The community is invited to enjoy a performance by 100 children from St. John when the All-Island Children’s Choir presents a concert at the Julius E. Sprauve School auditorium in Cruz Bay on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free.
Each fall, the St. John All-Island Children’s Choir brings together the children in grades three through five from all three St. John elementary schools — the Julius E. Sprauve School, the Gifft Hill School, and the St. John Christian Academy. The All-Island Children’s Choir performs uplifting and inspiring songs in the languages of our community.
“This year, we have a very local and reggae theme,” said Kristen Carmichael-Bowers, the choir’s director. “We’re so excited to sing original songs by — and with — an ancestral St. Johnian musician, Warren ‘Addis’ Smith.” Smith has been placed on the 2025 Official Grammy Ballots for Grammy Considerations.
The fourth graders will sing his song “Paradise,” which is about growing up on St. John, and third graders will sing “Reggae Rock.”
Smith attended the Julius E. Sprauve School from “kindergarten on through” and said it was inspiring to be back in classrooms there.
Several years ago, Smith produced a video of “Reggae Rock” featuring many familiar faces from St. John. His videographer, also from St. John, was Edward Cazaubon of Ecaz Unlimited Media Productions.
Cazaubon is also a songwriter, and for the concert finale, the St. John All-Island Children’s Choir will perform his original song “Upliftment Build Strength.”
“It was an honor to have the children perform this song which was written as a reminder that even in challenging times, our spirit grows when we lift each other up,” said Cazaubon. “The voices of our young people carry power — they carry the future. When they sing about unity, resilience, and hope, it strengthens all of us as a community. Hearing these children sing together — with joy, courage, and pride — reminds us that St. John is strong, and our story continues forward through them.”
For those who can’t attend in person, the concert will be livestreamed on AllAhWe TV’s YouTube channel and can be viewed by following this link:
https://youtube.com/live/0ndmKMcoLN4?feature=share.
For further information, call 340-227-4920 or send an email to info@singstjohn.org.
The St. John All-Island Children’s Choir is one of four programs presented by Sing St. John, which is supported solely by community donations and grants.
Sing St. John is deep into its annual fall appeal to raise $240,000 to meet its operating expenses for community singing programs for all ages in 2025-26. They have been gifted a matching grant generously offered by Martha and Dana Robes, which will double the first $65K of donations received.
Donations can be made online with a credit or debit card, or through PayPal by clicking this link https://www.singstjohn.org/annual-fund.html.
Checks can be mailed to Sing St. John, Box 1173, St. John, VI 00831.
In addition to community and business donors, Sing St. John is jointly supported by a grant from VI Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, DC, a federal agency.
