Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs (GMYC), under the direction of Esther Rhoades, is proud to announce their Peterborough and Keene Winter Choral Concerts entitled The Art Project, featuring over 40 regional youth in grades 4-12. The two concerts are scheduled for Saturday, December 17 th at 3pm at St. James Episcopal Church, 44 West St. Keene NH and Sunday, December 18th at 3pm at Peterborough Unitarian Universalist Church, 25 Main Street, Peterborough, NH. The Art Project will feature GMYC’s premier high school treble ensemble, the Cecilia Ensemble with pianist Margaret Dodson-Buhn, Peterborough-based Choristers and Keene-based Elm City Singers with pianist Carin Torp. The Concerts will be a celebration of “art as expression” with songs about dance, poetry, painting, and of course music.

During each performance, local artist Heidi Lorenz will create LIVE art so that audiences can watch the artistic process unfold. Lorenz is a NH-based artist whose sensitive paintings have been focused on landscape artwork, beloved friends, and farm animals and pets. You can find out more about her and view a gallery of her work at www.heidilorenz.art. 

Additionally, The Art Project will be preceded by a special one-of-a-kind free public art show, Art Is Expression, featuring 2D artwork by local youth artists. Art is Expression will open at 2pm, one hour prior to the start of the 3pm choral performances. Artwork created by Keene-based youth will be featured at the Saturday Keene art show, and artwork created by Peterborough-based youth will be featured at the Sunday Peterborough art show. Participating artists and teachers will be recognized during each  concert.

Support these young people and the mission of GMYC by joining us at one of our public weekend performances. Admission to each performance is $20/Adult, $5/child ages 5+, children aged 4 and under are admitted free of charge. Tickets can be purchased by cash or check at the door or ordered in advance online at www.GrandMonadnockYouthChoirs.org.

Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs (GMYC) is pleased to introduce the region to Rise Up Keene: GMYC’s
newest choir for children in grades K-3 who love to sing. In January, Rise Up Keene will join GMYC’s
many children’s ensembles including Rise Up Peterborough, Choristers, Elm City Singers, Chamber Choir, and the Cecilia Ensemble. Rise Up Keene will be directed by GMYC Artistic Director, Esther Rhoades, and will meet on Tuesday afternoons.

In Fall 2021, GMYC and interested local parents identified the regional need for children’s singing and choral programming for young children, and then Rise Up Peterborough was born! Since Spring 2022, Rise Up Peterborough has met its maximum capacity every session and has drawn  families from throughout the Monadnock Region. Because of a growing interest from families in the greater Keene area, GMYC is thrilled to offer Rise Up Keene beginning in January 2023. 

This semester, Rise Up Keene will offer two separate sessions: Winter Session (January through March)
and Spring Session (April through early June). Both sessions will rehearse seven times on Tuesday
afternoons for one hour. Every week in rehearsal, children will sing, dance, and have fun all while
developing fundamental skills of music and singing through movement, rhythm instruments, rhymes and poetry, performance etiquette, playing rhythmic and melodic games, and singing songs. To celebrate their musical accomplishments and to mark the occasion, children will participate in a show & tell style performance for Rise Up families and their guests.

GMYC is currently accepting registration for Rise Up Keene, and other ensembles for children in grades K-8 at www.GrandMonadnockYouthChoirs.org. Rise Up Keene rehearses on Tuesday afternoons, Rise Up Peterborough rehearses on Saturday mornings, Choristers is for singers in grades 4-8 rehearsing in Peterborough on Mondays, and Elm City Singers is for singers in grades 4-8 rehearsing in Keene on Tuesdays. Registration will remain open until 20 children are enrolled in each ensemble, and maintain a waitlist once the ensembles are at capacity. Cecilia Ensemble and Chamber Choir are not currently accepting new singers.

So often, parents wonder how to foster their child’s love of music and ask for voice lessons. Rhoades
says, “honestly, all children benefit so much from singing together in a choir because they can learn so
much more with a group of kids who are all at the same musical level. When a singer gets to high school and wants to hone their skill with a voice teacher, of course I support them. But at these earlier ages, and even throughout middle school, children can get so much out of just singing with a choir.”

Children do not need any experience or prior ability to sing with Rise Up Keene, Rise Up Peterborough,
Choristers or Elm City Singers. There is no audition requirement of any kind for singers in grades K-8,
only a love of music. GMYC provides tuition assistance through application, and feels strongly that
finances will not be a barrier for children who want to sing with GMYC.

GMYC Artist Director Esther Rhoades has directed choirs and taught music to singers of all ages for more than 13 years. Her energetic teaching style, expertise in music, and infectious positivity allow GMYC singers of all ages to thrive and grow not only musically, but also as individuals. Rhoades believes that singing is fundamental to the human experience, brings people closer to each other, gives us a way to express ourselves, allows us to reach beyond new artistic capacities using a growth mindset, makes us braver and teaches us to support each other, connects us with new friends, creates life-long memories, facilitates whole-brain neurological connections, and it’s FUN!

Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs is the performance-based choral music program for young singers in the Monadnock Region. It is a non-profit 501c3 organization, having served thousands of singers in its many different choirs since its founding in 1997. With choirs based both in Keene and Peterborough, GMYC is the only choral arts organization bridging the region through singing. GMYC does not discriminate, and creates a safe space for all children who love to sing. GMYC has a comprehensive tuition assistance program through application. For more information about Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs, visit www.GrandMonadnockYouthChoirs.org.

On June 7-8, 2022, Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs (GMYC) joins with over 500 other 501c3 non-profit
organizations in New Hampshire in statewide fundraising campaign, NH Gives. As an initiative of the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits, NH Gives provides a platform for thousands of people to make
both large and small donations one 24-hour period. In 2021, more than 13,000 donors contributed $3.7 million to NH non-profit organizations. This June, GMYC’s goal is to reach their own goal of $5000 or 100 donors during NH Gives.

“NH Gives is one of the most important fundraising tools we have,” Artistic Director, Esther Rhoades,
reflects. “Hundreds of non-profits across the state serve children in different capacities, and we all depend on private donations. NH Gives provides a pain-free way for regular people to join with thousands to help fund vital programming like ours – it may even make you feel GOOD!” There are so
many organizations servicing children in the Monadnock Region that participate in NH Gives. On the Day of Giving, make sure you choose your favorite non-profits to support, and make sure GMYC is on the list.

Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs is the performance-based choral music program for young singers in the Monadnock Region. Since 1997, GMYC has served thousands of singers in five different choirs drawing from more than 20 towns in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Beginning in the 2022 – 2023 school year, GMYC will stop auditioning children for ensembles in K-8, and will continue to audition for Cecilia Ensemble, the region’s premier high school treble ensemble, who tours internationally every 2 years. GMYC is a 501c3 non-profit organization. For more information about Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs, visit us online at www.GrandMonadnockYouthChoirs.org

Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs (GMYC) is proud to present two spring choral concerts entitled Rooted in Music, featuring more than 50 regional youth in grades 4-12. The singers will present music with a natural theme featuring songs about animals, the environment, and the power of children. Joined by local collaborator, the Caterpillar Lab, concert goers will have the opportunity to meet caterpillars and butterflies up close with trained naturalists before each performance.

Under the direction of Esther Rhoades, GMYC  Artistic Director, singers have had the unique opportunity to learn the fundamental skills of choral singing with a group of enthusiastic young musicians outside of school. Singers come from more than 15 different schools and share the same post-covid dream of inviting singing back into their lives. No one knew what this year would look like, and for these singers, it is a way to reconnect with a shared passion. Rehearsals have been a place where kids reviewed long forgotten musical ideas, learned new musical skills, and they are proud to share their accomplishments with you. Make an impact in the lives of young singers in our area and support the GMYC by attending one of our public weekend performances.

Rooted in Music will feature GMYC’s Peterborough-based choir for singers in grades 4+, Choristers, and the Keene-based sister choir, Elm City Singers. Accompanied by Carin Torp, these choirs will sing the music of Carolyn Jennings, Benjamin Britten, Edvard Grieg, Andrea Ramsey, and Moses Hogan. The Cecilia Ensemble, with pianist Margaret Dodson-Buhl, will present folk songs from Japan, Newfoundland, and the UAS, and music by Kim Baryluk, Ola Gjeilo, Z. Randall Stroope, and Charles Albert Tindley. GMYC’s SATB chamber choir will make their debut performance with music by James Taylor and Thomas Tallis. At the conclusion of the performance, all singers will join together to perform a newer choral piece, The Little Creek, by Matt Carlson. 
 
On Saturday, May 14, 2022, 2:30pm, at St. James Episcopal Church, 44 West St. Keene NH, GMYC singers will present their first public concert, Rooted in Music. On Sunday, May 15, 2022, Rooted in Music will again be performed in Peterborough, at Peterborough Unitarian Universalist Church, 25 Main Street, Peterborough, NH for a 2:30pm performance. This performance will feature a special senior recognition ceremony and a special senior performance. Admission to the performances is $15/adult, $5/child, or $35/family. 
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This weekend will also feature a private, family and guests only, debut performance by Rise Up,  GMYC’s newest ensemble for children in grades K-3. With 19 singers, rehearsals have been filled with singing and music games and performance etiquette tricks and techniques. The Cecilia Ensemble will welcome our newest GMYC singers with some special singing, and at the conclusion of the Rise Up performance, the two choirs will perform together. 

Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs (GMYC) is delighted to announce that the organization will move forward with choral programming for children in grades 4-12 despite the rise in Covid-19 cases. Starting in September, both Keene-based and Peterborough-based GMYC ensembles will rehearse outside under a shelter with everyone wearing masks at all times. In mid-November, the ensembles will present outdoor performances to live audiences.
 
Keeping safety at the center of the mission, GMYC will provide this essential activity for our region’s youth. This fall, GMYC is focused on the value of singing together, having fun, and enjoying and expanding our singing talents.
 
Just as GMYC cancels rehearsals when ConVal School District closes school due to snow, GMYC has aligned itself with the ConVal Reopening and Recovery Plan, and will follow their Covid-19 singing protocols. GMYC will also continue to monitor the progress of Covid-19 in our area, modify programming as needed based on best practices, and communicate any changes to families and the community.
 
Auditions for singers in grades 4-12 will be held August 25/26/30 in Peterborough from 4pm – 9pm, and August 27/31 in Keene from 4pm – 9pm. To schedule a private 20 minute audition, visit www.GrandMonadnockYouthChoirs.org/audition
 
Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs is the performance-based choral music program for young singers in the Monadnock Region. GMYC has served thousands of singers in five different choirs drawing from more than 20 towns in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. GMYC is a 501-c3 non-profit organization. For more information about the Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs, visit us online at www.GrandMonadnockYouthChoirs.org

Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs (GMYC) is delighted to announce that the Cecilia Ensemble will present their Italy 2020 Homecoming Performances on Father’s Day weekend. The performances come after a long hiatus due to Covid-19, and celebrate the ensemble’s successful tour of Italy in February 2020. Under the direction of Esther Rhoades with pianist Christopher Evatt, the full-length performances will feature music by both Italian and American composers from a variety of eras and musical styles.

In February, 2020, the ensemble embarked on a trip of a lifetime; the singers completed an eight-day concert tour of Italy just as Covid-19 was quickly spreading in the Lombardi region of the country. “We all felt the gravity of the situation, and tried to navigate a difficult situation with grace,” Rhoades reflected. The choirs were still able to complete three formal performances in Rome, Florence, and Lucca, and dozens of street performances in airports, restaurants, piazzas, hotels, museums, and the even the Vatican. The ensemble was flexible and strong in the face of challenge.
 
The Cecilia Ensemble met remotely to finish Spring 2020’s season, but “it didn’t feel like the Italy Tour had come to a close – we hadn’t even had our Homecoming performances yet,” remembered Rhoades. “The singers and I needed to come together again, to be together to celebrate their accomplishments, and to provide closure to such an uncertain time.”
 
Since April 2021, Cecilia Ensemble singers who traveled to Italy in February 2020, including graduated seniors, have been rehearsing outside, donning singers masks, and distancing. From windy, cold spring afternoons to hot, sun-filled summer evenings, the choir has rehearsed their Tour Repertoire, dedicated to each other and their performance. Finally, they will present their homecoming concerts.
 
On Saturday June 19th at 7:00pm, the choir will perform outside at Cathedral of the Pines, 10 Hale Hill Road in Rindge. On Sunday June 20th at 7:00pm, the choir will perform at Robin Hood Park, Roxbury Road in Keene. Guests are welcome to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and dinner to Robin Hood Park. Suggested donation is $10 per adult, and $20 per family, but donations of any amount are gratefully accepted, and everyone is welcome. Please visit our website (www.GrandMonadnockYouthChoirs.org) for further details about the concert weekend and information about the two specific venues. If you cannot make it to the concerts but want to invest in GMYC’s programming, please donate today by visiting www.GrandMonadnockYouthChoirs.org/give.
 
 
About the Cecilia Ensemble
 
The Cecilia Ensemble, directed by Esther Rhoades with collaborative pianist, Christopher Evatt, is one of the five choirs that makes up the Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs. It is the region’s premier high school treble chorus performing both sacred and secular repertoire drawing from a range of languages, cultures, time periods, and traditions. With rehearsals only once per week for two hours, these singers must be self-motivated, responsible individuals and dedicated musicians ready to learn high-level music. The choir is auditioned, and is made financially accessible to all accepted singers.
 
This fine treble choir takes an international concert tour every two years. In the past, the choir has traveled to Canada, Germany, Czechia, Spain, Italy, Austria, Hungary, and France. In 2020, the ensemble toured Italy.
 
The members of the Cecilia Ensemble are very active in school and community events, they play sports, are active in theater, music, language programs, and community service. Graduates pursue diverse paths, often motivated by their love of music and passion for world cultures and languages. They are inspiring and unique individuals!
 
Auditions for the Cecilia Ensemble will take place in August for all singers entering grades 9 – 12 in Fall 2021. All accepted singers will begin rehearsals in late August and continue through the academic year. If you or someone you know may be interested in auditioning for GMYC, you can learn more and schedule an audition at our website www.GrandMonadnockYouthChoirs.org/audition
 
Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs is the performance-based choral music program for young singers in the Monadnock Region. We have served thousands of singers in five different choirs drawing from more than 20 towns in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. GMYC will be auditioning singers in grades 4 and higher to start in the Fall 2021. If you or someone you know may be interested in auditioning, visit us online. GMYC is a 501-c3 non-profit organization. For more information about the Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs and the Cecilia Ensemble, visit us online at www.GrandMonadnockYouthChoirs.org