
The Chancel Opera Company began in 1974 and was called the "Trinity Players" -- named after its indulgent host parish, Trinity Church-on-the-Green in New Haven, Connecticut. We were a young, bedraggled, enthusiastic lot, and thanks to Trinity's Rector, the Reverend Andrew Fiddler, the Company built up a repertory of short devotional operas for use in worship services. When these caught the attention of other churches and we began to tour, we renamed ourselves The Chancel Opera Company of Connecticut.
While we continue touring in a lively way, we have discovered that our scores (tested on congregations and audiences for many years, with happy results) are starting to have a life of their own. It has been wonderful to have others join in the fun of putting on these and our other pieces, and we invite you to do so, too.
To its many liturgical ("chancel") operas, the Company has since added children's operas based on fairy tales, folktales, and fables. (Some of these are for children of ALL ages.) We also have chamber operas, three ballets and a number of anthems, psalm settings and motets.
The Company has toured to churches, schools and theaters throughout northeastern United States, including on NBC Television, New York’s Lincoln Center and the Shubert Center for Performing Arts in New Haven, Connecticut.
The works in the Chancel Opera Company library are by Connecticut composer Susan Hulsman Bingham.