Choral Concert Draws a Crowd

The Main Street Singers, a community of children’s voices in grades two through eight, presented their Spring Concert on Saturday, May 4 at 4:00 p.m.  

The Singers were joined by young people from six area schools to perform a variety of folk, popular, and classical songs and spirituals, from an aria by G. F. Handel to “Fix You” by Coldplay.  It was presented at The Main Street Singers’ home base, South Church, 90 Main Street, New Britain. 

Over one hundred children raised their voices in song in a concert attended by nearly 400 people.   The Spring Concert was conducted by Main Street Singers Senior Choir Director Kenneth Craig, who teaches music at Naubuc Elementary School in Glastonbury, and Junior Choir Director Katherine Smallidge, a music teacher at Union Elementary and East Farms Elementary Schools in Farmington.  Accompanist was Bruce Henley, and instrumentalists included Catherine Peters, flute, Jason Arnold, bass, Scott Gilliam, guitar, and Matt Torcellini, percussion.  

The Main Street Singers, founded by South Church in 2003, began rehearsals in January, 2004, and on May 1, 2004, they gave their first concert.  In September, 2008, the Junior Choir was added for children in the lower grades.  In January, 2011, the Community Choirs Program in schools in New Britain and neighboring towns was launched to broaden the scope of our engagement with the public schools and strengthens our ties to the community.  

Currently, the Senior Choir consists of youngsters in grades 5-8 the Junior Choir welcomes children in grades 2-4.  The Main Street Singers performs for many local and regional and national events.  Locally, there are the annual Winter and Spring Concerts, along with performances at the New Britain Museum of American Art, the New Britain Rock Cats baseball game, and an annual tour of schools.  

This spring the singers come from New Britain, Plainville, Farmington, Berlin-Kensington, Cromwell, Glastonbury, Wethersfield, and West Hartford.  

The Main Street Singers Community Choirs Program provides the opportunity for a greater number of children to be a part of The Main Street Singers, to develop relationships with children from other school districts, perform in a variety of venues, strengthen their music skills, and experience a broad array of choral music.  

This year’s Community Choirs Program schools are Green-Hills Elementary in Bristol, Allison Kelly, music teacher; East Farms Elementary in Farmington, Catherine Sullivan, music teacher; Eastbury Elementary in Glastonbury, Stacey Tinker, music teacher; Hebron Avenue Elementary in Glastonbury, Kate Ingram, music teacher; Gaffney Elementary in New Britain, Moriah Wynkoop, music teacher; and, John Paterson Elementary in Newington, Paul Kemp, music teacher.  

The plan to expand The Main Street Singers program was the idea of Founding Artistic Director Dr. Mary Ellen Junda, a music professor at the University of Connecticut, based on her work with the Boston Children’s Chorus in March 2009.  The BCC runs nine Neighborhood Music Programs in local schools for children between the ages of approximately 7-12 years to provide them with the basic music and vocal skills needed to audition for the nationally renowned BCC.  By developing their own preparatory program, BCC not only ensures a strong applicant pool, but also serves hundreds of children who may never have had the opportunity to develop their music skills to the highest level.  

“Since the BCC's inception [2003], our programs have grown rapidly.  Twenty children were accepted into an initial pilot program, and in the current season, we have over 450 singers representing over 50 of Boston's urban and suburban neighborhoods participating in eleven different choirs in four Boston locations: the South End, Allston-Brighton, South Boston and Dorchester.” [ http://www.bostonchildrenschorus.org/about_us#sthash.vQ4eq5cp.dpuf ] 

The concept is for The Main Street Singers to develop a similar program in Greater New Britain to expand our preparatory program, have a stronger presence in the public schools, and involve more local teachers in increasing numbers of cities and towns in The Main Street Singers community.  

The Main Street Singers provides the opportunity for children in greater New Britain to sing in choirs that build community, strive for artistic excellence, and foster a life-long love of music.  It is a community-based organization in residence at South Church as part of its mission to be “in the heart of the city, for the heart of the city.”  The Main Street Singers welcomes children of all races, religions, economic and ethnic backgrounds.  Please contact MSS Administrator Nancy Eaton at 860-223-3691, ext. 123, or check the website ( www.mainstreetsingers.org ) for more information.