FEATURE/Mozart Choral Concert in Chestnut Hill October 29 to Benefit the Decani Monastery Relief Fund for Kosovo.

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FEATURE...

Choir of Men & Boys of All Saints' Ashmont to Perform with Soprano Gayle Berman at 4 PM in the Church of the Redeemer on Hammond Street,

Newton, Mass.

NEWTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--Oct. 17, 2000

A concert to benefit the victims of strife in Kosovo will take place on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 4 PM at the Church of the Redeemer in Chestnut Hill. Featuring the Choir of Men & Boys of All Saints' Church from Dorchester's Ashmont neighborhood, the program will include Mozart's "Missa Brevis in D." The choir, led by noted organist and conductor Michael Kleinschmidt, will be joined by soprano soloist Gayle Berman. All performers are generously donating their talents.

Proceeds from the concert will be given to the Decani Monastery Relief Fund for Kosovo, which has been helping the monks and leaders of the Serbian Orthodox Christian Church in Kosovo to provide food, shelter and aid to all in need for three years -- Albanians, Serbs, Gypsies (Romany), no matter what religion -- Orthodox Christian, Muslim, Roman Catholic or Jew. The Decani monastery is one of many dating from the 14th century in Kosovo that has suffered damage or destruction during the years of conflict.

These church leaders are also working locally and internationally with Muslim and Roman Catholic leaders toward reconciliation and peace among all in Kosovo, and they hope one day to see the rebuilding of all places of worship. They have carried out their work while imperiled by extremists from both sides. Though the major war is over, its ruinous effects in the cities and towns remain, and with the ongoing turmoil from extremists, thousands of people are still seriously in need of assistance.

All Saints' Choir of Men & Boys was founded in 1888, and ethnic diversity among its members is a hallmark of the group. The boys - many of whom are of African-American, West Indian, Cape Verdean or Dominican descent - are joined in the choir by professional and volunteer men singers from All Saints' parish and nearby areas, along with students from the New England Conservatory of Music. Among the choir's recent honors have been invitations to sing for the American Guild of Organists Regional Convention in the Berkshires in 1997, and to sing the principal services at St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York, in 1998 and 2000.

The choir's repertoire includes sacred music by virtually every major composer from baroque times forward. The boys' intensive practice - from 3 to 7 hours per week during the school year, plus choir day camp in the summer - strengthens their teamwork, self-mastery and service ethic.

Organist and master of choristers Kleinschmidt holds degrees in music from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and The Eastman School of Music, and he has performed around the country. He has been associated with All Saints' Ashmont since 1993.

Soprano Gayle Berman has performed in opera, oratorios and recitals throughout America and Europe. She teaches voice and directs opera at Eastern Nazarene College and the Community Music Center of Boston.

This benefit concert is made possible in large part by the cooperation of All Saints' Ashmont, the Church of the Redeemer, and the First Church in Chestnut Hill. A donation of $10 per person at the concert is suggested; all donations are tax deductible. Donations may also be sent directly to Decani Monastery Relief Fund, c/o Veljko Sikirica, 4 West Hill Street, Baltimore, Md., 21230.

The Church of the Redeemer is located at 379 Hammond Street in Chestnut Hill, near the Chestnut Hill Green Line (D train) station. From the south, it is a quarter-mile from the intersection of Route 9 and Hammond Street; from the north, one-half mile from Hammond Street's intersection with Beacon Street, near Boston College. Parking is available on adjacent streets. For more information about the concert and the Decani Monastery Relief Fund, visit http://members.aol.com/KosovoAid, or send email to [e-mail]. The benefit organizer is William B. Powell of First Church in Chestnut Hill.