Our critically acclaimed group is celebrating its 49th year of performing great choral works in southwestern Connecticut. The winner of the 2011 Artist of the Year Award from the Fairfield Arts Center, the Chorale consists of over 100 auditioned singers, representing a broad range of ages and music backgrounds. The repertoire ranges from the great classics to commissioned works and world premieres. The Chorale has performed at such prestigious venues as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Its season consists of three concerts performed at the Norwalk Concert Hall, each with a professional orchestra and soloists.
Beyond the Concert Hall
Fairfield County Chorale members participate in many musical and community activities. On September 11th, we co-sponsored a Sing-In of Mozart's Requiem as part of the National 9 11 11 Requiem of Remembrance. Attended by nearly 500 people, the proceeds of this event went to Voices of September 11th, a charity supporting those impacted by the events of 9/11. We've made a number of highly-regarded commercial recordings - most recently, Haydn's The Seasons. The Chorale also performs with other choral groups, embarks on international concert tours and enjoys holiday caroling. Summer Sings, which take place in August, are open to everyone and feature guest conductors from the area. To see other performances in which our chorale members are involved, please see our Community Calendar on our Events Page.
We are in the process of searching for a new music director.
Johannes Somary passed away on February 1st after suffering a stroke on December 27th. Our beloved Johannes will be hard to replace, but we have formed a search committee to find the best music director for The Chorale. We are thrilled to announce our three outstanding and exciting guest conductors for the upcoming season. To learn more about our guest conductors, visit our Who's Who page. For more information on the Music Director Search, visit our Press Room.
Rehearsals
The Chorale rehearses on Monday nights from 7:30 pm to 10 pm. The location is Norwalk City Hall, 125 East Avenue in Norwalk. The group gathers in the Mary McCarthy Room, which has excellent lighting and acoustics, and was specifically designed to accommodate musical rehearsals.
Singers Welcome!
Auditions are usually scheduled at the Mary McCarthy Room. They take place during the summer before the start of a new season. You must be able to follow written choral music and blend with other singers in an ensemble. Find out more about auditions.
Fairfield County Chorale's Repertoire includes
Bach Christmas Oratorio; Magnificat; Mass in B Minor; St. Matthew Passion
Beethoven Choral Fantasy, Op 80
Berlioz L'Enfance du Christ
Bernstein Chichester Psalms
Brahms German Requiem; Liebeslieder Waltzes
Britten Saint Nicholas
Carissimi Jephte
Charpentier Te Deum
Dvorak Mass in D Minor; Stabat Mater; Te Deum
Faure Cantique de Jean Racine
Handel Israel in Egypt; Judas Maccabaeus; Messiah; Samson; Zadok the Priest
Haydn Te Deum; The Creation**; The Seasons**
Honegger Une Cantate de Noel
Mendelssohn Elijah
Mozart Coronation Mass; Mass in C Minor; Requiem
Orff Carmina Burana
Poulenc Gloria; Litanies a la Vierge Noire
Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle; Stabat Mater
Saint-Saëns Requiem
Schubert Mass in G Major
Somary A Ballad of God and His People; Is This Life?
Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms
Thompson Frostiana
Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem; Fantasia on Christmas Carols; Magnificat
Verdi Requiem
Vivaldi Gloria; Magnificat
For a complete list of the Fairfield County Chorale's Repertoire, please click here.
**Haydn's The Creation and The Seasons are available on CD.
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