Farmington Valley Chorale

Farmington Valley Chorale The Farmington Valley Chorale is a non-auditioned group of more than 80 men and women committed to bringing quality choral music to our local area.

"Triumphant"! That was the word used to describe the sounds of Bach at Farmington Valley Chorale's performance with CONC...
05/13/2026

"Triumphant"! That was the word used to describe the sounds of Bach at Farmington Valley Chorale's performance with CONCORA soloists and orchestra on Saturday!

Chorale's sound filled St. James's Episcopal Church and amplified the joy in this incredible music.

Many thanks to Andrew Smith as our contractor and orchestra leader; to our soloist team (Jennifer Ferrand-Kelly, Megan Roth, Justin McArthur, Michael McAvaney and Jermaine Woodard), to Chris Shepard and Colette Hall, and to our audience for coming to hear these gems of Bach and supporting the Chorale as always!

Things are falling into place for a magnificent dress rehearsal this evening! All we need now is YOU, our beloved audie...
05/08/2026

Things are falling into place for a magnificent dress rehearsal this evening! All we need now is YOU, our beloved audience! Tomorrow, (May 9) for the first time in the Hartford area – you will have the chance to hear Bach’s Easter Oratorio (BWV 249) and Ascension Oratorio (BWV 11).

The harpsichord and organ await the magic hands that will bring them to life. Soprano Jennifer Ferrand-Kelly, mezzo soprano Megan Roth, tenors Michael McAvaney and Justin McArthur, and bass Jermaine Woodard, Jr. will be the CONCORA soloists, with Chorale singers performing choral movements; Violinist and CONCORA Board President Andrew Smith will lead the orchestra; Chorale Director and CONCORA singer Ellen Gilson Voth will conduct. This event is not to be missed!

The concert on Saturday, May 9 starts at 4:00 pm, at St. James’s Episcopal Church, 1018 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. Tickets are available on our Facebook event, with limited tickets also available at the door. Join us, and spread the word!

Michael McAvaney is an American lyrical tenor. He earned his Bachelor of Music Education from the Crane School of Music ...
05/08/2026

Michael McAvaney is an American lyrical tenor. He earned his Bachelor of Music Education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and his Master of Music Education from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. Outside of his singing engagements, he serves as the middle school orchestral director in the New Britain School District.

In addition to his classroom teaching, Michael has guest-conducted vocal ensembles across the Northeast and regularly performs as a soloist throughout New England. He sings with the Schola Cantorum at The Cathedral of Saint Joseph and the Men’s Choir at Saint Patrick-Saint Anthony in Hartford. Michael performed in the production All is Calm with Hartford’s Playhouse on Park, and he has also sung masterworks at Carnegie Hall and Mechanics Hall.

He is a member of several professional vocal ensembles, including CONCORA, Voce, and Voices of Concinnity. Michael resides in Burlington with his wife, