The Saint Anthony's Chorus - St. Anthony's High School

The Chorus consists of Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior students at Saint Anthony’s High School, a Roman Catholic Franciscan High School in South Huntington on Long Island. Chorus is an academic credit-bearing class which factors into quarterly and yearly cumulative averages. The Chorus performs two major concerts each year: the Christmas Concert in early December and the Spring Concert in early May. The ensemble also sings at numerous occasions throughout the year including Junior Ring Day and Graduation Commencement. Those interested in joining the Chorus must complete a voice test with the Choral Director. The repertoire of the Chorus consists of traditional Gregorian Chant and Classical to Spirituals and Contemporary pieces. The Gregorian Schola has recorded multiple CDs which are available for purchase. Proceeds from CD sales go to support the European Concert Tours. Contact Mr. Farrell at ccfstanthonyshs@gmail.com to place an order.

Photos from our Christmas and Spring Concerts

Inside the Chorus

Chorus Staff

Brother Joshua DiMauro, OSF, Choral Director

The Choral Director, Brother Joshua hails from Brooklyn and is a member of the Franciscan Brothers. Brother is in his 45th year as the Director of the Chorus. Brother Joshua completed undergraduate studies in Education at St. Francis College in Brooklyn while also pursuing musical studies at Hunter College in New York City and received his Masters Degree in Music from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Brother Joshua continued postgraduate musical training in choral conducting and Gregorian Chant at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, Catholic University in Washington DC and the Abbaye Saint Pierre de Solemes, France.

Brother serves as the Assistant Principal – Dean of Student Activities and Prefect of Discipline for Freshmen. In addition to his duties at the high school, Brother Joshua serves as the musical director for the Franciscan Brothers and as Secretary-General of his order.

Brother Joshua conducts the high school chorus of 600 members and the select Gregorian Schola of sixty members. He has led Concert Tours to Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, Austria and China for the past thirty years. He is looking forward to leading the next Choral and Band Tour in 2025 to Southern and Central Italy.

Mr. Christopher C. Farrell, Assistant Director

Mr. Farrell graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and Political Science in 2008 from Loyola College in Maryland. He is a member of Sigma Delta Pi, Pi Sigma Alpha and Alpha Sigma Nu—the Spanish, Political Science and Jesuit Honor Societies, respectively. Currently, he is working on his Master’s Degree in Adolescence Education at Molloy College. A graduate of St. Anthony’s High School, Mr. Farrell joined the SAHS Faculty in September 2008 in the Department of Foreign Language teaching Spanish for the next ten years.

Since 2012, Mr. Farrell has been the Assistant Director of the Chorus at Saint Anthony’s overseeing the Chorus and its administrative necessities including each of its concerts, as well as the many activities and musical ventures that the Chorus is responsible for at the high school. As Concert Tour Manager, Mr. Farrell has traveled each year since 2009 with the Chorus and the Band during their most recent Concert Tours to Sicily, Italy, Spain and China. He is currently working on the Chorus and Orchestra Tour planned for February 2025 to Southern and Central Italy.

Mr. Farrell serves as Dean of Admissions, responsible for the yearly on-boarding of 600 Freshmen into the ranks of Saint Anthony’s. He is also Assistant to the Dean of Student Activities and is involved with coordinating many events in Student Activities including Orientation, Ski Trips, the Great Adventure Trip, Dress Down Days, Spirit Week, Pep Rallies, the Canteen, Soup Kitchen, Junior Ring Day, Junior Banquet, Senior Week, and Graduation – Commencement, among others.

Ms. Amelie Held, Accompanist

Ms. Held currently serves on the Music Faculty at Saint Anthony’s High School in South Huntington, New York. She joined the Chorus Staff in September 2023 at the Accompanist to the Chorus and the Gregorian Schola.

Known for her red organ shoes, Ms. Held has become an internationally acclaimed organist . She recently debuted at some of Germany’s major cathedrals and concert halls, such as the Konzerthaus Dortmund, the Philharmonie Essen and the international Speyer cathedral recital series. Her solo concert activities include performances in the world’s most important music centers, such as Milan, Paris, Zurich, London, Boston, New York and St. Petersburg (Mariinsky Concert Hall).

Raised in Munich, Germany, Ms. Held has won several prizes at international organ competitions and was one of the youngest finalists of the prestigious French Concours International de Chartres (2018). The Diapason named her a member of the “20 under 30” Class of 2023. She has a broad repertoire, both as a soloist and with orchestra and chamber ensemble, ranging from early music to contemporary compositions as well as her own transcriptions.

Extensive training with the most internationally renowned professors in her field has taken Miss Held throughout Europe and to the United States of America. She studied organ, piano and violin from a young age and became a pupil in the organ class of Heidi Emmert at the Regensburg Academy of Music. She went on to study violin and organ at the University of Music Detmold, Germany and the National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Paris, France (B.A. in both majors). She completed her master’s degrees with top marks at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart where she studied organ with Ludger Lohmann and both harpsichord and organ in the field of early music with Lorenzo Ghielmi in Milan, Italy. She recently graduated with an Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School.

In addition to her position with the Chorus, Ms. Held teaches the Piano Keyboard Skills classes and is the Assistant Director of the Concert Band.

Concert Tours

SAHS Chorus 6

Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Beyond

Under the direction of Brother Joshua DiMauro, O.S.F., Choral Director and Concert Tour Moderator the Saint Anthony’s High School Chorus has traveled on European Concert Tours since 1996. The Chorus travels every other year, alternating with the Orchestra who also has traveled to Europe and even to China! Sophomore, Junior and Senior members of the Chorus are permitted to travel on these exciting journeys. Most recently, in 2015, the Chorus travelled to Italy for concert performances in Venice, Florence, Assisi and Rome. The Chorus has also sung Masses and Concerts in the following European cities: Madrid, Seville, Toledo, Segovia, Lisbon, Fatima, Palermo, Catania, Naples, Padua, Venice, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Siena, Terni, Stroncone and Rome where they have performed before both the late Pope John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The Chorus was pleased to sing for His Holiness Pope Francis in 2015 during his Papal Audience. Chorus Members who have journeyed on these Concert Tours always describe their experiences as life changing. The Chorus has become one of many sources of pride at Saint Anthony’s High School, and has made an indelible impact on the thousands of students who have made this musical program part of their secondary school experience.

The Gregorian Schola

The Gregorian Schola is a special ensemble of sixty members of the general Chorus. Comprised of only Juniors and Seniors, the Schola is appointed based on vocal ability by the Director. The Schola specializes in traditional Gregorian Chant and Sacred Choral Music. The group has provided music for Christmas, Easter and Pentecost masses on National Catholic Cable Networks as well as concerts at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, Saint Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and local service academies such as West Point and Kings Point. They have also traveled as far east as the twin forks of Long Island to perform traditional Latin High Masses. The Schola has also recorded seven CDs each featuring unique music to be used throughout the Liturgical year. Proceeds from CD sales go to supporting the European Tours. CDs are on sale at each of the concerts during the year.