Where can you catch the work of notable guest artists, the melodious voices of more than 100 singers from 27 local towns, the masterful direction of Fairfield's Carole Ann Maxwell, and musical selections ranging from Paul Simon's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" to Haydn's "Te Deum"?

Come to Fairfield University, Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. as the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts presents "Hooked on Classics," its ninth annual Summer Festival Chorus concert. A tribute to Haydn, Mozart and other pre-Romantic era composers, "Hooked on Classics" also recognizes "classic" works that have served as outstanding models throughout the generations. The program includes Kirby Shaw's arrangement of "Go Tell It On The Mountain"; a rendition of "Danny Boy"; Mozart's "Jubilate'; and a selection celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Richard Rodgers.

Soloists are: Denise Levan, soprano, and Edward Pleasant, bass, both of Stamford; Lynette Lyon, alto, of Riverside; and Joel Anyan, tenor, of Ridgefield. Pianist and harpsichordist Beth Palmer of Trumbull will provide accompaniment. Guest artists are: jazz singer Vivian Lord of Cresskill, N.J.; jazz pianist Joe Utterback of Rowayton; and Jeanne Kimball of Westport.

Known for her work with the Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut, Palmer has been music director with the Greater Bridgeport Regional Center for the Arts and was named rehearsal accompanist to the Yale Opera Chorus in 2000.

Lord, a singer and pianist whose storytelling-style and supple, wrap-around voice is reminiscent of Carmen McRae, will present the "Female Side of Jazz." Educated at the Julliard School, Lord has performed at the Veneto Jazz Euromeet Jazz Festival and the Naniwa Jazz Festival. A jazz piano and voice instructor, she created the "Jazz It Up for Kids" program at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J.

Making his fourth appearance with the Summer Festival Chorus, Utterback will provide a piano solo from his recent recording, "Night Train." This Grammy Award-nominated artist has been delighting audiences around the world for more than three decades with his astonishing virtuosity and deeply personal music making. Utterback, whose influences include Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum and Erroll Garner, teaches at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. His CDs will be available in the Quick Center lobby following the performance.

Kimball, a tour de force in Westport's music scene for nearly half-a-century, will conduct Monteverdi's "Cor Mio." Kimball founded the Westport Madrigal Singers in 1955 and was music director of the Pitchpipers - a group that sings weekly at senior centers and nursing homes - for 30 years. The 1998 recipient of Westport's Lifetime Achievement Arts Award in Music, she now teaches private voice lessons.

Maxwell is considered one of America's preeminent conductors of collegiate, community and professional choral ensembles. She has served as director of choral and liturgical music at Fairfield University since 1980 and is artistic director and conductor of The Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut. Maxwell is also chorus master of the Yale Opera. Thousands of gifted singers gladly audition and travel great distances for the chance to work with her.

Tickets for the Summer Festival Chorus concert are $12, with discounts available for seniors, students and children. Tickets may be reserved by calling the Quick Center box office at (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396.

Southport father and son in Summer Festival Chorus event
Southport - Seventeen-year-old percussionist Jeff Griggs (L) and his vocalist father Charlie Griggs (R), both of Southport, will perform with the ninth annual Summer Festival Chorus at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. The group will present "Hooked on Classics," a tribute to Haydn, Mozart and other pre-Romantic era composers and their modern counterparts on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m., under the direction of Carole Ann Maxwell.

Stamford residents to perform with Summer Festival Chorus
Stamford - Stamford residents (L-R) Janet Gill-Gentry, Bill Lane and Janel White were selected to perform in a Madrigal Group at the ninth annual Summer Festival Chorus at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. They and other Stamford residents, Debbie Fineberg, Denise Levan, William Meck, and Edward Pleasant, are among the 100 chorus members who will perform "Hooked On Classics," a tribute to Haydn, Mozart and other pre-Romantic era composers and their modern counterparts, on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. Carole Ann Maxwell is the director.

Milford husband and wife to perform with Summer Festival Chorus
Milford - Husband and wife Tom and Madeleine Kohl of Milford will join more than 100 area singers in the ninth annual Summer Festival Chorus at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. The group will perform "Hooked on Classics," a tribute to Mozart, Haydn and other pre-Romantic era composers and their modern counterparts on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. The chorus is directed by Carole Ann Maxwell.

Norwalk sisters to perform with Summer Festival Chorus
Norwalk - (L-R) Sisters Laura and Christine Pagnani of Norwalk will lend their voices to the ninth annual Summer Festival Chorus at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. The group will perform "Hooked on Classics," a tribute to Haydn, Mozart and other pre-Romantic era composers and their modern counterparts on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m., under the direction of Carole Ann Maxwell.

Wilton husband and wife to perform with Summer Festival Chorus
Wilton - Husband and wife Gail and Rob Petty of Wilton will lend their voices to the ninth annual Summer Festival Chorus at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. The group will perform "Hooked On Classics," a tribute to Haydn, Mozart and other pre-Romantic era composers and their modern counterparts, on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. Carole Ann Maxwell is the director.

Family affair at the Summer Festival Chorus
It's a family affair for the ninth annual Summer Festival Chorus at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Among the familial participants are (L-R) percussionist Jeff Griggs and his father, singer Charlie Griggs, of Southport; husband and wife Rob and Gail Petty of Wilton; husband and wife Madeleine and Tom Kohl of Milford; and sisters Christine and Laura Pagnani of Norwalk. The chorus, more than 100 strong, will present "Hooked on Classics," a tribute to Haydn, Mozart and other pre-Romantic era composers and their modern counterparts, on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m., under the direction of Carole Ann Maxwell.

Posted On: 07-10-2002 09:07 AM

Volume: 34 Number: 6