Sacred Heart University Director of Bands Keith Johnston, along with two members of the Sacred Heart University Band will travel to the Island nation of Haiti January 25-30 on a musical mission to participate in the first annual Brass Festival. The festival is sponsored by the Holy Trinity School of Music in Port-a-Prince.

Johnston has been traveling to Haiti since 2008 to teach brass students, and to conduct brass and wind ensembles. “Haiti is still recovering from the terrible damage caused by the 2010 earthquake”, said Johnston. “But through it all the Haitian people have never stopped making music. I hope that this music festival will continue to nourish the souls of the people of Haiti, and to offer them a chance to look to the future with continued hope.”

Traveling with Johnston will be two members of the Sacred Heart University Band. Senior trumpet players Rob Cowan, a business and political science major from New Fairfield, CT, and biology major Brian Beatty from West Yarmouth Massachusetts. Both recently returned from the Sacred Heart Band’s highly acclaimed concert tour of Ireland, but are looking forward to a very different experience in Haiti.

The Holy Trinity Music School has in the past maintained (and is now rebuilding) an enrollment of about a thousand students and a teaching staff of 45 full and part-time professionals. Lessons were offered on all orchestral instruments, piano and voice.  Sister Anne‐Marie, founder of the educational programs at Holy Trinity, was convinced that even in a country as poor as Haiti, music is not a frill, but is a basic ingredient of life. “Just as people need food to nourish their bodies, they need music to nourish their soul” she said.

Before the January 12, 2010 earthquake, the Holy Trinity Complex was composed of the Elementary School, a Technical (trade) School, and the Music School. Music school staff members provide basic instruction for the elementary school in general music classes, and instruction in music theory, voice, winds, brass, strings and piano for older students. The Music School beginner, intermediate and advanced orchestras, and bands, and the renowned Les Petits Chanteurs for boys and young men, who performed on the Sacred Heart University campus in September 2010.

The brass festival will feature three days of rehearsals and coaching sessions with large and small ensembles, and will culminate in a free public concert on Sunday, January 29 at the Auditorium Ste. Rose de Lima (Lalue). Among the works being performed, Keith Johnston will perform with the O’rchestre Philharmonique Ste. Trinite in the premier performance of Steven Rosenhaus’ “Blue Iris” for Trombone and Strings. Originally commissioned by Johnston and premiered in the fall of 2010 with Sacred Heart instructor Galen Tate on Organ, this version was done by the composer at Mr. Johnston’s request for this music festival.

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