Tis’ the Season: A Virtual Holiday Concert

For 38 years, the Wilton Singers have been sharing beautiful music with their community. This year, as Covid-19 has presented serious challenges for singers and audiences alike, the group is pleased to present a virtual concert to keep the holiday tradition alive.

According to Kevin Cotellese, the Director of the Wilton Singers, "We are thrilled to offer this virtual concert as our way of helping our community members celebrate this holiday season. While we cannot offer the concert live, our group members have recorded their voices and we've assembled a beautiful virtual concert featuring some of the most beloved holiday songs.”

Among others classics, The Singers will perform the uplifting Dan Forrest arrangement of “O Come All Ye Faithful” along with an encore of “The First Nowell”, arranged especially for them by Matthew Culloton in honor of the group’s co-founders Jan and Ed MacEwen, premiered at last year’s concert. The Wilton High School Madrigals will also continue their tradition of performing a piece from their holiday set.

There are plenty of silver linings to this new format, according to member and concert producer Alison Wood. “This opened so many new creative doors for our performance. Costume changes, special guests, and utilizing the many talents of our members. We’re so excited for people to see what we’ve put together.”

As a special bonus this year, the group is inviting everyone in the community -- professional and non-professional singers alike -- to join in and share their voices! Community members are encouraged to be part of the concert by participating in a virtual recording of the perennial classic “White Christmas” -- the finale of their Virtual Concert premiering online December 18th.

Cotellese noted, “Over the years, many attendees of our concerts have shared that they'd love to sing with us on stage. As our way of giving back, we're thrilled to invite community members who love to sing the chance to participate in our virtual concert with us."

Wood adds, “We miss the connection with our audience so much and what better way to feel that togetherness than to have them join us!” The Singers are hosting an open Zoom rehearsal on November 17th for anyone who wants to participate in the Virtual Choir. Details can be found on their website: https://www.wiltonsingers.org.

Tickets for "Tis the Season: Virtual Holiday Concert" are on sale December 5th. They can be purchased online only at www.wiltonsingers.org. The online concert premier begins at 8 pm on December 18th and will be available for ticket holders for the two weeks leading up to New Year's Day.

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The Wilton Singers is a 501c3 organization that was founded to provide an outlet for adult participation in small ensemble singing, to support the Wilton High School choral program, and to foster an interest in choral singing within the community. Proceeds from their concerts support two scholarships that are presented each spring to graduating Wilton High School Seniors who have demonstrated music leadership within the choral program at WHS. For more information about the Wilton Singers: www.wiltonsingers.org.