Greetings and welcome to the twenty-sixth season of the Fairfield County Children's Choir! We announced our Fall plans in early July (see below) and we cannot wait to begin our rehearsals. In addition to our focus on safety and well-being, we also feel a profound sense of responsibility for the musical growth and development of all of our choristers. There are many reasons why starting our season without delay is so important to our children. Here are just a few.
If we don’t use our musical skills, we will lose them! Sensitive periods (also known as critical periods) are a time or stage in a person's development when they are more responsive to certain stimuli and quicker to learn particular skills (Lexico/Oxford). In music, there are optimal times in the development of perception and skills in pitch, rhythm, harmony and other elements, as well as musical preferences. For example, every adult I have ever spoken with on the subject remembers certain music that they loved in their childhood/youth that still resonates with them many years later. This is due to processes of brain development during sensitive periods. Since any thought or action is governed by neurons in the brain ‘firing’ in a certain pattern, and since these “neuronal pathways” are formed, strengthened and maintained by a combination of genes and experience, almost every skilled activity we do can be said to operate under the maxim “use it or lose it.” (FYI, I will demonstrate neuronal pathways in one of the first rehearsals when I discuss habits.)
The arts are an integral part of human development and world cultural heritage. The Connecticut State Department of Education recently published their guidelines for schools entitled “Adapt, Advance,
Achieve: Connecticut’s Plan to Learn and Grow Together.” (8/3/20)
“… arts learning should occur through education focused on the whole child in order to promote artistically-literate citizens well equipped with the creativity, communication, and critical thinking skills needed to live rich, meaningful lives. The arts have a profound positive effect on contributing to students’ socio-emotional needs (e.g., self-expression, self-regulation, positive interactions/engagement) and joy crucial to their individual growth and development. The arts allow students to develop and realize their own creative potential while acquiring lifelong skills in creative thinking, social and emotional awareness, collaborative work, effective communication, logical reasoning, and meta-cognition. These skills and experiences have been identified as key characteristics for lifelong learners and have a powerful and positive effect far beyond the arts experience. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential for Connecticut schools to maintain challenging and rigorous programs of study in the arts across all grade levels.”
The FCCC Mission Statement and Rationale makes the case for “why we do what we do” in six key areas: Music, Singing, Quality of Life, Human Development, Cultural Heritage and Life Long Learning, and FUN! Please see our website for a full explanation of each of these. As Plato stated over 2000 years ago, “Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and melody find their way into the inward places of the soul.”
The FCCC will continue to fulfill our mission to “provide a musical experience which is challenging, rewarding and enjoyable,” because “when we sing, we experience forms of beauty and joy that words cannot express.”
Jon Noyes
Founder & Music Director
Fairfield County Children's Choir
P.S. We are looking forward to our 2021 Spring Concert which is now scheduled to take place at Carnegie Hall on Sunday, June 27, 2021 at 2:00 PM!!
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At the end of July, we celebrated our seniors' commitment and talent with an outdoor graduation concert! It turns out; it didn’t matter that choristers were 10 ft apart and wearing masks or that our guests were 6 ft apart and also in masks; the concert was amazing! The evening was a testament to the talent, commitment, and community of FCCC. We only wish we could have done this with the whole choir! A special thank you to the O’Keefe family for opening their yard to FCCC. |
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Welcome to the FCCC’s twenty-sixth season! This has been a challenging summer for all of us, and especially so for our conductors and staff as they prepared for the uncertainty that lies ahead of us. But, as our new season begins, I’d like to assure you that the FCCC will reopen, and that we will be together again. This fall’s rehearsals may not look like those of the past, but they will continue to reflect the FCCC’s mission. And while I do appreciate that uncertainty can be frightening, our resilience is one of our greatest strengths, and I am confident that this pandemic will prove to be only a bump on our journey. Our staff and conductors have spent countless hours preparing and planning different options for this upcoming season, and their primary focus is, as always, to provide our choristers and audiences a musical experience which is challenging, rewarding and enjoyable. We will also provide the social and emotional support for our choristers.
