​Letter to the Editor: Nelson Mandela Celebration
for immediate release, 26 July 2018To the Editor:
 
It was with profound respect and delight that the Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs (GMYC) decided to participate in the global birthday musical celebration of Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday!  Each year, the legacy of Mandela is celebrated worldwide on July 18.  We collaborated with the South African Consulate in New York City, who offered personal greetings, and the Nelson Mandela Foundation in South Africa who agreed to endorse our involvement as a global partner.
 
Nelson Mandela’s message of peace, hope, love for the children of South Africa is the cornerstone of these events around the world.  Mandela is quoted as declaring, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”   His philanthropic will is well established in his post-presidential office with a focus of “liberating children from poverty through improved literacy.”  Since 2011, the Mandela Literacy Project has provided more than 100,000 South African children daily access to reading materials through containerized libraries with an additional 100 000 having access to reading clubs and books. 
 
Here in Keene, we decided to host our event in Central Square.  About 100 people attended to declare their belief in Mandela’s legacy, enjoy a concert by singers from all five GMYC choruses, and conclude the event with a piece of birthday cake! 
 
GMYC’s commitment to young singers has been a driving force of the nonprofit since 1998.  GMYC believes that, today more than ever, our youth need to be educated, respected, supported and loved by the adults in their lives.  As American citizens, we must set an example of right relationship with one another.  By celebrating Nelson Mandela’s birthday in southwestern New Hampshire, we join with millions of others across the globe who hold the same ideals and dreams for all our children.
 
Our deep thanks to local event partners goes out to Mayor Kendall Lane, City of Keene, for his proclamation, “Music is Literacy;” Rev. Elsa Worth, St. James Episcopal Church;  Rev. Patience Stoddard;  Vice President for Diversity at Keene State College, Dottie Morris; Wade Garrett, sound;  Gem Graphics, banners; Cheshire TV, videotaping;  and Hannaford’s Supermarket for a tasty cake!
 
Donations to support the work of The Schools Library project can be made online at http://www.participateforgood.com/projects/grand-monadnock-youth-choir-mandela-celebration  .  For more information about GMYC, or to sing with us, visit www.grandmonadnockyouthchoirs.org.

Esther H. Rhoades, GMYC Artistic Director
POB 54
Peterborough NH  03458

(Keene NH)   For three weeks in September, Monadnock Region youth will have the opportunity to take the stage and share their singing talent at the 1st annual GMYC Singing Stars! Competition.  The event will be held on Sunday, September 9, 16 & 23 from 3-5pm at The Marlborough House in Marlborough, NH. 
 
This is the first such event for the Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs (GMYC).  As the only nonprofit children’s singing program in the Monadnock Region, GMYC was searching for a fundraiser that fit its mission of encouraging young singers who may be interested in genres other than choral music.
 
Students (public, private and homeschooled) in grades 2-8 are invited to audition on Saturday, August 11 from 11am-1pm, and Thursday, August 16 from 5-7pm at the Waldorf School, 98 South Lincoln Street in Keene.  Registration packets will be available on site; arrive early to complete paperwork.  A non-refundable $25 registration fee can be paid online in advance or at the time of audition.  Performances of up to 90 seconds can either be acapella, or accompanied by a backing track on a phone or CD player (bring your own CD player.)  Experience is not necessary.
 
There are two divisions.  Younger children in grades 2-5 will compete as a Shooting Star, and youth in grades 6-8 will compete as a SuperNova.  Criteria for scoring will be commensurate with age.   Contestant notification will occur no later than Monday, August 20.
 
GMYC Artistic Director, Esther Rhoades, has invited well-known Vocal Instructor Joanne Mead to join her for the audition process.   “We are looking for singers from all genres who would like the experience of performing in front of an audience on stage, cooperating in a group, receiving performance feedback during the event and improving future singing opportunities. We strive to provide a supportive, encouraging environment for burgeoning singers.   Joanne and I both have a depth of experience and can’t wait to hear from interested contestants!”
 
In order to address first-time performers who might be nervous, scores from both Weeks 1 and 2 will be added together when choosing finalist performers from both divisions in the Week 3 finale.  The audience will also be able to vote.  Judges throughout the competition include Laina Barakat, Nicole Colson, Kristen Leach, Matthew McGinnis and Joanne Mead.  Final scores will be tallied and winners will be awarded cash prizes and trophies at the September 23 finale.
 
Professional sound and lighting will be provided by Erik Burke and Aime Theroux, and the event Emcee is local personality, Wade Garrett.  Snacks and drinks will be available.
 
