauded for her “expressivity and technical prowess” (The American Organist), and named one of ‘20 under 30’ promising artists by The Diapason magazine in 2017. She has performed concert tours throughout the United States and across the globe, with highlights including New York’s Alice Tully Hall, Washington’s National Cathedral, San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral, Yale University’s Woolsey Hall, Taipei’s Aletheia University Chapel, and Japan’s Momoyama St. Andrew’s University Chapel.

Janet earned a Master’s of Musical Arts (2018) and Master’s Degree in Organ Performance (2017) from the Yale School of Music and Yale Institute of Sacred Music and a Bachelor of Music in Organ (2015) from the Juilliard School.

Music at Church of the Heavenly Rest

At Church of the Heavenly Rest, music draws us into service and inspires us in many ways. Whether you love to sing or are looking for family friendly activities and concerts in the neighborhood, we have a program for you and would love for you to join us!

Our 30-voice Adult Choir is a combined group of volunteer singers and talented section leaders, singing every Sunday morning and for special services including Christmas Eve, Holy Week and Easter.

Children in our Age 4-Grade 12 chorister programs learn to sing, build rhythm and music literacy, and develop a meaningful sense of community. During the school year, chorister programs run from September through May, and we offer an August Choir and Arts Camp for rising 2nd-8th graders.

Our handbell choir includes those of all levels of experience who enjoy playing as part of an ensemble.

Heavenly Rest’s magnificent 137-rank Austin Pipe Organ has over 8000 pipes, making it one of the largest in Manhattan.

Summer Evening Jazz Vespers take place in June and July.

We present mainstage Concerts with a Cause performances each season featuring classical, choral, jazz and Broadway musicians. Each concert benefits one of our partner organizations here in New York City.

Please reach out to Director of Music, Janet Yieh at [email protected] with any questions.

Event Host

Church of the Heavenly Rest