ABOUT
History
Capital Singers of Trenton (CST) started in the spring of 2006 as a select group of mixed voices under the leadership of Richard M. Loatman. A non-sectarian, non-partisan, semi-professional chorus, CST maintains its commitment to promoting the art of choral singing, enriching the cultural life of New Jersey, and serving as a goodwill ambassador for the city of Trenton.
At its inception the ensemble, augmented by the 50-plus members of Trenton Community Singers, provided concerts, special performances, and community outreach throughout the New Jersey Capital Region and Bucks County, PA. Now in their thirteenth year, the groups continue as CST and CST Chorale. Under the direction of Artistic Director and Conductor Vinroy D. Brown, Jr. they perform a repertoire of sacred and secular choral works that reflect various musical styles and historical periods.
CST has been privileged to appear with a variety of organizations who share their passion for choral music. Highlights include performances of Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living and the New Jersey premiere performance of Karl Jenkins’ Stabat Mater with Sinfonietta Nova of West Windsor, NJ; a performance of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with
the Warminster Symphony Orchestra in Warminster, PA; the shared celebration of Israel’s 60th anniversary and the 85th anniversary of the founding of Adath Israel Congregation in Lawrenceville, NJ; and the dedication ceremony of the New Jersey World War II Memorial in Trenton. The chorus has given performances locally at Grounds for Sculpture, Trenton Artworks (in conjunction with the Mill Hill House Tour), the William Trent House, The City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion, and St. Paul Church in Princeton, as well as concerts in Plainfield, West Windsor, and Hamilton, NJ; and Bristol, PA. CST has given benefit concerts in Bay Head, Beach Haven, Ewing, and Bridgeton, NJ. The groups perform twice annually at Sacred Heart Church, Trenton.
Mission, Vision, & Values
Mission
Capital Singers of Trenton is a mixed chorus that strives to promote the art of choral singing, enrich the cultural life of New Jersey and the surrounding region, and serve as ambassadors for the City of Trenton through concerts, special performances and community outreach.
Vision
Capital Singers of Trenton aspires to be an inclusive choral organization recognized by its musical peers and the greater Trenton area as an accomplished chorus that educates and inspires its audiences and singers with a challenging repertoire that showcases its musical diversity and artistic excellence. CST will be the acknowledged chorus for events throughout the capital region and state, and a leading contributor to the cultural initiatives of the region.
Values
Values represent the guiding principles and core beliefs in our organization’s culture, including what drives members’ priorities and how they truly act. Values are manifest in everything we do and help determine how we operate. All members’ actions will abide by these core beliefs and values:
Commitment
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We strive to be the best at what we do.
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We are always prepared and accountable to ourselves, our fellow members, and our audience, for active and engaged support, attendance and participation at meetings, rehearsals, concerts, and events.
Artistic Integrity
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We make every effort--physically, operationally, and financially--to perform music that reflects and represents challenging but universally recognized choral repertoire, and upholds our status as a semi-professional chorus. We will not sacrifice quality for quantity.
Community
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We believe in our city and know that our music can enrich and make a difference in the quality of life for its residents and visitors.
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We know that when we give unselfishly of our time, talent, and resources, it benefits our community, and the world at large.
Honesty
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We are truthful and sincere with ourselves and with each other.
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We work together in the spirit of fairness, cooperation, and transparency to do the right thing.
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We engage in the highest forms of integrity and ethical behavior, as our reputation is our most important asset.
Respect
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We recognize that everyone has something important to say.
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We welcome an environment that embraces diversity, tolerance and mutual respect.
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We abide by the Golden Rule.
Enjoyment
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We view our work as a labor of love, and derive great satisfaction and pleasure from it.
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We are committed to having fun. When we find that other life stresses and priorities or work/life imbalances are having a negative impact on the group’s or our own enjoyment, we need to rectify the conflict so that the group succeeds, and everyone can truly enjoy their work.
Artistic Staff
Artistic Director and Conductor
Associate Conductor
Principal Accompanist
Accompanist
General Manager
Leadership
Board of Trustees
Executive Board
Ed Kurocka, Chair
Jean Bickal, Vice Chair for Finance
Suzanne Proulx, Vice Chair for Administration
Suzanne Kazi, Secretary
MarrLa LiPuma, Treasurer
At-Large Members
Rev. Dennis Apoldite
John DeSantis
John Kling
Janice Latella
Joe LiPuma
Bernie Litzinger
Nancy Paolini
The trustees are committed to upholding the mission, vision and values of the Capital Singers of Trenton. Board members strive to bring the music of CST to an ever widening audience and ensure fiscal sustainability of the organization.
Founding Artistic Director
In December of 2017 Richard retired as Founding Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Capital Singers of Trenton, passing the baton to Vinroy D. Brown, Jr.
Richard is a New Jersey native and graduate of Westminster Choir College. He continued his graduate studies in choral conducting at both Westminster and The College of New Jersey from 1971-1982. He was Producing Director of the Notre Dame High School Performing Arts Department for 15 years. As an adjunct or musical director Richard held positions at Mercer County College, Rider University, McCarter Theater of Princeton, and with other local theater groups: Princeton Community Players, Pennington Players, Backstage Breaks, and Bristol Riverside Theater. From the early 1970s until 2000 he was involved with over seventy-five theater productions.
Richard was Minister of Music at the Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church for twenty-three years and Choir Master at Holy Cross Church in Rumson, New Jersey for three years. As a composer/arranger he has written four children's operas, a cantata Children's Voices based on children's poems about 9/11, many hymn and folk song arrangements, and choral or instrumental scores for several local college and high school productions, Medea for Rider University and The Tempest and Marat/Sade for George School among them. Richard composed a lengthy score for the 2014 production of Oedipus at George School. It is a thirty minute work with instrumental interludes, underscoring for texts, solos and choral segments for the Greek chorus of singers. In 2014 he also produced and conducted the LEGACY 2014 CD for both Capital Singers of Trenton and Trenton Community Singers. It is a combination of sacred, secular, patriotic, and folk selections, featuring narrations and historic references of four Trenton wonders: Sacred Heart Chruch, the William Trent House, the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie, and Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.
Founding Artistic Director and Conductor; Executive Director Emeritus
Previous to Capital Singers of Trenton and the Trenton Community Singers, Richard was the founding director of the Greater West Windsor Schola Cantorum and the Lawrence Chorale; he also conducted the New Jersey Gay Men's Chorus of Princeton for three years. The CD To Everything There is a Season was the result of his tenure with the men's chorus.