Tickets can be purchased online beginning Tuesday, August 21 on the GMYC website.  There will be limited stageside table seating, as well as stadium seating general admission.  Doors open to the public at 2:30.   If you would like to be a parent volunteer, please contact us!  Email GMYC Administrative Director at susan@svidol.com for more information. www.grandmonadnockyouthchoirs.org
​

Celebrating the Global Nelson Mandela
​Centenary Musical Tribute
July 18 @ noon in Central Square, Keene

(Keene NH)   It’s the 100th birthday of Nelson Mandela on July 18 and the world has been invited to raise its voice in celebration and recognition of his legacy.  The singers of the Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs (GMYC) in grades 2-12 are compelled to bring an international celebration to Keene, honoring “A global icon with a lifetime of achievements (who) deserves to have a 100th birthday celebration.”
           
The event is a 100 Year celebration of Mr. Mandel via the Long Walk to Freedom Brand, which includes a vision to use musical tribute events, delivered live in multiple cities on his birthday and beyond, July 18, with the aim of supporting The Mandela long Walk to Freedom Schools Library project.  Mandela himself inspired the music festival in one of his many recognized quotes; “It's music and dancing that makes me at peace with the world.”

When GMYC Artistic Director, Esther Rhoades, became aware of the opportunity she immediately reached out to event organizers in South Africa.  “Participating in this event is both very moving for me, and also provides an opportunity for GMYC to grow our global ambassadorship.  GMYC’s Cecilia Ensemble has traveled to Europe ten times in the last 20 years to perform and collaborate with choirs from many different countries.  In April, Cecilia traveled to the Czech Republic and performed a song written by a musician while in the Terezin concentration camp. Singing brings people together, no matter where you live or what language you speak.”
           
Rhoades believes in the importance of Mandela’s mission to address poverty and literacy among children.  “Numerous studies demonstrate that singing improves memory, cognition, reading ability and self-motivation.  Young singers learn how to work together as part of a group and develop self-confidence while also finding their voice. They actually learn music as though it was a language and we use the term “music literacy” to describe reading, writing, composition and improvisation, just like any other language.  Each year, GMYC engages over 125 students in the Monadnock Region with the opportunity to grow and learn through music.  These children grow up to become involved citizens, creating a better world.” 

Mandela philanthropic will is well established in his post-presidential office with a focus of “liberating children from poverty through improved literacy,” Since 2011, the Mandela Literacy Project has provided more than 100,000 South African children daily access to reading materials through containerized libraries with an additional 100 000 having access to reading clubs and books.  

The event begins at Noon in Central Square, with a rain location of the Keene Unitarian Universalist Church, 69 Washington Street, Keene.  Rhoades will lead GMYC singers in songs of freedom and peace and welcome special guests, including Dottie Morse, Chief Officer for Diversity and Multiculturalism, Keene State College, and Mayor Kendall Lane who will issue a proclamation declaring July 18, 2018 as Music is Literacy Day to honor the life of humanitarian, visionary and peacemaker, Nelson Mandela.  Thinking of Keene as a place that welcomes global collaborations is nothing new.  Since 2002, Keene has been a Sister City with Einbeck, Germany, about 50 miles south of Hanover, exchanging official delegations, youth soccer programs and choirs over the years. The vocational school exchange began in 2015. 

GMYC’s commitment to young singers has been a driving force of the nonprofit since 1998.  Rhoades quotes Mandela to say, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” and goes on to reflect that, “Today, more than ever, our youth need to be educated, respected, supported and loved by the adults in their lives.  As American citizens, we must set an example of right relationship with one another.  By celebrating Nelson Mandela’s birthday in southwestern New Hampshire, we join with millions of others across the globe who hold the same ideals and dreams for all our children.”

There will be an opportunity for people to share their thoughts, enjoy a piece of birthday cake, and participate in an open drumming circle which starts at 11:45 (bring a drum).  Attendees are welcome to provide birthday cards and personal messages in honor of Nelson Mandela.  For those who are unable to attend, you are encouraged to upload your birthday message to the Nelson Mandela Day Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nelsonmandela so that the Monadnock Region is represented in this global tribute.

​Donations to support the work of 100 Year celebration of the Long Walk to Freedom and The Schools Library projectcan be made online at http://www.participateforgood.com/projects/grand-monadnock-youth-choir-mandela-celebration For more information, contact Esther Rhoades, esther.rh.rhoades@gmail.com or Susan MacNeil, susan@svidol.com.

