French Boys Choir FREE concert

The French Boys Choir (Maitrise des Hauts de France) is planning their tour of the USA! They will be visiting Canandaigua for a concert on July 21st, 7pm at St. Mary's Church. These young singers are 7-12 year old boys from the town of Lambersart in France. They have studied and prepared beautiful classical and sacred choral works to share with our community. We hope to give them a warm welcome! This is a FREE concert. The boys will be selling CDs and passing around a collection basket for their travel costs, but donating is not required. The boys speak very little French but are excited to experience American culture!

The historic St. Mary's Church in Canandaigua recently underwent a major restoration. In phase one, falling plaster was mended, electrical wiring was updated, and the tired neutral walls were enlivened with new rich colors and intricate detail work. In phase two, the floors were sanded and restained and the cracked 150 year old pews were replaced with brand new identical (but sturdier) pews. The restored mural above the altar shows the detail that was once present in the heavenly scene, while the remaining ceiling is covered with hundreds of gold-leaf stars. The stained-glass windows were untouched during the restoration, and yet appear brighter and more vibrant due to the complimentive bold color pallate. Above the altar, the inscription in Latin translates "you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." While the inscription describes the mural, it also illustrates what happens at each Mass: that heaven touches earth. The Canandaigua community feels very proud to have funded the restoration of this beautiful church.