Dear members and friends of the Fairfield County Chorale,
I am proud and honored to have been elected President of the Fairfield County Chorale, succeeding Ricky Davis, who served with extraordinary dedication, commitment and devotion for the past seven years. I am proud to be working with Deb Harper Bono and Bill Hooks as executive vice presidents, and a vibrant and engaged board of directors.
Our 2019-2020 season was highlighted by two beautiful concerts led by our extraordinary Musical Director David Rosenmeyer: The Mozart Mass in C Minor performed on December 8, 2019; and a March 7, 2020 performance in honor of Beethoven’s 250th birthday which included Beethoven’s Mass in C and the Emperor Concerto with internationally acclaimed pianist Ilya Yakushev. We eagerly looked forward to what was to have been our final concert in May consisting of choral works from the great operas. Unfortunately, that wonderful concert did not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tragic consequences of the COVID-19 virus have impacted all segments of our society. For a not-for-profit Chorale, there is a special impact. Our Chorale has upwards of 100 members; we sing before large audiences accompanied by a world-class orchestra organized and conducted by Maestro Rosenmeyer. A chorale’s mission is to rehearse, sing and perform in person and together, which we, like so many other musical and arts organizations, cannot currently do, and likely will be unable to do over the foreseeable future.
However, rather than disperse, say farewell, and promise to get together again when this is all over, our Chorale remains strong and resilient, committed to continuing to sing, rehearse for future concerts, and, study music theory and voice development, a value added service provided by David Rosenmeyer which will continue through July. We are also, with the assistance of our gifted accompanist Jake Street, rehearsing for a December 2020 performance of Handel’s Messiah, which we hope will involve community outreach; and a Spring 2021 performance of Mozart’s Requiem.
While we plan for the coming year, we recognize the limitations which COVID-19 will continue to place upon our ability to get together in person, whether for a concert or a rehearsal. No organization can assure or promise what conditions will be like for the remainder of 2020, let alone in Spring 2021, and what type of public performances and gatherings which we have engaged in the past, will be allowed or advisable. With the aid of FCC’s COVID-19 committee, we will strictly comply with and follow applicable medical and related guidelines and protocols as we navigate this unprecedented crisis. We love our music. However, our first priority is the health and safety of our members, our professional soloists and orchestra members, and our audience.
Nevertheless, we continue to sing and are committed to further develop and channel our talents into new approaches to expressing ourselves and reaching our audience. This medical crisis may have a silver lining. While COVID-19 prevents us from performing in traditional forums and settings, it gives us an opportunity, through David Rosenmeyer’s vision and direction, to explore our mission and implement new and innovative forms of musical communication with an expanding audience in our diverse community. We are excited by these new challenges, and look forward to “seeing” you at our future performances, notices of which we will post to our website.
We trust and hope that you and your families are well, and we thank you for your continuing support of the Fairfield County Chorale in its 58th year of continuous operation.
With all best wishes,
Arthur Gang
