FC Buzz: Children’s choir celebrates its 20th season

BY JON NOYES

The Fairfield County Children”™s Choir, a community-based choral program, provides children in grades 4 through 12 the opportunity to participate in a musical experience that is challenging, rewarding and enjoyable. The choir, which has been recognized in performances throughout the U.S. and internationally, also brings critically acclaimed choral music to the community through a variety of concerts and events.

The Fairfield County Children”™s Choir is made up of 300 children performing in four choirs. The choirs range from youngsters beginning to acquire vocal skills and repertoire to advanced choristers performing sophisticated voicing, musical forms, texts and techniques.

This year, FCCF is celebrating its 20th anniversary season. Some of the highlights of the season include the choir”™s popular holiday concert, this year Sunday, Dec. 7, at the Klein Memorial auditorium and a performance with the Cross Border Orchestra Ireland, Oct. 30, at Carnegie Hall. One of the most attended concerts each year is the Fairfield County Children”™s Choir Broadway concert Saturday, Feb. 7, also at the Klein, where the choirs perform Broadway favorites, with talented young soloists. The 20th anniversary season will also include a concert with the Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra Dec. 6, a summer tour and a 20th anniversary recording.

Each year we develop a program that may include premier performances of pieces written specifically for the choir, and special guest artists. The choir has shared the stage with such notable artists as Renee Fleming, Christopher Plummer, Ivan Rutherford and Tom Chapin and has also performed at Tanglewood, Carnegie Hall and in Europe.

The choir”™s music director and founder is Jon Noyes, who has been recognized by the Connecticut Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association as Choral Director of the Year. A music educator both in the Fairfield Public Schools and at Fairfield University, Noyes has conducted children”™s choirs on the national level. He conducts the FCCC”™s advanced choir, the Chamber Singers. For more information about the Fairfield County Children”™s Choir, visit singfccc.org or call 203-414-4292.

Jon Noyes is music director of the Fairfield County Children”™s Choir, a member of the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.