SUPPORTING INFORMATION:
- Worldwide and specifically in South Africa, the statistics speak to the critical need for this initiative. 
- Only 32% of the children in a grade 5 level are literate (do not have basic literacy and numeracy skills)
- Almost 62% of primary school-aged children do not complete school due to lack of literacy skills 
- If all global children in low income countries left school with basic reading skills, 171m people could be lifted out of poverty. 
- 90% of schools in South Africa do not have libraries

(Keene, NH)      The audition schedule has been set for the 2018-19 season of the Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs, under the direction of Artistic Director, Esther Rhoades.  Youth in grades 2-8 may try out for the Keene and Peterborough choruses, and girls in grades 9-12 for the Cecilia Ensemble.  The music theme for this season is theatrical and stage performance.

Keene auditions will be held in the parish hall of St. James Church, 44 West Street, on Tuesday, May 29 and June 5 from 3:00-7:00pm.  Peterborough auditions will be held in the parish hall of the Peterborough Unitarian Universalist Church (PUUC), 25 Main Street, on Wednesday, May 30 and June 6 from 3:00-7:00pm.  Arrive 15 minutes prior to scheduled audition to complete registration paperwork and receive your free t-shirt!

Upon the retirement of Maria Belva this year, the Cecilia Ensemble will also now be directed by Rhoades.  Cecilia auditions will be held in the PUUC on Monday, June 11 from 5:00-6:30pm.

To schedule an individual 15-minute audition, or a “buddy” audition with a friend lasting 30 minutes, contact Rhoades by May 23 at 603-499-3505 or email grandmonadnockyouthchoirs@gmail.com.  You may also schedule an audition online at www.GrandMonadnockYouthChoirs.org.

GMYC tuition for the 2018-2019 season is $200 per semester, or $400 total.  Tuition assistance is available through the application process.  Rehearsals begin in September and occur weekly in preparation for the Winter 2018 and Spring 2019 concerts.

The Chamber Singers of Keene (CSK) and the Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs (GMYC) are
proud to present an extraordinary community choral event on the 55th anniversary of The
Children’s Crusade in Birmingham, Alabama. On Friday, April 27 at 7pm, the two Keene choirs of GMYC, Elm City Singers and Keene Youth Choir, will join their adult counterparts to present The Children’s March, a powerful musical depiction of civil rights activism. The concert will be held in the United Church of Christ, located at the head of the Square in downtown Keene, New Hampshire, and marks the first collaboration between GMYC and CSK. The evening holds special significance for the Chamber Singers. The group will host composer, Andrew Bleckner in the New England premiere of his work, featuring gospel, blues and dramatic themes representing the historic music sung by 4000 African American children as they were defiantly arrested to protest the inequality of the Jim Crow laws of the Deep South.

The performance is narrated by Dottie Morris, Vice-President of Diversity at Keene State
College; conducted jointly by Matthew Leese, CSK and Esther Rhoades, GMYC; and joined by Walt Sayre, pianist and Michael Day, percussionist.

This is also the farewell concert for CSK musical director, Matthew Leese, who took the helm at CSK in 2014. Leese finds synchronicity in this work within the context of national events.
"When I found this piece and started planning with Esther, I had no idea this would be my final concert with Chamber Singers, but somehow this feels like a very fitting way to leave the baton for the incoming director. Working on this stirring piece this year has been uncanny in its timing with current politics and with me gaining US Citizenship."

The Children’s March, composed in 2013 by Bleckner with libretto by Charlotte Blake Alston, is a compelling work that combines original text with words from legal documents, infused with stirring spirituals. This important piece is a new, major American composition that tells the story of a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement; a historic action that called upon children to protest the inequality of segregation. The song list includes “There is a Balm in Gilead,” “Lift Every Voice,” “Run, Mary, Run!,” “Woke Up This Mornin’ With Freedom on My Mind.”

In the first week of May 1963, thousands of children demonstrated in the streets of Birmingham Alabama, protesting the city’s notorious practices of racial inequality. The events in Birmingham were not the beginning nor the end of racial discrimination in the United States, but they signified an important crossroads – one where the youth of the city proved they had a powerful voice to enact change, and where the politicians and law enforcement officials proved they would do anything to silence that voice. Met with a violent response as the whole world watched, the courage of these children, some as young as 4 years old, culminated in pivotal civil rights legislation proposed by President John F. Kennedy, making segregation illegal.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was harshly criticized in 1963 for allowing children to be the catalyst for change. However, the children saw themselves as the creators of their own freedom. Those brave children said, “This is our future and we want to help shape it.”

