The Capital Singers of Trenton is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a season of concerts that will take the 60-member chorus from the War Memorial in Trenton to performances in Cranbury and Beach Haven.
Founded in 2006, the nonprofit organization has spent two decades bringing choral music to the capital region, performing everything from classical compositions and American standards to contemporary theater favorites and new works. Its 2026-27 season will feature collaborations with the Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey and the Trenton Children’s Chorus, along with performances highlighting the connection between music, poetry and spirituality.
Under the direction of Artistic Director and Conductor Vinroy Brown and Associate Conductor Kendra Balmer, the chorus will present a series of programs combining familiar works with new musical experiences, including the world premiere of a composition by area musician Vince di Mura.
The season opens Saturday, October 24, at 7:30 p.m. when the Capital Singers joins the Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey for its season premiere at Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, 1 Memorial Drive, Trenton. The chorus will perform the world premiere of di Mura’s “Harmony Villa” as part of the program.
The Capital Singers will return to its longtime home at Sacred Heart Church, 343 S. Broad St., Trenton, on Sunday, December 6, at 4 p.m. for “Winter Songs XX,” the 20th edition of its annual holiday concert.
The program will feature seasonal favorites including “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” “The Christmas Song” and “Auld Lang Syne.” In recognition of the organization’s anniversary, founding Artistic Director Richard Loatman and Associate Conductor Emeritus Ellen Dondero will return as guest conductors.
The concert will also feature the Trenton Children’s Chorus under the direction of Desiree Melegrito and Kristin Schenk.
The collaboration with the Capital Philharmonic continues Sunday, March 7, at 4 p.m. with a performance of Francis Poulenc’s “Gloria,” FP 177, at Sacred Heart Church. The program will also include Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, commonly known as the “Pastoral Symphony.”
The focus shifts to poetry in the spring with “The Peace of Wild Things,” presented by the Capital Singers Women’s Ensemble on Sunday, April 25, at 4 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church.
Directed by Balmer, the program takes its name from a poem by Wendell Berry and explores themes of strength, stillness, sorrow, joy, resilience and peace.
The anniversary season concludes with three performances of “Serenade to Music,” a program exploring the relationships among poetry, art, music and faith.
The first performance takes place Sunday, May 23, at 4 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church in Trenton. The chorus then travels to St. David’s Episcopal Church, 90 S. Main St., Cranbury, for a Saturday, June 5, performance at 4 p.m., followed by a final concert Sunday, June 6, at 4 p.m. at Holy Innocents Episcopal Church, 410 S. Atlantic Ave., Beach Haven.
The program is built around two compositions by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, “Five Mystical Songs” and “Serenade to Music.” It will also include works by Gwyneth Walker, Undine Smith Moore and Civilla D. Martin.
The anniversary season reflects the chorus’s longstanding commitment to collaboration with area musical organizations. Over its 20-year history, the Capital Singers has worked with choirs and orchestras to bring performers and audiences together while expanding its repertoire.
The organization, which operates as a nonprofit, seeks to promote choral singing throughout Trenton and the surrounding region, making a wide variety of musical traditions accessible to area audiences.
For more information about the Capital Singers of Trenton and its 2026-27 concert season, visit capitalsingers.org.
