Fairfield County Children's Choir
Jon Noyes, Music Director and Founder
 

Board of Directors

Carol Kolonay-Spangler
President
Dorothy Straub
Vice-president
Beau Villecco
Secretary
Marie Sacco
Treasurer
Dr. Daniel Christianson
Marjorie Duzy
Joan McKenzie
Jon Noyes
Charles Saber
Joseph Peri
James Rice, Esq.
Gretchen Webster
Fran Weiss
 

Honorary Board
of Directors

The Honorable Daniel Caruso
Thomas Crawford
Lt. Col. David Detrick, Jr.
Martha King
John LaBarca
Carole Ann Maxwell
Dr. Laura Nash
The Rev. Bela Poznan
Rabbi Shaul Praver
Kate Remington Roberts
Johannes Somary
Sandy Zera

P.O. Box 110588

Trumbull, CT  06611

203.414.4292

Barbara Brauner, General Manager                   Alicen Masi, Assistant Choir Manager

Contact Us

Choral Divisions and Instructional Goals

Our Rationale

The Fairfield County Children's Choir (FCCC), now celebrating our thirteenth season, is a community-based choral program made up of over 220 children in grades 4 through 12 from communities in Connecticut's Fairfield County and beyond. The FCCC program provides instruction in vocal technique, choral technique, music literacy and the appreciation of music through the practice and performance of great choral repertoire.

The FCCC has performed throughout New England as well as in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Maryland, New Orleans, San Francisco, Oakland and Canada. We have shared the stage with such artists as Renee Fleming, Charles Strouse, Stephen Schwartz, Lawrence Gilgore, Sam Waterston, Nick Page, Bob Chilcott, Jean Ashworth Bartle, Rob Hugh and Dianne Legro.

In July 2005 our Chamber Singers attended the Pacific Rim Choral Festival in Hawaii!
 

Choir Divisions and Instructional Goals

Chorus (Grades 4-6): Singers focus on vocal development and music reading, using movable 'do' solfege and rhythm syllables. The repertoire is predominantly unison and two-part arrangements. Ensemble skills are also stressed.

Chorale (Grades 5-12): Acquired skills continue to be developed. Repertoire expands to include three-part singing, with more sophisticated voicing, musical forms, texts and techniques.

Concert Choir (Grades 5-12): Acquired skills continue to be developed. Repertoire expands to include four parts, with more sophisticated voicing, musical forms, texts and techniques. A greater emphasis is placed on independence in music reading. This group performs independently and in collaboration with other musical organizations.

Chamber Singers (Grades 6-12): This group comprises FCCC's most advanced choristers. Skills continue to be developed to higher levels. Repertoire expands to four or more parts, with more sophisticated voicing, musical forms, texts and techniques. A high degree of music literacy is expected. The group performs independently, in collaboration with other musical organizations and it undertakes extended tours, usually during the summer.
 

The mission of the FCCC is to provide children the opportunity to participate in a musical experience that is challenging, rewarding and enjoyable. Through the process of practicing and performing choral music with excellence and artistry, the FCCC helps to foster the personal, musical and social growth of each child, promoting self-esteem and self-discipline. The FCCC contributes to the quality of the cultural life of its members and the community as a whole. Ultimately, in the words of John Ruskin:
 

"The highest reward for a man's toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it."

• The FCCC is committed to a high level of artistry, musical understanding, and self-expression in all activities.

• The FCCC believes that not only can all people sing, but that all people need to sing and is committed to promoting singing throughout our culture.

• The FCCC brings together children with treble voices in Grades 4-12.

• The FCCC is open to children of all religious, racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds in Fairfield County and beyond. There are no geographical limits to FCCC membership.

1. MUSIC: The act of making music has intrinsic value in and of itself. When we sing, we experience forms of beauty and joy that words cannot express. Music-making can be a powerful source of meaning in our lives, a door to "the inward places of the soul." The FCCC gives children the opportunity to make music.

2. SINGING: Singing is a basic means of human expression. The voice is the most personal of musical instruments, an important and deep connection to who we are. The FCCC trains individual singers and promotes singing throughout the community.

3. QUALITY OF LIFE: The arts enrich and nourish our lives in an unending multitude of ways. Higher degrees of knowledge, understanding and appreciation of music contribute to an enriched quality of life from before birth to the very end of life. The arts contribute to the cultural life of individuals and the community as a whole. The FCCC enriches the lives of all who are associated with it including singers, conductors, accompanists, managers, parents and audiences.

4. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: Because of the unique manner in which the brain processes music, the act of music-making has an invaluable impact on major aspects of growth and development. From a parent's lullaby to a newborn baby to the most exalted masterpieces of the ages, music effects our cognitive, motor and affective development in myriad ways.  For an infant, early musical experiences can establish and reinforce many important neuronal connections in the brain. Later, as children listen, describe, analyze, evaluate, sing move, create and utilize a sophisticated symbol system, they are developing powerful thinking skills and problem solving abilities. Participation in a children's choir positively affects human development and builds attributes such as self-esteem, self-discipline, cooperation and self-motivation that are necessary for success in life.

5. CULTURAL HERITAGE AND LIFE LONG LEARNING: A child who sings learns about life. To participate fully in a diverse global society, we must understand our own historical and cultural heritage and that of others within our community, our nation and the world. The skills, knowledge and experiences involved in making great music are nearly infinite in their depth and breadth. The children's choir is an important chapter in a child's life long-musical journey.

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