Raising Voices - March 2011

Children's Festival Chorus of Pittsburgh

March 2011

Swing into Spring with Mister Rogers ... and CFC!

Although Mister Rogers' Neighborhood has all but disappeared from the airwaves, the legacy of Fred Rogers lives on in his music - in the iconic songs he composed conveying simple, affirming messages of early discovery and self-worth.

To bring these songs to current and future generations, Children's Festival Chorus has commissioned exciting new arrangements of many of Fred Rogers' most memorable songs ... specially adapted for youthful choral performance with a distinctive jazz flair!

Now you and your family can once again discover and share those songs whose messages of caring and sharing still resonate today.

On April 30^th, CFC's choristers will perform the entire repertoire for the very first time as we "Swing into Spring with Mister Rogers!" Among the songs you know by heart will be It's You I Like, I'm Glad I'm the Way I Am, and of course, Won't You Be My Neighbor.

Featured with CFC's three choirs for this world premiere will be guitar legend "Handyman" Joe Negri, Kim Nazarian of the New York Voices, and guest accompanists.

Also on the program are traditional favorites celebrating the arrival of Spring including Copland's Appalachian Spring suite featuring folk dances performed by CFC students.

Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime tribute to the music of Fred Rogers! The premiere concert is April 30^th - 4:00 PM - at Canon-McMillan High School in Canonsburg. All seats are reserved. Tickets go on sale on March 28th. To order tickets, click the ShowClix image below.

If you need special assistance, please call ShowClix customer service at 1-888-71-TICKETS.

CFC Offers Choral Educators Workshop and Student Concert.

With diminished financial resources, more and more schools are finding it necessary to scale back music education (and other arts) electives while also paring their budgets for teacher development and the purchase of musical repertoire.

The result is that many teachers - 70% according to one estimate - are teaching outside their proficiencies and "comfort zones". And many students don't have access to engaging, innovative instructional and performance options.

Working to help overcome this challenge, CFC is offering area teachers and their students a unique learning opportunity through its 2011 Choral Educators Workshop.

Participating teachers will receive a comprehensive, easily adaptable instructional syllabus for their use in the classroom and rehearsals. The culmination of the instructional process is a multi-school informance concert on April 29^th - 10:30 AM to 12 Noon - at Canon McMillan High School.

Part instructional and part participative, the concert will explore the vocal and rhythmic structures used in CFC's Mister Rogers repertoire and allow teachers and students to interact with Joe Negri, Kim Nazarian and CFC's choristers.

Teachers who complete the instructional syllabus and attend the workshop concert will receive up to ten hours of Act 48 Continuing Education credit through Duquesne University. A nominal of $5 per attendee is requested to help defray venue rental and administrative costs.

For more information about the Workshop and Concert, click

to download the program description.

To register online for the Workshop and Concert, please click

Year End Celebration ...Time Flies WhenYou're Having Fun!

CFC students, families, alumni, friends and guests are cordially invited to celebrate the 2010/2011 season and honor graduating Bel Canto students at our annual End-of-Season Dinner to be held immediately after the Spring Concert on Saturday, April 30th.

Sponsored by Friends, this is one of the few opportunities for everyone to spend some quality social time, get to know one another a bit more, and of course, relax and unwind after a long year.

Friends is finalizing the location and menu, so watch your email and notices posted at rehearsals. The location will be near the concert venue.

If you think you'll be attending the End-of-Season Dinner, please send a TENTATIVE RSVP including your name, choir and TENTATIVE ticket count to Suzanne Columbus by Friday 3/18/11.

To keep the cost of the tickets as low as possible, Friends is sponsoring a Coffee Fund Raiser with all profits used to defray the costs of the banquet.

Prior to the dinner, Friends will also hold a Chinese Auction and a Silent Auction. Students and families will have an opportunity to bid on interesting baskets and items. All proceeds from these activities will benefit Friends and help us continue to support our kids during the 2011/2012 season. We are looking to our families and students for help with these auctions in the form of donations!!

In This Issue

Spring Concert News!

Teacher Workshop

Year End Dinner

Keeping Singers Well

Whether you sing for fun ... or for a living, here's an article courtesy of Chorus America that's definitively worth reading and keeping around. CLICK HERE to read the article.

Hansel

Hansel and Gretel? Look again. It's actually CFC's very own Rebekah Funk and Beck Matway in full costume as they pose for publicity photos for Pittsburgh Opera's upcoming Artist in Residency performance of Hansel and Gretel.

Coming Events:

Turandot

Twenty-four of CFC's accomplished Bel Canto and Talisman choristers will perform in Pittsburgh Opera's upcoming production of Puccini's masterwork Turandot ... March 26^th and 29^th and April 1^st and 3^rd at Benedum Center. Click HERE for ticket information.

Pirates Game National Anthem

CFC's choristers will sing our National Anthem on Sunday, April 10 at PNC Park. Family and friends are invited to purchase tickets by contacting Diane Matway. A portion of the proceeds benefits CFC.

Mister Rogers Day at Children's Museum

The Children's Museum celebrates Mister Rogers birthday every year by giving the community a present ... free admission! This year's celebration is on Sunday, March 20th. CFC will be there promoting our Spring Concert.

Songs of Remembrance

The Pittsburgh Camerata invites you to experience "Songs of Remembrance and Promise" as guest Music Director Larry Allen presents Donald McCollough's Holocaust Cantata: Songs from the Camps and Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms. Of special note is that Beck Matway (CFC Talisman) will be performing the treble vocal parts in Chischester Psalms. Way to go, Beck!!

Parents should know that Holocaust Cantata contains graphic descriptions of atrocities which may not be suitable for young children.

For ticket information, click HERE for ticket information.

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About Children's Festival Chorus

Children's Festival Chorus exists to bring the rewards of professional-level choral instruction and performance to Pittsburgh-area children, families, schools and the community, at large.

Now in its 27th years, CFC is our region's premier children's choral program offering children of all backgrounds the opportunity to grow musically while gaining personal poise and confidence, maturity and a life-long appreciation of group endeavor and achievement.

CFC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and relies on the support of individual, business and community sources to carry on its mission of Whole Child ... Whole Community. Your support is essential and truly appreciated.