After 41 years of music-making, The Princeton Singers will conclude operations on August 31 due to financial difficulties.

“This difficult decision was made by our Board of Trustees in response to ongoing financial challenges that were significantly intensified by the pandemic,” reads a letter from the Board of Trustees. “While this moment is bittersweet, there is much to celebrate.”

The ensemble, led by Steven Sametz, “brought to life an astonishing breadth of repertoire — from the Western classical tradition to folk and sacred music from around the world. Our beloved Christmas concerts have been widely heard in WWFM-Classical holiday broadcasts. Our frequent collaborations with the Princeton University Art Museum fostered dialogues between visual art and music. Most recently, our performance at the Morris Museum responded to James Prosek’s artwork with music that echoed his imaginative reflections on the natural world.”

The group was resident choir for the Lehigh University Summer Choral Composers Forum, and had a strong commitment to new music, including many original compositions and arrangements by Sametz.

“From the very beginning, Trinity Church Princeton offered us a welcoming and supportive home, and the late Ann McGoldrick, a founding member of the original ensemble, became our biggest supporter and champion,” the letter concludes. “We are forever indebted to Ann and Trinity. Though we now conclude, the memories and music will linger.”