The performance on April 27 serves an important call to action for youth and adults alike, an inspirational moment that will live on in the hearts of everyone who attends. As a gift to the community, and acknowledging the significant cultural contributions of Leese, tickets will not be sold and admission is by donation only. The inspiring concert will last approximately 75 minutes. Doors open at 6:30pm with unreserved seating.

For more information about CSK, call Matthew Leese at 603.465.8602 or visit www.chambersingerskeene.org
For more information about GMYC, call Esther Rhoades at 603.499.3505 or visit www.grandmonadnockyouthchoirs.org
Andrew Bleckner: http://www.andrewbleckner.com
Charlotte Blake Alston: http://www.charlotteblakealston.com
The Children’s Crusade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT-QkNkMZjk

Cecilia Ensemble Czech Send-Off Concert, “There is Peace,” April 15 in Dublin NH (Peterborough, NH) The Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs (GMYC) began in 1997 as the Peterborough Children’s Choir, founded by Maria Belva and David Vernier. The high school-age
choir, known as the Cecilia Ensemble, has traveled abroad with Belva every two years since 2003. In 2018, the ensemble will travel on their 8 th European Tour. Previously, Belva took the group to Northern Italy in 2003; Germany and the Czech Republic in 2005; Spain in 2007, Sicily in 2010; Austria and Hungary in 2012; southern Italy in 2014; and France in 2016. This year they travel to the Czech Republic, where they will perform for six days in various locations ending in Prague.

According to Belva, “These tours change lives. Our young people come to see themselves as part of a world culture. They get a much bigger picture of who they are and who they can become. We also give our audiences a different picture of who we are as American citizens. We become ambassadors representing our town, our state, and our country.”

This tour is very special because they will be performing a choral piece that was composed in Terezin by amateur musician, Karel Vrba, called Nezapomeň, who was transported to Auschwitz shortly after the piece was completed. “On this tour, we will be visiting the Terezin Concentration Camp and performing Nezapomeň where it was composed 74 years ago. We will present the Terezin Museum
with a recording of the song for their archives.”

The Cecilia Ensemble, directed by Maria Belva and accompanied by David Vernier, will perform on Sunday afternoon, April 15 at 4:00 pm, at the Dublin Community Church on Main Street in Dublin, NH. This is the concert that the ensemble will perform on their
European Concert Tour of the Czech Republic. Titled “There is Peace,” the hour-long choral program will include several Spirituals, Shaker Songs, and part-songs by contemporary American composers, as well as sacred a cappella pieces, and arrangements by the choir’s accompanist, David Vernier. A performance of a very special kind will be included in the concert: the Czech song, Nezapomeň
(translation: do not forget).

The concert on the 15th is free and open to the public. A free-will donation will help defray the cost of the trip for the young women of the ensemble. GMYC is the performance-based Choral music education program for young singers (Grades 2-12) in the Monadnock Region.  We value choral music as essential to growing peace in our community and do not discriminate. Visit the website at
www.grandmonadnockyouthchoirs.org, or call 603-313- 0052 for more information.

(Keene, NH)  The Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs (GMYC) began in 1997 as the Peterborough Children’s Choir, founded by Maria Belva.  Recently Belva taped a show on Cheshire Television with Artistic Director, Esther Rhoades, hired in 2014 and promoted in 2017 to replace Belva as she stepped down from the helm of the nonprofit.

Belva shared the chronology of how the organization began, an idea that sprung from a Raylynmor Opera production of “Hansel and Gretel.”  As more students found their way to the Choir, they were grouped by ages until there were three children’s choirs.  One of these choirs, the Cecilia Ensemble, is comprised of young women in high school who have had the opportunity to travel internationally every two years, singing for audiences in auditoriums, churches and even spontaneously on the street.  

This year they are traveling to the Czech Republic in April, performing for six days in various locations ending in Prague, where they will visit the Terezin Concentration Camp.  This tour is very special because they will be performing a choral piece that was composed in Terezin by amateur musician, Karel Vrba, called Nezapomen, who was transported to Auschwitz shortly after the piece was completed.

In 2005 the Cecilia Ensemble premiered Nezapomen in Peterborough while touring in Germany and the Czech Republic.  This year they will return to perform the piece inside the walls of Terezin, 74 years after it was written.   Their send-off concert will be held on April 15, 4:00pm at the Dublin Community Church in Dublin, NH.

