For 40 years running, the Wilton Singers have been performing beautiful and heartwarming music for the Wilton community and Fairfield County. This year, the group continues its festive tradition of offering a holiday concert of stunning musical selections both familiar and new, along with a delicious three-course holiday meal. Accompanying the Singers will be the favorite Wilton Singers String Quartet and pianist Lisa Bettke. Additional special selections will be performed by the award-winning Wilton High School Madrigals.
“We’re thrilled once again to be together to perform our Feast concert, as a special way to ring in the holiday season, and to share beautiful music with our friends, families, and the local community,” Wilton Singers Director Kevin Cotellese said.
Among well-known and beloved holiday pieces, the Singers will perform classics including “The Little Drummer Boy,” Dan Forrest’s arrangement of “Joy to the World” (accompanied by the string quartet and four-hand piano), and Eric Whitacre’s ethereal piece “Glow.” The Singers will also be performing the beautiful, traditional Hebrew song “S’vivon,” a Hanukkah piece depicting the spinning of the dreidel, as well as other special holiday selections and upbeat, exciting contemporary music accompanied by the Wilton Singers band.
“We’re so grateful for the deep connection we have with our audiences and our Wilton community, and can’t wait to see everyone again to kick off another special season with our holiday show full of joy and celebration,” Alison Wood, Feast producer and long-time performer and Board member of the group, added.
This past summer, the Wilton Singers embarked on a special week-long tour in Prague and Vienna, performing in two historic cathedrals, St. Nicholas Church, Prague and St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Vienna. Along with performing, the Singers toured the cities’ historic sites, palaces, gardens, restaurants and more. Highlights of the trip included a tour and private concert at one of Mozart’s Vienna residences, as well as a visit to the spectacular Schönbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the Habsburg rulers and the location of Mozart’s very first concert at age 6. The Singers’ tour of the Terezin Concentration camp, 30 miles north of Prague, was also a powerful experience for the group.
“It was an unforgettable experience for the singers to perform together in these spectacular cathedrals and also to experience the beauty and history of two of Europe’s most remarkable cities,” Singers’ Board President Alison Conroy said.
The concert and dining event takes place on Friday, Dec. 1, and Saturday, Dec. 2, at the WEPCO complex (48 New Canaan Rd.). Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, online only on the Wilton Singers website. New this year, attendees will choose a vegetarian or non-vegetarian meal with their ticket purchase. Doors open at 6:40 p.m. and the concert begins at 7 p.m. It is recommended to purchase tickets as early as possible on Nov. 11 as seats sell out quickly for this concert. Audience members are welcome to bring their own beverages of choice to the event.
Looking forward to the 40th year concert! Forty years … who would have thunk!!