History of the Church dedicated to St Helena

The College was establised by a charter granted in 1693 by King William 111 and Queen Mary 11 of England making it the second oldest institution of higher learning in the US preceded only by Harvard University.

The Choir is composed of about 85 undergraduates from a variety of disciplines; very few are music majors. Singers are selected in open auditions and there are always several students for each available slot.

The choir, who's Director from 1974 is Frank T Lendrim, gives a concert in the autunm and spring, and travels on a spring tour each year. Every three years the choir takes a European tour for which the members pay their own way.

The choir has sung at Westminster Abbey in London; Canterbury Cathedral and most of the major venues of the Continent. They have performed in the precence of Her Majesty the Queen and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

On their tours of Europe they also sing in less known venus for example Willoughby Parish Church. They came to Willoughby on June 9th 1987 on a tour that included the Notre Dame, Paris, Chartres Cathedral, France; Emmanual Church, Geneva, Switzerland; Christ the king Church, Frankfurt, Thomaskirche, Leipzig, Germany; Canterbury Cathedral, St. Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle, England and many other venues as well in a one month tour.

The members of the choir stayed in the homes of Willoughby families three days while they did their three concerts in Linconshire; Lincoln Cathedral, Boston Parish Church, and St Helena's Willoughby.

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