Boy and Girl Choristers of Washington National Cathedral to Sing at Washington Monument Reopening
WASHINGTON — The Boy and Girl Choristers of Washington National Cathedral Choir will celebrate the reopening of the Washington Monument, performing at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the National Mall on Monday, May 12 at 10 a.m. EST. The Choristers include boys who attend the St. Albans School and girls from the National Cathedral School, both located on the Cathedral close. The Cathedral choirs tour nationally and internationally and have recorded a number of albums.
Other musicians including American Idol-winner Candice Glover, the Old Guard Fife & Drum Corps and the United States Navy Band will join the 40 Choristers in celebrating the reopening of the monument, which was damaged in a 2011 earthquake. The National Cathedral also suffered significant damage to its historic Gothic building totaling more than $25 million. It could take more than a decade to repair.
At the Cathedral we are honored to be part of the celebrations at the Washington Monument,” said Canon Michael McCarthy, Washington National Cathedral’s director of music. “It is appropriate that the Cathedral be represented at this reopening as our own building was damaged in the same earthquake. The National Cathedral stands over the city, still wearing the scars of that earthquake, but continues to do its work both within the District of Columbia and as a national church. The children’s choir is a vibrant example of our undeterred ministry. We at the Cathedral are thrilled to see this monument completed as it gives us tremendous hope and inspiration for the work yet to be done in renewing the National Cathedral, one of the nation’s magnificent landmarks.”
Canon McCarthy, the Cathedral’s director of music and Jim Shepherd, director of preservation and facilities at National Cathedral, will be available to speak to the media about the Choristers’ musical performance and the damage and renovations to the Cathedral respectively.
Who: The Boy and Girl Choristers of Washington National Cathedral
Canon Michael McCarthy, director of music
Jim Shepherd, director of preservation and facilities
What: Choral Performance at the Washington Monument Reopening Ceremony
Where: Washington Monument at the National Mall, 900 Ohio Drive SW, Washington, D.C. 20024
When: Monday, May 12 at 10 a.m. EST
Why: To celebrate the reopening of the Washington Monument and raise awareness of ongoing need at National Cathedral.
The Trust for the National Mall is sponsoring the Washington Monument Reopening Ceremony, which will feature the TODAY show’s Al Roker, Mayor Vincent Gray, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis and philanthropist David Rubenstein.
SOURCE: Washington National Cathedral