Music at the Southfield Church announces its Seventh Season, celebrating music made with the most impressive of all instruments – the human voice! Each Saturday evening in June, voices of local Berkshire artists will reverberate exquisitely in our gorgeous 229-year-old meeting house with its unparalleled acoustics. Each concert begins at 7:00 pm at the Southfield Church, 234 Norfolk Road in the Southfield Village of New Marlborough. For more information, a full season lineup, and updated Covid protocols, visit thesouthfieldchurch.org. Admission is free; a retiring collection will be taken at the door following each concert to support the artists. A reception on the lawn follows each concert (weather permitting).

Music at the Southfield Church is supported through the generosity of the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the New Marlborough Cultural Council.

JUNE 3 – VOCALIS YOUTH CHOIR

Under the direction of Julie Bickford, the Vocalis Youth Choir will transport us with a program of Celtic Music, featuring Elizabeth Allyn – piano, Dorothy Cowles – piano, Eric Martin – violin, Jon Suters – guitar, and Matthew Schneider – bass.

Vocalis Youth Choir, directed by Julie Bickford, will kick off the summer series on June 3rd. The name Vocalis is Latin for ‘having a voice” and the group is based on the belief that developing one’s voice as a young person is an important part of growing up and learning about oneself. But music isn’t the only focus. “The mission of the Vocalis Youth Choir is to educate young people in the art of choral music while providing opportunities for personal and creative growth, youth leadership, and community engagement,” Bickford states. The younger group, Senior Choir, focuses on learning proper vocal technique, developing music literacy and sight-reading skills, and other skills such as listening and blending that are critical for ensemble work. Encore, the highest level vocal ensemble of the Vocalis Youth Choir, is structured for treble singers ages 14-18 and a more challenging and diverse repertoire in three and four parts.

“What began as a mission statement to create a choir that held community involvement in as high regard as performance and music education has grown into a strong choir of 15, filled with kids who possess not only strong voices but curious minds that are generous of spirit,” Bickford states. This season's repertoire is focused on Celtic music and involves Eric Martin on fiddle, Jon Suters on guitar, and Matthew Schneider on bass—creating an opening concert that is sure to lift your spirits.