Even though this will certainly prove to be a challenging year for the FCCC, challenges can prove
transformative, as they force us to rethink every aspect of how we do things. Our conductors and staff have learned to use Zoom for rehearsal and auditions, created virtual choir concerts, moved to online registrations and acceptances, and have become far more visible on social media. In short, we have leaped into the 21st century. It’s worth keeping in mind that we have been around for over 25 years and have evolved from a small group of choristers who performed in Fairfield High School’s auditorium to a group of 350 choristers getting ready to perform at Carnegie Hall. We could not have done this without the help and support of all our loyal parents and donors, for which we are eternally grateful. Please continue your generous support of the choir, so that our staff and conductors can provide our choristers with the outstanding musical education they deserve. In closing, it seems to me that Josh Groban’s song “You Raise Me Up” nicely captures the impact of the FCCC on its choristers:
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up to walk in stormy seas
I am strong when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be
We look forward being more than we can be this fall!
Marina Philips
Board President
Fairfield County Children's Choir
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FCCC had a senior celebration fitting for this unique year. A car parade! The conductors drove by our senior’s homes, dropping off flowers and a gift bag, and took social distancing photos! Please come back, sit in our audience, or join us on stage at Carnegie. Have fun being awesome on your next adventure! |
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From the Executive Director |
This summer, we were inspired by our Fairfield County Children's Choir community. Our chorister's confidence and talent shined through in their online auditions; our parents embraced our transition to online processes; our staff thrived while planning, pivoting, and re-planning.
A special thanks to our board, sponsors, and donors for their support as we enter this unique season. Your expertise and financial assistance enable us to be creative as we adapt and evolve our FCCC music experience as the world around us allows. We have renewed hope and excitement for what we can achieve together, no matter the platform.
Our promise for this season. FCCC will strive to provide a sense of normalcy for our choristers, and the power of song will keep our community united. Our mission remains constant; FCCC will deliver a challenging, rewarding, and enjoyable experience for our choristers and audiences.
Thank you for joining us!
Sarah Duff
Executive Director
Fairfield County Children's Choir
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Chorister Profiles - 2020/2022 Seniors!
We have an outstanding group of sixteen seniors in the FCCC this year, including nine who have been with us since fourth grade! It is always interesting to learn about them, their favorite songs and to hear their thoughts about the choir. Due to the pandemic, they will be called on for leadership in many new ways. Below is the first group of profiles for this season. Congratulations to these talented singers!
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Name: Brooklyn Boehme
Age: 17
School: Weston High School
Town: Weston
Favorite FCCC Song: Sing Me to Heaven, Even When He Is Silent
This group has meant more to me over the past 9 years of my life than any set of words could express. The overwhelming sense of joy and fulfillment it has brought me across countless moments in my life has continued to push me in the direction I intend to follow for many years after I graduate. This choir helps me to feel that I am not alone in my intense adoration for music, which is a feeling incomparable to anything else I have witnessed or experienced as a musician at this age. Not only do I feel emotionally and intellectually supported by my peers and conductors, but this group provides me and the rest of the singers with impeccable musical training (a rare high quality of education which doesn’t exist in many child/teen groups) and countless once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that foster my growth as a musician. Participating in FCCC, I am constantly reminded of the many reasons I love what I do and invest so much time developing my craft. I intend to continue pursuing music in an educational setting - I want to teach/guide growing musicians and possibly instill the same love of all that the world’s music has to offer that the Fairfield County Children’s Choir, and all the people here, have instilled in me. Music will forever be at my core, and I will always know that this choir put it there.
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Name: Lauren Lakra
Age: 16
School: Weston High School
Town: Weston
Favorite FCCC Song: Mo Ghile Mear
I joined FCCC my freshman year and quickly learned that it was something special. I am in awe of the community this choir has created; one where we ferociously attack 8-part arrangements in a foreign language and also bond over nonsense for hours on end. It is truly unique and a contrast I have seen unmatched by any other group I’ve participated in. Sharing music, something I love so deeply, with others who can appreciate it just as much is truly magical. Singing in my high school choir has never brought me the sense of fulfillment that I craved from music. This choir has brought that to me. The rush I get when we all perfectly hit a harmony or a crescendo is truly addictive. Through the overwhelming world that is teenage life and high school, this choir is a constant reminder for my connection to music and for that I am indescribably grateful. First joining I can’t say I knew what I was signing up for, but since then I have learned confidence, persistence, and passion, and I will take all this with me as I enter the world.
