Registration Information

Early Bird $25 registration deadline: Friday, March 1
Regular price $30 registration deadline: Thursday, March 14
Late registrations after March 14 cannot be guaranteed a t-shirt.

Choristers will spend the day singing, drumming, dancing, acting, and creating art, stories, and prayers! In addition to all this, the teens will work on vocal pedagogy specific to their needs. The day will conclude with a chorister-led worship service that is overflowing with music and the liturgical arts. 

Repertoire
​ Selections for Children’s Choir
(NB: for small choirs, it is acceptable and encouraged to focus on melody!)

Gathering Song 
Kye Kye Kule by Greg Gilpin

Thanksgiving Theme
Hine Ma Tov, arranged by Allan Naplan

​Christmas Theme
A La Nanita Nana, arranged by Ruth Elaine Schram

​Pentecost Theme
Wind Song (As the Wind through the Trees) by Helen Kemp

General
Draw the Circle Wide, set by Mark A. Miller
Selections for Advanced Teen Choir
(NB: Teens should also prepare the Children's Choir music, focusing on harmony!)
​
Advent Theme 
Lost in the Night by Kyle Haugen

Easter Theme 
Revelation 19  by Jeffrey LaValley/arr. Schrader
Additionally, we hope to use "Halle, Halle," from Halle, Halle: We Sing the World Round during the worship service with the congregation. We'd also like the treble singers to learn "Yaa Quddsa RuuhilLah," an Arabic folk song with a beautiful text adapted by Andrew Donaldson, published in Hosanna! Ecumenical Songs for Justice and Peace, published by Oikoumene: World Council of Churches Publications. We are in the process of getting permission to make copies of these individual pieces so that you won't have to purchase the books for all of your singers, but strongly encourage you to explore these wonderful publications on your own. 

Festival Preparation

Children and teens are asked to learn all music ahead of time. The repertoire corresponds to the liturgical calendar so that it can be rehearsed and used throughout the year.

Festival Teen Choir Rehearsal & Pizza
Friday, March 29, 6:00-8:30pm

The advanced teen ensemble will rehearse their music & eat pizza the Friday night before the festival with Jason Holmes at TCC! This will enable the teens to go to their own break out sessions on Saturday.

Choral Clinician

Jason Alexander Holmes
Associate Director of Choirs at Boston Children's Chorus

Jason will lead chorus rehearsals and direct both the children's choir and the high school ensemble on the day of the festival. Jason has been a successful vocal and general music teacher-conductor at the elementary, secondary, and collegiate levels; he has also served as conductor, music director, and keyboardist for numerous school, amateur, and professional productions. Jason is the chorus master Finger Lakes Opera and is on the faculty of the Geva Theatre Summer Academy. As a bass-baritone, Jason has performed in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (soloist), Handel's Messiah (soloist), Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (Porgy), and Jason Robert Brown's Parade (Newt/Riley/Jim). Jason is a proud graduate of the Eastman School of Music (Rochester, NY) and Ithaca College; he is currently the Associate Director of Choirs at Boston Children’s Chorus.

Breakout Sessions

​Visual Art: Sarah Peattie
Puppetteer

Sarah will be working with our children in the visual art breakout sessions. The children will use visual arts to enliven our worship service! Her work has been seen in renowned worship space such as Emmanuel Church, Boston, and will surely be inspirational to participants and worshipers in the “audience.”

Dance: Bethany Lynch
Director and Master Teacher of Dance at Jackson Mann K-8 School

Bethany returns to our festival to lead the dance breakout sessions which will culminate in collaboration with one of the choral pieces to be sung during worship. Bethany’s work will certainly be a creative avenue for the children, will develop their body movement and awareness and will illuminate ways in which our directors might use this work on their own. 

Drama: Merle Perkins
Urban Improv

Merle will direct the children in a dramatic depiction of a story from scripture. A regional actor with credits including HBO's Six Feet Under and the film Mermaids, she has been a member of Urban Improv since its inception in 1992. Her love of and trust of children's creativity shines through her work; we are so excited to have her back!

Percussion: Ed Sorentino
South Shore Conservatory 

Ed returns to our festival to lead our drumming breakout sessions! His vast experience with children and the percussion instruments we have in our churches will surely invigorate the children’s interest and embolden our directors to use their hands in a different, percussive manner!

Liturgy - Storytelling & Prayer Writing: TBA

The breakout leader for this new addition to the festival will be announced soon!