While the global pandemic has disrupted many arts organizations, the Fairfield County Chorale remains active and vibrant. On Sunday, December 20, 2020, FCC offers a seasonal online streaming event: FCC Presents, Gifts – A Musical Celebration. This radiant production explores the boundaries of online performance, blending technology, contemporary music, animation, Bach, cutting edge video design, Copland, dance, and Mozart into one highly curated online holiday offering. FCC Presents, Gifts showcases the successful integration of creativity, community, and collaboration in fulfilling the deepest promise of online performance.
The program begins with a selection of seasonal songs, followed by a fantasia of music resplendent with joy, memory, and hope, in recognition of current realities, the need for uplift, and music’s gift of solace. Featured soloists include Chorale members Jennifer Romano and Rick Davis.
Guest artists include FCC’s accompanist, Jake Street, who is also Music Director and organist at St Paul’s On the Green in Norwalk; conductor Eduardo Notrica, collaborating from Rome; ballet and Graham technique dancer JoVonna Parks; Chris Coogan, jazz and gospel pianist founder of the Chris Coogan Quartet. Various additional interdisciplinary and multi-media artists are woven throughout the production.
The restrictions of the pandemic have particularly affected choral groups – FCC has not met in person since their last performance at Norwalk City Hall in March. Without a safe way to get together physically, many organizations have halted operations completely. Zoom calls and physical distancing have proven a little bit of a culture shock. But some organizations, like FCC, are rising to the challenge. Meetings occur online, allowing participation by members, and even former members, regardless of geography; the performance itself takes advantage of opportunities unique to the digital world, including global participation and global access.
“We chose to be inspired by the sudden shift in the performing arts, working with the limitations and discovering the possibilities within those limitations,” explains FCC Music Director David Rosenmeyer, equally comfortable in the creative and the technological communities. “We have brought together artistic and production talent from all over the world, pushing boundaries, celebrating all our unique backgrounds and musical traditions, making our Connecticut-based chorale an organization with a truly global reach.”
For fifty-eight seasons, the Fairfield County Chorale has been presenting great choral works in southwestern Connecticut, its mission to champion the appreciation of excellence in choral literature. The Chorale performs a broad range of classical and contemporary choral music for the benefit of the community. Comprised of over 100 voices, and in collaboration with professional soloists and musicians, FCC is committed to remaining relevant and operational, in any way performance platforms evolve. FCC has presented a number of U.S. and World premieres, and has performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
The performance takes place Sunday, December 20 at 4 pm EST. FCC offers this online event without charge – registration required – on our website: www.fairfieldcountychorale.org/category/concerts/
For additional information, please visit fairfieldcountychorale.org,
or call 203-858-3714.
Media Assets
Press Release PDF, Concert Flier, Social Media images and Press Pictures available on our website.
For additional materials, please contact media@fairfieldcountychorale.org