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Name: Samantha Fahey
Age: 17
School: Fairfield Warde High School
Town: Fairfield
Favorite FCCC Song: Goin’ up a Yonder, Wanting Memories, and Total Praise
I remember my first FCCC rehearsal very clearly. I sat in the last seat of the front row extremely nervous not knowing what to expect. Mr. Noyes started off the rehearsal by asking the current seniors to come in front and say a few words. After listening to them and their stories, I knew one day I wanted to be like them. Now here I am 9 years later, one of those seniors. Little did I know in 4th grade FCCC was going to become one of the most influential parts of my life. FCCC has helped shape me into the confident and kind person I am today, while at the same time strengthening my love and passion for music. As a member of FCCC you become a member of a community who all have the same thing in common, which is what makes this group so special. I am forever grateful that Ms. Bettke made me audition for FCCC, I wouldn’t trade my memories and experiences for anything. Sadly, this is my last year as a member of the Fairfield County Children’s Choir, but it will always have a place in my heart. I can’t wait to be the one sitting in the audience listening to the music I once sang!
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Name: Sam Peterson
Age: 17
School: Fairfield Warde High School
Town: Fairfield
Favorite FCCC Song: Goin' Up a Yonder
I've spent the past half hour sitting here, trying to think of what to say. The truth is, there isn't a good way to put it all into words. Writing this profile is the first step on my senior year FCCC journey, and one that I don't think I'm ready to take quite yet. And it all started with a game of cards. It was my third year in FCCC, and my first year in Chambers. We were touring in Ireland, and I found myself doubting where I could fit into this group of amazingly talented performers and well-knit friends, when I was an awkward eighth grader, even after performing in Carnegie Hall and a number of other concerts. We were returning to the hotel after a day of touring, and as we were getting off the bus, Abby Noyes walked to the back and told Brody, whom I was sitting next to, that she and a number of others were going to play cards in the lobby, and invited him to play. Then she turned to me, and invited me to play as well. And though she likely doesn't even remember, that simple act allowed me to open myself up, and realize that there was no reason why an awkward eighth grader couldn't fit into this amazing group. And in the years to come, I found that I had carved out a space where I could be myself, where I could be surrounded by kind, incredible people, who all came together for the sole reason of making fantastic music. And that's why, even with many experiences at the Klein, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Ireland, California, Boston... it's the little moments that make FCCC so special. It's the fact that you can forge remarkable friendships with people you never would have met otherwise. It's the fact that we can sing impactful, meaningful songs, together. It's the fact that, even amongst the professionalism and the showmanship that FCCC strives to uphold, and successfully at that, behind it all, we're just a group of kids who want to have fun being awesome. This is my first step on my final journey in FCCC, and I will cherish every single step that is to come.
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2020/2021 Season Calendar
*subject to change
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The FCCC is pleased to announce that Yuan Wang has joined the Music Staff as one of our accompanists. We know you will enjoy her performance and getting to know her in this introductory letter.
My name is Yuan Wang and I am so excited to be part of the Fairfield County Children’s Choir. I was born in China in a town called Zhengzhou. When I say Zhengzhou, nobody has any idea where I am talking about. But you do know things that have come from there. The Shaolin Monastery which is the home of Chinese Kung Fu, and perhaps more importantly in the modern world, the Foxconn factory is there, so it is quite possible that’s where your iPhone was made. Now you also know something else: me!
Like many musicians, I started the piano at a very young age and studied with various teachers in China. I eventually went to the Wuhan Conservatory, which is considered one of the top schools in China. After that, I wanted to pursue my studies and I decided to travel VERY far to do this. I applied to several schools throughout the United States and decided upon the Longy School of Bard College. Boston is a wonderful city with a vibrant artistic and academic life.
I’d always liked accompanying singers and decided to specialize in accompanying after I got my Master’s degree. During my time in Boston, I accompanied two vocal studios and enjoyed it immensely. I also love working with students and have been teaching piano students for a number of years.
You may wonder how I ended up in Connecticut. A wonderful pianist who grew up in Connecticut introduced me to his childhood friend. Over time a relationship developed and eventually we decided to start a life together. I am so very happy living in Fairfield County with my family, my piano studio, my performing and now with all of you!
Outside of music, my interests are travel and food. I can often be found trying out new dishes or discussing a new wine or dish at a restaurant with friends. I'm looking forward to working with all of you in this most difficult time.
