Among the losses at the Holy Trinity Cathedral complex in Port Au Prince was the music school, home of several musical groups, including the Haitian boy's choir, Les Petits Chanteurs.  Below is a message from Friends of Holy Trinity Music School in Haiti, about getting needed aid and support to HTMS, including tents to shelter the students, and other donations.

From the Rev. Stephen Davenport, March 6, 2010

Friends of Holy Trinity Music School in HaitiSt. John’s Episcopal Church3738 Butler RoadGlyndon, Maryland  21071410 833-5300Email:  Stephen Davenport – odeaint@aol.comTracy Bruce – tracy.bruce@stjohnsglyndon.org 

March 6, 2010

Dear Friends,

Hope all is well with you.

We will be in Haiti with the architect of Holy Trinity Music School Monday, March 8, through Saturday, March 13 primarily working with the Rev. David Cesar and the staff on matters of relief and of the rebuilding of the school and the concert hall.   We will send you a report upon return.

Regarding the replenishment of instruments, music supplies and office supplies, St. John’s in Glyndon, Maryland, will be sending a 40 foot container leaving Maryland mid-April and arriving in Port-au-Prince mid-May.  One-half of the contents will be for Holy Trinity Music School and the Philharmonic Orchestra and the other half for a church and school in the mountains. 

So please send what you have collected and/or other items you wish to donate to St. John’s with a donation to help with the shipping ($10/item at your discretion).

Attached to this e-mail for your use are:  (NB please contact the Rev. Davenport directly for these documents at  odeaint@aol.com)

1.       List - Holy Trinity Music School – Needed Instruments and Supplies

2.       Packing Slip – to include in the package with your donation

3.       In-Kind Contribution Form – if you wish a tax deduction

If you prefer to donate funds for the purchase of instruments, please send your check to St. John’s made out to ‘St. John’s Church’ with the notation on the check ‘HTMS – Instruments’.

When you have questions, please e-mail and we will attempt to find answers.

Thank you.

Stephen Davenport

 ***

Friends of Holy Trinity Music School in Haiti

St. John’s Episcopal Church

3738 Butler Road

Glyndon, Maryland  21071

410 833-5300

Email:  Stephen Davenport – odeaint@aol.com

Tracy Bruce – tracy.bruce@stjohnsglyndon.org

January 20, 2010

Dear Friends,

A number of you have written.   Please continue to do so when you have a question and I will try and find out what I can.

I finally connected directly with David night before last, again yesterday morning with David and Bishop Duracin and then last night.  I asked him what he wished people to know and the enclosed is a short message.   He will write a more comprehensive letter once he has access to a computer and the internet.  The Diocese is forming a task force to inventory the damages and coordinate the rebuilding.

Tracy and I are still scheduled to go to Haiti on Monday.  We will be taking funds which have been given for immediate relief to go families of the Music School who have suffered loss.  St. John’s in Glyndon, Maryland is also beginning to collect instruments and other churches and schools are doing also.  If you wish to do the same, please begin.   Then at some point in the near future, we will get from David instructions on where and how to send them.

We will be back to you fairly soon when David and the staff in consultation with the Bishop have outlined plans for rebuilding and given specific ‘next steps’ for all of us to take with our brothers and sisters as they reconstruct their lives and this ministry.

Thank you for joining together in our love for music, Haiti and Holy Trinity Music School, Philharmonic Orchestra and all its ministries.

Faithfully,

The Rev. Stephen R. Davenport III    The Rev. Tracy A. Bruce

Message directly from the Rev. David Cesar to all of us:

“Our staff and students with the exception of two losses are alive by a miracle.   Jean Francois Alzinor, age 21, principal Alti of Les Petits Chanteurs died at the University he attended.  ‘Alzinor’ participated in the tours of 2006, 2007 and 2008.  Mdm Lahens, recently hired to be in charge of discipline, also died, but not at Holy Trinity.  Nicole St Victor was dizzy and in shock but she was not injured. Many students and staff from the Trade School died when the destruction came.

We lost all of our instruments.  Salle St. Cecile, the only Concert Hall in the country, was also destroyed.

If we are alive, we believe God has a special mission for us.  We do not know why and how we are alive because how were we able to get out of the building when we were on the third floor when the entire building collapsed?

Now the time is to rebuild the Music School and Concert Hall and get music back to life in order to show the future of Haiti.

Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts of us.

May God bless us all”

The Rev. David Cesar