More Than 100 Children Join in Song

The Main Street Singers Spring Concert Saturday featured young singers from Bristol, Farmington, Plainville, and Southington along with The Main Street Singers in songs about the earth and the new season such as “The Sally Gardens,” “The Storm Is Passing Over,” and “Fireflies.”  Performing for an audience of approximately 300, the children also sang a Russian folk song, “The Little Birch Tree,” in Russian, a Swahili folk song, “O Sifuni Mungu,” and the traditional American song, “’Cross the Wide Missouri.”  The grand finale was Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song.”

Joining The Main Street Singers for yesterday’s performance were youngsters from The Main Street Singers’ Community Choirs Program at four local schools:  Hubbell Elementary School in Bristol; East Farms Elementary School in Farmington; Kelley Elementary School in Southington; and the Middle School of Plainville.  The Community Choirs Program began in January, 2011, to broaden the scope of The Main Street Singers’ engagement in the public schools with the addition of after-school community choirs for children at elementary and middle schools in the New Britain region.  The program is offered each spring semester, with the music teachers at each of the schools serving as adjunct faculty and working with their students apart from the regular school day to prepare them for the culminating event – The Main Street Singers Spring Concert.

Accompanying the large children’s chorus yesterday were a variety of musicians:  Bruce Henley, Senior Choir accompanist; Kelly Sharp, Junior Choir accompanist; Catherine Denmead Madrak, cello; Catherine Peters, flute; Jason Arnold, bass; Scott Gilliam, guitar; and Matt Torcellini, percussion.

In the eight years since The Main Street Singers gave their first concert, over 240 youngsters have been members of the group. The choir has performed for many local, regional, and national events. Locally, there are two concerts a year at South Church, performances at the New Britain Tree Lighting ceremony and the New Britain Public Library, an annual concert tour of schools, and once-a-year performances of “The Star Spangled Banner” at a New Britain Rock Cats game. MSS has been invited to perform five times at the New Britain Museum of American Art. They have sung twice with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, once with Connecticut Choral Artists, and have been featured at regional and national conferences of music educators. They have performed for over 25,000 people since their first concert, with 20,000 of those in New Britain.

The Main Street Singers choirs are directed by their Interim Senior and Interim Junior Choir Directors for the 2011-2012 season. Kenneth Quesnel-Craig, former music teacher at Toffolon Elementary School in Plainville, conducts the Senior Choir. Mr. Quesnel-Craig also serves as Music Director at West Avon (Conn.) Congregational Church and is a member of Connecticut Choral Artists. Last September, he began teaching at Naubuc Elementary School in Glastonbury, Conn. Katherine Smallidge, who directs the Junior Choir, is a music teacher at Union Elementary School in Farmington, Conn. In addition to her teaching duties, she serves as the secretary of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.  The appointment of Ms. Smallidge and Mr. Quesnel-Craig as permanent directors was announced at yesterday’s concert by Mrs. Jean Watson Esselink, President of the Board of Directors of The Main Street Singers.

Submitted by the Main Street Singers.