Westminster Slavic Choir Coming To Pottstown

Andrew Skitko III is pleased to bring sacred choral music to his hometown church.

Skitko, a 2008 graduate of Pottstown's , is a senior vocal performance major at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J.

Roughly two years ago, he founded the Westminster Slavic Choir, which includes vocal performance -- and music education majors -- at Westminster.

Skitko serves as cantor and music director at The Assumption of The Virgin Mary Byzantine Catholic Church of Trenton, N.J., where the Westminster Slavic Choir performs about once a month.

"It's been one of the most moving musical experiences that I've had so far," he said of conducting the choir. "It was my dream ever since I was a young kid."

The choir has performed with orchestras in venues including the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York. 

This month, Skitko will direct the choir for the first time in Pottstown's .

"I'm so excited to have the choir there," he said. "I was born and baptized in that church." 

The event will include works by composers Bortniansky, Vedel, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Hurko as well as traditional chant. Selections will be performed in English and Old Slavonic. 

"It's all Eastern Slavic, sacred choral music," he said. "It's something we're very happy to do ... It just means so much to share this with the Pottstown community."

Details:

• The free concert will be held 1 p.m. April 15 at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church, 301 Cherry Street in Pottstown. 

• Parking is located behind the church.

• The event will include a free-will offering.