Who We Are

The Montpelier Community Gospel Choir is a nondenominational community choir in Montpelier, Vermont (USA). Our members hail from all over the central Vermont area and from many different faith (and nonfaith) traditions. While professional singers are always welcome, the choir is composed mostly of people with no professional training. Anyone may join us; we ask only that they bring a love of this powerful music tradition and a willingness to open their hearts to what happens when we sing it.

The choir began in 1994 under the direction of the Rev. Fred Shapiro and the late Andy Shapiro. From its humble beginnings as a loose-knit group of about 20 people, the choir has grown over the years to its present size of over 50 members. Our Interim Director for Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 is Eileen Harvey, and our band members are Jeff Guerin on piano, Phil Carr on drums, John Ryan on bass, and Max Bronstein-Paritz on guitar. John Harrison will be returning for the Fall 2008 season.

What We Do

We sing! We clap! We shout! We play! We laugh! We pray! Sometimes we cry. We do all this at our home church, Trinity United Methodist Church of Montpelier, Vermont, during our Monday night rehearsals from 7 to 9 p.m. The choir meets for two seasons every year: from August/September to December, and again from January to May/June. At the end of every season we usually perform two concerts, one in Montpelier for our loyal local fans, and one elsewhere—often in Vermont, but sometimes out of state. The choir combines soul, jazz, blues, and original and traditional gospel music to produce an exuberant sound.

Over the years we have performed under the gospel tent at the Discover Jazz Festival in Burlington, Vermont; at Montpelier’s First Night New Year’s Eve celebration; and at the Farmer’s Night concert series at the Vermont State House. We have been privileged with the opportunity to sing with Tammy Fletcher, Vermont’s homegrown blues great, and with gospel legend Fontella Bass and jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie. We sing at benefits, church services, prisons, nursing homes, and memorial services, but the heart of what we do happens at our Monday Evening rehearsals. It’s there that we share with each other, open our hearts, take chances, and witness the movement of the Spirit. When all of that carries over into our concerts, we are all blessed.

Why We Do It

We sing to share with each other and with the community the joy, hope, and inspiration of gospel music. We sing because we have to, because we love it, and because we are changed by it. Come join us!