THS choir shows it knows how to get to Carnegie Hall

Thursday, January 8, 2009 1:44 AM EST

By RONALD DEROSA

TORRINGTON — A local high school choir is holding a benefit concert this weekend with the goal of raising money for a performance at Carnegie Hall in March.

The Torrington High School Chamber Choir will be holding the benefit concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 11 at the First United Methodist Church, 21 Fern Drive. The 30-person group is scheduled to perform pieces from their recent winter concert as well as some new ones, said Lynn Morin, choir director.

Music pieces will include Ave Maria, which will feature a trio, Love Psalm and a piece on Harriet Tubman. Apart from the large performance there will be other smaller vocal acts, namely duets and a small double quartet, Morin said. Some members also have prepared piano solos and flute solos, as well as other vocal solos used to audition for local regional festivals, she said.

As an example of one of the pieces high school student Rachel Pelchat, 16, will be performing a flute solo of Bach Sonata E flat Major, 2nd Movement, Pelchat said.

The concert is free to enter, but the group will accept donations, in a fund raising effort for a trip to New York City to perform at Carnegie Hall on Sunday, March 8. The Chamber Choir is looking to raise $10,000 to $12,000 within the next few months to offset costs, Morin said. Currently the group has raised $2,500.

“We’re hoping for a good turnout,” she said. “So we can help these kids meet their fund raising goal.”

The entire trip in total costs over $24,000 and each student would have to spend $950. Many members, however, have already paid some initial costs and done their own individual fund raising, Morin said.

“Part of the big expense is paying for their hotel cost,” she said. The group is expected to be in New York for 10-12 hours of rehearsals, she said.

Some areas have seen costs reduced, such as the Kelly Transit Company which donated the round trip bus transportation for the event.

The Chamber Choir will be holding a few more events in the future, namely a pancake breakfast, to assist in the fund raising efforts, Morin said. All finances must be tied up and ready by early February, 30 days before the performance, she said.

Apart from offering donations the Chamber Choir will be pre-selling CDs of the concert, which will record on site, which should be available within a couple weeks, said Sue Pelchat, Rachel’s mother. Candy and other items will also be sold, she said.

A reception is scheduled to follow the performance. Tickets for the Carnegie Hall event will go on sale on their website 30 days before the performance.

Ronald DeRosa can be reached by e-mail at torrington@registercitizen.com