Yuan Wang
Accompanist
Fairfield County Children's Choir
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Meet our New FCCC Board Members |
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Eugene Hoffman
Gene joins the Board as an FCCC parent since 2011 and the FCCC Videographer/YouTube channel manager since 2017. His professional experience includes over 20 years within Information Technology groups for global financial services organizations as both a Business Systems Analyst and a Project Manager. He is a graduate of Brandeis University and earned a Masters degree in Financial Engineering from the Tandon School of Engineering at New York University.
Gene is looking forward to finding new ways to support and to develop the organization by serving as a member of the Board of Directors. The Choir continues to bring joy and fulfillment to his family - through the music, the experiences, and the friends made along the way. He encourages you to join him in doing whatever you can to support this wonderful, unique organization, especially during these challenging times - volunteer, donate, and subscribe to the FCCC YouTube channel!
Rod Jenks
Rod is a retired corporate attorney and is an avid golfer and traveler. His daughter, Katie, was in FCCC for 6 years. Rod and his wife, Jacci, enjoyed a number of trips with FCCC, including Vienna and Prague and England and Ireland. FCCC was Rod’s first exposure to sophisticated choral music. Rod is excited to help the next generation of choristers love choral music as much as his family does - with Katie now following some of her FCCC friends into music education.
Ruth Rolander
Is there a more beautiful sound than children singing? As a church musician over the years I’ve loved directing children’s choirs. Now I am excited to promote and encourage choral singing by the youth who participate in the most excellent FCCC organization. Society needs our musicians! I’ve also worked as a hospital and home hospice chaplain. I enjoy my dog Olaf, and cats Gus and Sven - all named after uncles of mine before I’d heard of Frozen - and am blessed with four adult children.
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FCCC's Priority - Safety and Well-Being
Whether the FCCC is rehearsing at Fairfield Woods Middle School, performing at the Klein, Lincoln Center or Carnegie Hall, or touring in Europe, safety and well-being are always our first and highest priorities. In the near future, safety requires that we not meet in person in large groups. Well-being requires that we continue to gather together as a community.
Since we suspended our activities in March, we continued to meet throughout the Spring. However, the balance of our activities shifted from being focused primarily on music education to what the education world refers to as social/emotional learning. This involved things like having individuals share what they’ve been doing in quarantine, end-of-year awards and games such as Kahoot and Scattergories. Some groups had guest artists and individual solos or sibling duets. These activities helped all of us to deal with the tragic health and economic crises and the severe disruption they have caused to our daily lives.
In Time magazine’s August 3/10 issue, Health columnist Jeffrey Kluger wrote, “Nobody is immune to the stress that comes with a pandemic and related quarantining. Children, however, may be at particular risk. Living in a universe that is already out of their control, they can become especially shaken when the verities they count on to give the world order - the rituals in their lives, the very day-to-dayness of living - get blown to bits.” This is the main reason why the FCCC will resume our rehearsals in September.
Rehearsal Options This Fall
We have been studying many models for both rehearsals and concerts, as well as consulting CDC and CT State Department of Education information. We will continue to adjust our contingency plans in numerous ways as the situation dictates. After much discussion regarding safety, curriculum and staffing, the FCCC staff has decided to begin rehearsals with Rehearsal Option 1 below.
This Fall we will continue to include some social/emotional activities, but we will also shift back to our primary mission, “to provide a musical experience which is challenging, rewarding and enjoyable.” Our curriculum is based on “The Four Components of a Great Choral Musician,” i.e. “vocal technique, choral technique, music literacy, and passion and energy” which are the skills and knowledge that we apply to the outstanding repertoire performed in all of our concerts.
**Rehearsal Option 1: We will start our rehearsals on Zoom during the week of September 14.** The adjusted schedule is below. After October 7 the schedule will change to our regular schedule until further notice. Here are the Zoom schedules:
Zoom Schedule - September 14 through October 7:
Chamber Singers: Mondays from 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Concert Choir: Wednesdays from 7:30 - 8:30 PM
Chorale: Wednesdays from 6:45 - 7:30 PM
Chorus: Wednesdays from 6:00 - 6:45 PM
Zoom Schedule after October 7:
Chamber Singers: Mondays & Wednesdays from 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Concert Choir: Wednesdays from 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Chorale: Wednesdays from 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Chorus: Wednesdays from 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Rehearsal Option 2: The Fairfield Public Schools will not allow outside groups to use their facilities until further notice. However, the Klein Memorial Auditorium, where we present most of our major concerts, has offered rehearsal space for a reasonable cost. The size of the Klein will allow us to have the conductor and accompanist on stage and the choristers spread throughout the audience (with 10 feet distancing and masks). However, while Connecticut is in Phase 2 of reopening, the Klein can only have groups of 25 - 30 at one time, which is not practical for a group of our size. When Connecticut moves to Phase 3 the Klein can hold 400 people (their regular capacity is 1400 seats plus administrative areas). Our plan would be to have one FCCC choir rehearse at a time. The exact schedule for Option 2 is still to be determined. Our safety guidelines will be:
