St. Peter’s members paint with John Donato for May 18 auction

Artist John Donato collaborated with about a dozen members of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lewes to create a trio of special paintings. 

Each painting shares a connection with the church: the well-known labyrinth, the trinity transom above the main entrance to the sanctuary, and songbirds singing, representing the church’s choir. 

The objective of the collaboration is to raise funds for the choir’s upcoming trip to Ely Cathedral in England. The choir will perform choral evensong at the historic cathedral in August, continuing a tradition of nearly 1,500 years. Common among churches of the Anglican Communion, a Choral Evensong is a daily evening service that features mostly singing. Although each church has its own choir, members take a break for holiday each July and August, allowing choirs from around the world to visit.

The church has held a number of fundraisers for the trip and will continue to seek funds as the trip approaches. Although all those who plan to attend are asked to pay their own way – about $3,500 per person – there are some who will need financial assistance. The church is trying to raise $15,000 to ensure everyone who wants to attend is able. Together, the cost for the entire choir to travel to England is nearly $175,000.

The paintings will be sold at a silent auction Friday, May 18. Donato says the retail price of the paintings would be about $700 each. Several other items will be available at the silent auction, including a chef’s table for six with wine pairings from Palate, two tickets for the Lewes Pirate Cruise, gift certificates to Heirloom and 1776, and a case of Nicobolis from Nicola Pizza.

To learn more about the fundraising effort, call Pat Casadei at 302-947-9460.