Our Music at Trinity 2024-25 season offered an array of musical opportunities–from Choral Evensong and brilliant Urban Nocturnes concerts to solo piano and organ four-hands concerts. I would like to thank the Friends of Music at Trinity, the Richard Peel Trust, the Trinity Music Guild, and sponsors Don Swierenga, Jack Carter, Richard and Susan Stewart, and Robert Dixon whose support made this season possible.

The season opened with Choral Evensong for All Saints, featuring the beloved standards of Brewer in D and Brahms’ “How Lovely” from the Deutsche Requiem.  This was quickly followed by the first of our Urban Nocturnes concerts, showcasing the amazing Piano Quintet in G minor by Dmitri Shostakovich.  The group was joined by Steven Moeckel, Professor of Violin at NAU and former concertmaster of the Phoenix Symphony.

December saw a glorious Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols with a range of music from David Willcocks to Cecelia McDowall, and we boasted our largest attendance since the pandemic.  The New Year was ushered in by ASU Assistant Professor Miki Aoki, who performed a solo concert on the cathedral’s Bösendorfer grand piano.  Music of Beethoven, Berio and Janacek filled the cathedral space and it was a memorable musical performance.

This year’s Peel Memorial Concert was performed by organist Adam Brakel, Director of Music and Organist at The Royal Poinciana Chapel in Palm Beach, Florida. His program included a wealth of rarely heard works including the Toccata de La Liberation of Leonce de Saint-Martin and a fantastic transcription from Meyerbeer’s opera Le Prophète.

Urban Nocturne’s second concert brought a variety of works for strings and woodwinds, including movements from the brilliant Dances for Flute Clarinet and Cello by contemporary composer Brian Raphael Nabors and a transcription of Schubert’s Lieder, Der Erlkönig.

Evensong for Mothering Sunday included the gorgeous Magnificat from the Oriel Service by Judith Bingham, commissioned by Oriel College, Oxford, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the admission of women to the college, and the Nunc Dimittis from Stephanie Martin’s Selwyn Service, written for Selwyn College, Cambridge.

The season concluded with a concert of music for Organ four-hands, with James Gerber joining me on the bench of the cathedral organ.  I’m pleased to report that it was a rousing success and neither James nor I fell off the bench!

Thank you all for your support of Music at Trinity. Now, more than ever, grass roots support of the arts is vital if they are to survive in this current climate.  We deeply value your support and encouragement!

Erik Goldstrom,
Trinity Canon Musician