Trinity Church Announces 2025 Holiday Music Programming

Trinity Church Announces
2025 Holiday Music Programming

Trinity Church’s critically acclaimed production of Handel’s Messiah returns December 10-12

 Downtown Voices celebrates its 10-year anniversary with Britten’s Saint Nicolas, December 3

 The Trinity Youth Chorus will perform A Ceremony of Carols and Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on Christmas Carols, December 14
 
The holiday season will conclude with Sing, Choirs of Angels, a sing-along for the community, December 20

New York, NY — October 27, 2025 — Trinity Church NYC announces its highly anticipated 2025 holiday season, anchored by its world-renowned annual performance of Handel’s Messiah, hailed by The New York Times as “the gold standard.” Since its first presentation at Trinity in 1770, this historically informed performance has become one of New York City’s most cherished traditions. For the first time, Trinity will present the oratorio in two liturgically aligned parts: Part I, depicting the prophecies and birth of Christ, will be offered in December as part of the holiday season, and Parts II and III will be performed at Easter time, tracing Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection. Under the baton of Director of Music Melissa Attebury, the Trinity Choir, Trinity Baroque Orchestra, and Trinity Youth Chorus will bring this timeless masterpiece to life in Trinity Church’s acoustically rich space. Performances will take place December 10–12, with a free concert for Trinity's educational partner organizations on December 10.

The holiday season at Trinity begins on December 3 with a milestone celebration for Downtown Voices, which marks its 10th anniversary with a festive homecoming concert. Past and present singers will join the Trinity Youth Chorus and the contemporary music ensemble NOVUS for Benjamin Britten’s dramatic cantata Saint Nicolas—the very first work the chorus performed in its 2015 debut. Conducted by Stephen Sands and featuring tenor David Vanderwal, the performance will offer an evening of joyful music-making and reflection on a decade of choral artistry.

On December 14, the Trinity Youth Chorus returns to the candlelit beauty of St. Paul’s Chapel for its beloved annual performance of Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols. This year, the program expands with a new addition: Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on Christmas Carols, a work highlighting these young talented voices with organ and strings from NOVUS. Led by Peyton Marion, this concert combines time-honored tradition with fresh repertoire.

Holiday programming concludes on December 20 with Sing, Choirs of Angels: Holiday Sing-Along, a community event featuring the St. Paul’s Chapel Choir, Trinity Choral Scholars, the Choirs of the Borough of Manhattan Community College, NOVUS brass and percussion, and the voices of Trinity’s congregation.

Trinity Church Winter 2025 Programming

December 3, 7pm in Trinity Church
Downtown Voices Celebrates 10 Years
Benjamin Britten Saint Nicolas, op. 42
David Vanderwal, tenor; Downtown Voices; Trinity Youth Chorus; NOVUS; Stephen Sands, conductor

Downtown Voices celebrates its 10th anniversary with a festive concert featuring alumni from the past decade, bringing together voices past and present for a powerful musical homecoming. The program features Benjamin Britten’s Saint Nicolas, the very first work performed by Downtown Voices in its inaugural concert in 2015. This dramatic and colorful cantata tells the story of the legendary saint, with this presentation featuring Downtown Voices, NOVUS, Trinity Youth Chorus, and soloists. Join us for a night of celebration, reflection, and joyful music-making as we mark this milestone in the life of Downtown Voices!

December 10, 11, and 12, 7pm in Trinity Church
?Handel’s Messiah
George Frideric Handel Messiah, HWV 56 (Part I)
Trinity Choir; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Trinity Youth Chorus; Melissa Attebury, conductor
Ticketed

Led by Director of Music Melissa Attebury, this New York Times–acclaimed “gold standard” rendition of Messiah presents the Christmas portion of this beloved and timeless oratorio. With Trinity’s peerless choir and some of the country’s finest Baroque players, Trinity’s performances of Messiah are a cherished holiday tradition that have captivated audiences since 1770.

December 14, 7pm (at Compline) in St. Paul’s Chapel
Trinity Youth Chorus
Benjamin Britten A Ceremony of Carols, op. 28
Ralph Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Christmas Carols
Trinity Youth Chorus; NOVUS; Peyton Marion, conductor

The Trinity Youth Chorus returns to St. Paul’s Chapel for its annual performance of Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols. This beloved holiday concert will also feature a new addition to TYC’s repertoire: Ralph Vaughn Williams’s Fantasia on Christmas Carols, which will highlight the talented voices of the youth chorus alongside organ and strings from NOVUS. Join us for an evening of festive tunes and texts by candlelight with the Trinity Youth Chorus and NOVUS.

December 20, 2pm and 3:30pm in Trinity Church
Sing, Choirs of Angels: Holiday Sing-Along
St. Paul’s Chapel Choir, Trinity Choral Scholars, the choirs from BMCC, NOVUS brass and percussion

Trinity’s holiday extravaganza of carols and other festive works this year features St. Paul’s Chapel Choir in addition to Trinity Choral Scholars, NOVUS brass and percussion, the choirs of the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), and, of course, Trinity’s congregation.

ABOUT MUSIC AT TRINITY CHURCH

Trinity Church’s groundbreaking music program—“the top of musical life in New York” (The New York Times)–has changed the landscape of performing arts in New York City, reenvisioning the impact arts organizations can have, with its peerless ensembles, uniquely broad range of expertise from early to new-music performance, long tradition of championing underrepresented composers, and extensive and growing discography.

ABOUT TRINITY CHURCH

Trinity Church is an Episcopal parish in New York City founded in 1697. We work for justice, serve our neighbors, and bring people together to experience God’s love in community. Trinity’s outreach in the city includes 20 weekly worship services, food assistance seven days a week for people in need, support for asylum seekers, housing for the elderly and people living with disabilities, youth programs, and a wide array of free music and educational events throughout the year. The church also supports communities and ministries serving the world in Africa, Asia, and across the Americas.

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