News Look at the
Monthly Newsletter
on the Green Pages for Look at the Avon Congregational Church playlist on You Tube.
Choirs Youth
(Singing) Choir Alleluia
(Cherub) Choir Celebration Ringers Joyful Noise Staff:
Benita Rose, Organist and Director of Music
Norma Goralski, Director Mike Comeau, Chair of Music Committee and Associate Bell Choir Dir.
|
Music has always played an important role in worship at our church. Holiday services are made joyful by the performances of combined choir, organ, handbells and instruments. The two-manual pipe organ was built especially for the church by the Austin Organ Company in 1965 and has 8 sets of pipes. The organ received a mechanical upgrade in 2008, console rebuilding, 3 new ranks of pipes (for a total of 11) and digital preparation for the addition of sampled digital ranks in the future. In addition to the historic steeple bell, the church tower houses a Schulmerich Carillon. A young studio upright piano is located in the gallery for choral accompanying and a young Baldwin 7' grand piano graces the Fellowship Hall for programs and special events. All the musicians and singers rehearse in the Music Center on the second floor of the new Parish Center.
The Gallery Singers, under the direction, of Benita Rose, is our adult choir, welcoming all, beginning high school age with no upper age limit to sing in church. This ensemble meets Wednesdays at 7:00P.M. as well as 9:00A.M. Sunday mornings. All are invited to visit the choir any time. We are a very welcoming group. You may show up on a Wednesday, and sing on Sunday, as simple as that! We sing a variety of styles and levels- something for everyone! If you like how we sound, stop by and visit. We would love to meet you.
²Listen
and Watch the Gallery Singers Perform The Alleluia Choir is our youngest singing group . Director Mrs. Rose invites all children in grades kindergarten through second grade to learn to worship through music. This year we are learning the basics of singing using the Royal School of Church Music curriculum (White Level). Hymn singing is introduced as well as handbell playing. The Alleluia Choir performs frequently in church; singing songs with movement, or joining our other choirs, or as our youngest soloists. The Alleluia Choir is now meeting at a new time. Rehearsals are at 5:30P.M to 6:00P.M. on Wednesdays in the music room upstairs. Please drop by and visit! A good time is had by all! A great chance to meet our youngest budding church musicians, develop some skills, and have fun! Youth Choir Director Mrs. Goralski invites all youth 3rd grade and up to join her and accompanist Benita Rose and assistant Mrs. Carville, in the music room on Wednesday nights from 6:00P.M. to 7:00P.M. for a time of singing and fellowship. The youth choir sings in church, often featuring the fine voices of our youth soloists. A rehearsal is never complete without one of Mrs. Goralski’s specially baked cookies!
The church owns a 5 octave set of English-style hand-bells. There are two ringing choirs, the Celebration Ringers for adults and The Joyful Noise for middle school and high school ringers. The bell choirs perform monthly in church and on special occasions alone and in combination with each other and choirs and instruments. They also participate in area bell choir festivals. Joyful Noise is our youth handbell choir. Director Leslie Kohnke-Nicholson invites all youth interested in ringing to join her in the music room on Monday nights at 6:45P.M. to 7:15P.M. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet other church youth while ringing God’s praises. It is chance to learn a new skill or improve existing techniques, while preparing to participate in worship. Always a great time! The Celebration Ringers under the direction of Benita Rose is our adult handbell choir. This ensemble meets at 7:30P.M. on Monday nights. New ringers are always welcome to visit. This group learns music of varying styles and levels, so there is something for everyone, while also having a time for fellowship. Last spring this group made the trip to Rocky Hill to perform on Scot Haney’s WFSB “Better Connecticut “ television program to advertise the Farmington Valley Handbell Festival, which Avon Congregational Church hosted. Come join the fun! Our Director of Music, Benita Rose, has performed throughout the United States, Brazil, and Latvia as soloist, accompanist or chamber musician. She has been soloist with the Willimantic Orchestra and the Connecticut String Orchestra. As soloist with the U.S. Coast Guard Band, her performance was heard on over 200 NPR radio stations on Martin Goldsmith's program "Performance Today". Ms. Rose has served as a judge for various piano competitions throughout the state of Connecticut. She has been a scholarship student at the University of Connecticut and the Hartt School where she received the prestigious Parker award and received her Master of Music degree. Her teachers include Luiz de Moura Castro, Joseph Villa and Louis Crowder. She has also received coaching from Ilana Vered and Menahem Pressler. Many of her piano students are prize winners. Ms. Rose is founding member of the Hop River Chamber Players in Andover, Connecticut. She was formerly the organist at The First Congregational Church of Willimantic.
|
|||||
