- The Kent Singers -
A Brief History
The Kent Singers first performed in December 1973 before an audience in Kent, CT, which has remained the group's "home" ever since. Members come from as far as Sharon to the north, Sherman to the south, and Pauling, NY, to the west; the majority are residents of Kent, South Kent and immediately surrounding towns.
This amateur group has maintained a high standard of excellence in the performance of the classical choral repertoire. Significant performances have included Bach's St. Matthew Passion conducted by Jon Lafleur in 1992; Vivaldi's Gloria; the commissioning and first performance of Epitaphos by American composer Gerald Near; and the presentation of Handel's Messiah with the Fanfare Consort in the manner the work was first performed in the eighteenth century.
The Kent Singers present two concerts annually -- one in the December holiday season and a second in the spring. The group now performs at St. Andrew's Church in Kent, a setting which enhances the clean sound of the Singers. To reach a wider audience, this year concerts will also be performed in other towns - Sharon in December and Sherman in the spring.
The group participates in Kent's Christmas festivities by singing carols prior to the town tree-lighting. They have also performed several times at Music Mountain in Falls Village, CT, with concerts that included Randall Thompson's Peaceable Kingdom and works by Aaron Copeland.
In 2008 the group decided to take advantage of the skill and experience of its core members and go a cappella and self-directed. The new format has been a great success -- singing without accompaniment or a conductor has brought out the best in us.