1. Facemasks are required at all times, even while singing; rubber gloves are welcome.
2. Distancing of 10 feet is required while singing and 6 feet at all other times; all choristers will face in the same direction when singing. FCCC staff will organize the seating arrangements.
3. The FCCC will provide your choir binder and sheet music. Please bring your own pencils, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes as needed (perhaps in a plastic bag), water bottle, tissues, etc. Restrooms will be available if necessary, but we recommend limiting their use.
4. Parents are not required to stay during rehearsals. They may sit in the back of the audience if they wish and must distance appropriately (6 feet).
5. You must take your temperature before leaving home. Do not attend if temp is over 100 degrees.
6. Do not attend if you are displaying any COVID symptoms or if you have knowingly been in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID over the past 14 days. Anyone exhibiting symptoms (fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat) will be asked to leave.
7. The Klein has a stringent set of protocols which we will also follow.
Rehearsal Option 3: The third rehearsal option is outdoor meetings, which many music, dance and theater groups around the world have been doing this summer. Considering the size of our groups, the weather and the earlier sunsets in the Fall, this is not a good option, although we are not completely ruling it out. For example, a Saturday or Sunday event in late September or October might work.
Concert Options
While we feel that our rehearsals will be very effective, there are more questions around our concert options. Our major performing goal for the 2020 - 2021 season is our FCCC Spring Concert at Carnegie Hall on June 27, 2021. For now, here are some of our Winter Concert options. We will hope for Option 1, but we will make a determination at a later date. The program drafts for all three concert options are below.
Winter Concert Option 1: Our usual full FCCC Winter Concert at the Klein. This concert might also be live-streamed. The concert will take place on December 6 at the Klein Auditorium in Bridgeport. We are planning for new seasonal pieces, music by Beethoven in honor of his 250th birthday and a celebration of women composers in honor of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution granting women the right to vote. The Chamber Singers list includes pieces which will be included at our annual Music for Youth concert at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Fairfield.
Winter Concert Option 2: This concert would also take place at the Klein Auditorium, but will be divided into four individual concerts, featuring one FCCC choir at a time. We would stagger the four concerts consecutively, one after the other, on Sunday afternoon. The choristers would spread out ten feet apart on stage and into audience. The audience for each choir would be smaller and could sit with appropriate distancing, starting a few rows back. This concert might also be live-streamed.
Winter Concert Option 3: This concert would consist of a series of virtual choir videos, similar to and including our Bridge Over Troubled Water video. We would also include some solos and duets.
Concert Choir Conductor Jacqueline Sugrue-Tait shared the following quote:
“If choir is only about singing and performing, there will be no choir for a while.
If choir is about teaching and learning, growing, connecting, community, cultural exploration and transmission, and innovating, we will find a way to have choir.”
- Kellie Walsh
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The Singer’s Mask
Here is an option that may be helpful for singers. This mask has an interior structure allowing space around the mouth for better breathing and comfort while singing.
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Support FCCC!
Fairfield County Children's Choir is a non-profit organization. A contribution to Fairfield County Children's Choir is an investment in the future! We train outstanding young performers and help them to grow - both as musicians and as responsible, caring young adults.
Your support makes it possible for us to bring our world-class choir experience to musically talented children, many of whom receive tuition assistance.
Your gift is tax deductible and we thank you for your generosity. $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, $1000, any donation helps ensure vibrant programming for the children of the FCCC.
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MUSIC STAFF
Music Director & Founder - Jon Noyes
Chorale Conductor & Accompanist - Lisa Bettke
Concert Choir Conductor - Jacqueline Sugrue-Tait
Chorus Conductor - Ashley Zadravecz
Accompanist - Yuan Wang
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STAFF
Executive Director - Sarah Duff
General Manager - Barbara Peck
Assistant Choir Manager - Alicen Gachi
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