In 2017, under the leadership of Artistic Director, Esther R. H. Rhoades, GMYC expanded into Keene with two additional choirs while continuing to direct the two existing Peterborough choirs.  Through these four choirs, GMYC provides performance-based choral music education to young singers in the Monadnock Region, grades 2-12, who gain proficiency in music literacy.  Guidance provided by Rhoades allows young participants to appropriately adapt their unique, developing strengths.  Youth learn how to work as a disciplined team, build personal confidence, strengthen listening skills and enjoy the accomplishments of their hard work.   Audiences are delighted with their outstanding choral performances twice annually, spring and fall, in both Keene and Peterborough.

Rhoades is thrilled with the outlook for 2018.  “I am one of the lucky few who get to do what I love every day - make music with these young singers by creating a safe environment for children to learn and express themselves.  GMYC offers a unique opportunity for youth in the Monadnock Region.  We are excited to deepen and expand that experience through the joy of collaboration in our communities.”

GMYC is the performance-based Choral music education program for young singers (Grades 2-12) in the Monadnock Region.  We value choral music as essential to growing peace in our community and do not discriminate.  Visit the website at www.grandmonadnockyouthchoirs.org, or call 603-313-0052 for more information.  Check the Cheshire TV website for broadcast dates and times. http://cheshiretv.org/

The Board of the Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs (GMYC) is pleased to announce that Artistic Director, Esther R. H. Rhoades has been chosen for recognition as a 2018 Trendsetter by the Keene Sentinel and the Keene Young Professionals Network.  In its fifth year, the program has recognized over 65 individuals under age 40 who make a positive difference in their workplace or community.

In order to be considered, the nominee had to demonstrate excellence in workplace and community criteria.  In 2015, the founder of the Peterborough Children’s Choir, Maria Belva, welcomed Rhoades in order to grow and strengthen the organization founded by Belva in 1997, with the goal of passing on the Directorship of the Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs (GMYC). 

With a B.S. in Music/Choral Concentration from the University of Delaware, Rhoades has already developed an impressive resume conducting private and public high school choruses in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, as well as the Keene Unitarian Universalist Church choir. Under her leadership, Rhoades leads five Monadnock Region choruses serving young boys and girls.   In Keene:  Keene Youth Chorus, grades 2-4 and Elm City Singers grades 5-8.  In Peterborough: Trebles grades 2-4, Choristers grades 5-8 and the Cecilia Ensemble for young women, grades 9-12.  In 2017, over 100 singers had the opportunity to explore musical composition, performance technique and the joy of accomplishment.

Rhoades continues to build upon a storied history while advancing her unique vision.  Involving the choirs with the community through annual events such as the Keene Tree Lighting and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast provide musical opportunities that instill pride and pleasure. Engagement with other choral groups and organizations offers increased collaboration and visibility while underscoring the GMYC mission.

In 2018 the Keene choirs' repertoire will continue to focus on the music of Civil Rights, specifically from The Children's Marchby Andrew Bleckner, collaboratively performed with the Chamber Singers of Keene under the direction of Dr. Matthew Leese. ThePeterborough choirs will be performing music focusing on Human Rights including the South African National Anthem, the Estonian Freedom Song, and the Children's Declaration of Rights.

The artistic leadership Rhoades brings to GMYC represents important growth for the organization.  Business and foundation supporters, including the Putnam Foundation, have enabled GMYC to hire administrative staff and build funding capacity in order to serve more singers throughout a broader region of New England.  Visit the website at http://www.grandmonadnockyouthchoirs.org/ .  Call (603)313-0052 or email susan@svidol.com for more information.

PETERBOROUGH — It was the end of an era for the Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs Sunday afternoon, as members of the group — past and present — shared tears, hugs, memories and song. They gathered on the second floor of the Peterborough Town House for a concert celebrating the nonprofit organization’s 20th anniversary, and to bid farewell to founder and longtime artistic director Maria Belva, who is retiring. Belva and her husband, David Vernier, both of Peterborough, founded the Peterborough Children’s Choir in 1997. The group has since grown to the Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs, comprising the Trebles for children in grades 2 through 4, the Choristers for children in grades 5 through 8 and the Cecilia Ensemble for teenagers

in grades 9 through 12. All three groups are based in Peterborough. Two other groups, based in Keene, are the Keene Youth Chorus, which covers grades 2 through 4, and the Elm City Singers, which covers grades 5 through 8. While each group sang its own assortment of songs Sunday afternoon, they came together on the stage with alumni of the choirs to sing two compositions at the end of the program. The final piece, “Inside the Darkness There is Light,” was commissioned by the choirs in Belva’s honor, and written by her favorite children’s choir composer, Jim Papoulis, Assistant Artistic Director Esther Rhoades explained to the audience of about 300. Read more