Musica Sacra is building a relationship with the students and teachers of East Side Middle School in New York City. Students often attend rehearsals that take place at nearby venues and attend the performances. Below are some notes from the students:

Dr. Mr. Tritle,
I just returned home from Musica Sacra’s performance of Handel’s Messiah at Carnegie Hall and I wanted to let you know how beautiful I thought it was.
My mom and I received tickets through East Side Middle School where I attend sixth grade. This was such a special gift for us, because Handel’s Messiah was my grandfather’s favorite music. Now I know why he liked it so much.
I thought it was a lot of fun to watch your rehearsal last week, but seeing this complete performance was amazing and I’m glad I was chosen to go. I’m going to ask my mom to take me to see Musica Sacra sometime again.
Thank you for such a great holiday gift.
Lily

Dear Musica Sacra,
Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to experience Handel’s Messiah on December twenty-second (2009). At first I wasn’t too excited to go but once I got there, I enjoyed it more than I thought. I liked the last song in Part II, which was the Hallelujah Chorus.
Sincerely,
Allison

Dear Mr. Tritle and Musica Sacra,
I really enjoyed your beautiful music and your talented music group. The music had a lot of harmony. I hope you do well on your concert!
Sincerely,
David

Thank you so much for the extra Messiah ticket and the original ones. I had a great time and it was a amazing musical experience.
Sincerely,
Alexander

Dear Musica Sacra and Kent Tritle,
Applause! Thank you so much for allowing me to experience Handel’s Messiah. I was truly fascinated by the countertenor. I loved the Hallelujah, it was inspiring to hear the chorus sing it so beautifully. Carnegie Hall is such a special place. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share in this great holiday tradition. I play the cello and it was a great learning experience to see a professional. It was a truly remarkable night.
Sincerely,
Francesca

Dear Kent Tritle,
Thank you so much for letting us watch the practice. I enjoyed very much the sounds that the violins made when all of the sounds were together. Also, I enjoyed the voices of the soloists. It sounded amazing. I wish you and your orchestra the best of luck in your performance.
Yours truly,
Miles

Dear Mr. Tritle,
Thank y0u for that wonderful Musica Sacra rehearsal viewing. The music was amazing! Something I thought was interesting was how the violinists’ bows were moving up and down all at the same time. It seemed very professional. I appreciate you allowing us to come. It was a wonderful musical experience, and I hope we didn’t cause any distractions.
Sincerely,
Claire

Dear Kent Tritle,
Thank you so much for inviting me and my class to the rehearsal of Musica Sacra. The chorus sounded great, and it was very soothing to listen to them. Everyone looked like they were practicing really hard. I think I have come to like chorus music. Once again, thank you so much!
From Annabel

Dear Musica Sacra,
Thank you for inviting me to see your rehearsal. I really enjoyed the focus the musicians had while singing. It was beautiful because the singers had beautiful voices and songs were fantastic. I loved it and I wish I have another opportunity to come again.
Thank you again,
Sandy

Dear Mr. Tritle,
I would like to say thank you for the tickets to see Brahms Requiem. It was very good. I also saw Musica Sacra perform Handel’s Messiah. I think that they were good performances. But I have a few questions:
The vocals were taken from the German Lutheran Bible. Were any of the people in the chorus extremely religious?
When was Requiem written?
Who is Brahms and is he the same one as in the Lullaby?
Sincerely,
Sam

Musica Sacra,
I enjoyed the performance that was put on for us greatly. The singing made me feel like I was just drifting along the sky, as the clouds would peck along my nose. The sun, setting right at my side. Slight breeze, but still warm. Very soothing. It was also a nice finishing touch to the magnificent cathedral. I loved it very much – thank you!
Sincerely,
Wes