It takes one person. 
One person to pay attention. 
To care enough. 
To remember. 
To take on the responsibility.
To carry the torch and bring the light.

A few months ago I received a phone call from Robert Anderson, our long-time recording engineer and sound wizard (also one of the nicest humans on this planet): 

Would Ghostlight co-present a concert marking the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Pell's Point with and at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site, centering on William Billings, the American revolutionary and founding father of the American Choral Tradition? 

"The battle of ... what?," I said. Turns out, that was exactly his point. 

Here is Robert: 
“The history and hardships of that event are obscured and forgotten enough -  I feel a debt is owed to these folks to remember them and what they went through; not so much in the sense of being mournful about it, but in honoring it by bringing it to life for an evening. Without those events of October 250 years ago, and the hard times people lived through in this region during that whole period, it's not hyperbole to say that none of what we have today exists.”

We met with historian and site manager, Dr. David Osborne, at the church and museum, and walked the hallowed grounds of its cemetery. 

Thanks to Dr. Osborne's graciousness and Robert Anderson's vision, the concert will be part of the anniversary events of this National Historic Site and will feature Revolutionary-era compositions by William Billings, in particular excerpts from his musical treatise The Singing Master's Assistant.

Here is Robert again:
“Billings was starting a revolution of his own, in a musical sense: rejecting European traditions of choral harmony as much as he was depending on their style as a foundation for experimentation; which I feel is not unlike his revolutionary friends Paul Revere and Sam Adams, who were rejecting monarchical government tradition while experimenting with new forms based on the Parliamentary style.”

Besides Billings, we will also sing works by other composers of the American Choral Tradition that have carried the torch forward, such as Randall Thompson, Amy Beach, Stephen Paulus, Eric Whitacre, and Caroline Shaw.

Join us to commemorate the events of 1776 with

TORCHBEARER: The musical legacy of an American Revolutionary
Saturday, October 17th, 7pm, at St. Paul's Church National Historic Site, Mount Vernon, NY

As this event is presented in cooperation with St. Paul's Church National Site, TORCHBEARER offers free admission, but because of expected strong attendance and limited seating, advance registration is highly recommended. 

Please reserve your seat HERE and donate if you can. Thank you!

Looking forward to seeing you, 

Dr. Evelyn DeGraf

We have presented 50 programs in 15 years: