Polymnia, a brand-new choral group comprising well-known St. Thomas vocalists, will make its maiden performance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral. They will be accompanied by the Puerto Rico Symphony Chamber Orchestra.
Under the direction of Lorna Young-Wright, the choir and symphony will present Johann Sebastian Bach's Mass in B. Minor.
"We've been working on it for months," said Erva Denham, alto. "We started rehearsals last September once a week, then up to two and three times a week." Denham underscored the challenge of doing the mass, "an exceptionally difficult, but extraordinarily beautiful work of music."
"The group has pulled together," Denham said, "We went through the birth blues, and now it's fabulous. We're ready." Because of the wonderful acoustics of the cathedral, she said, the concert will be performed with no electronic amplification.
The name Polymnia is the alternate spelling of Polyhymnia, the Greek muse of sacred music and harmony
Adele Allen of St. Croix is the pianist. Concert director Young-Wright is an associate professor of music at the University of the Virgin Islands. She has led the UVI Concert Choir, the Caribbean Chorale and several church choirs over the last ten years.
Performing will be: Lorraine Baa, Kan Constantine, Detra Davis, Janie Imperial-Rohring, Ruth E. Morris, Claudette V. Ferron , Monique R. Lynch, Tiffany Matthew, Marie Simmons, Joan Bennett-Williams, Erva Denham, Kirsten Kienberger, J. Andrea Lee, Nancy A. Morse, Charles C. Smith, Anival Vazquez, Ian E.Williams Sr., Lawrence O. Benjamin, Mario E. Bryan, Dr. Alfred O. Heath and Gary Rosenthal.
Polymnia is a nonprofit corporation whose major purpose is to promote excellence in choral singing in the Virgin Islands. Its goal is to keep comfortably low ticket prices. The concert is $10 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets are available by calling Erva Denham 690-0307, Charles C. Smith 776-5473 or Nancy Morse 777-6915.