Rio Lindo Adventist Academy’s Chorale recently returned from a remarkable musical and ministry opportunity at Carnegie Hall, where students participated in the world premiere performance of a newly commissioned Christian choral work, Psalmos, by renowned composer and arranger Mark Hayes and lyricist Charles Anthony Silvestri.
The performance took place in one of the world’s most celebrated concert venues and gave Rio Lindo students the rare privilege of ministering through sacred music on an international stage. Joined by soloists and orchestra, the choir helped present the premiere of a new setting of seven psalms, contributing to the living future of Christian choral repertoire.
For Rio Lindo Adventist Academy, the event was more than a musical milestone. It was an opportunity for students to witness through excellence, faith, and artistry — offering sacred text in song in a space known around the world for cultural significance and musical achievement.
“This was a deeply meaningful experience for our students,” said Whitney Weems. “To sing a brand-new sacred work in Carnegie Hall, under the direction of the composer himself, was both an artistic honor and an incredible ministry opportunity. These songs will continue to be sung by future generations of worshippers, and our students were able to represent their school, their faith, and the beauty of Christian music with great seriousness and joy.”
The new work, Psalmos, helped perpetuate sacred choral music into the future by placing fresh biblical text settings into the hands of choirs and audiences. Copies of the composition are expected to become available through MorningStar Music Publishers in 2028.
Following the Carnegie Hall residency, Rio Lindo Adventist Academy’s choir also presented selections from Psalmos during its Spring Concert in the academy chapel, giving the Northern California community an opportunity to hear some of the sacred music students helped bring into the world for the very first time.
Featured in Northern Lights, May 23, 2026
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