BIOGRAPHY
As the Director of Music at Our Lady of Grace in West Babylon since 2006, Terence Purtell
conducts three choirs and the largest songleader program on Long Island with professional
and avocational singers of all ages. Our Lady of Grace's monthly concert series, since 2016,
provides a forum for parish music ministers and many widely acclaimed acts such as the
Philippine Madrigal Singers, the Babylon Chorale, Extra Chi, the Alaria Chamber Ensemble
of New York, House of the Red Hart, Royal Brass, and many combined choir collaborations
including the 2019 BAFFA Children's Choir Festival in Sayville, the 2022 Choir Festival at
Saint Agnes Cathedral, the 2017 deanery mass choir for Bishop Barres, among others.
Outside of Our Lady of Grace, Terence is the Accompanist for the Ignis Angelicus Choirs
at Saint Aidan in Williston Park, since his hiring by Bernard Garrett in 2003. The music
program at Saint Aidan continues to expand and flourish under conductor Dragan Bubalo.
Terence is also the Rehearsal Accompanist and a member of the Master Chorale at Saint
Agnes Cathedral under conductor Michael Bower, who contracted Terence as pianist
and organist for choir tours of Europe in 2015 and 2018.
After beginning in a small spinet organ studio at the age of six, Terence switched to private piano teachers and his teaching lineage traces directly back to Beethoven. Terence has played Carnegie Hall several times (debut at age 17) as well as Lincoln Center, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Park Avenue Armory, the Intrepid, and Flushing Town Hall. He appeared on CNN in 2012 with the Saint Bart's Singers in New York and on public television many times including as accompanist for the Sister Thea Bowman Gospel Choir. The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick have hired Terence as a tenor section leader since 2008, most notably for the famous gala that follows the Saint Patrick's Day Parade in New York. Terence also works as an occasional funeral cantor at several parishes and volunteers as a singing member of the Sacred Music Chorale of Richmond Hill in Queens.
Memberships include the AGO, NPM, NAfME, ACDA, and Chorus America.
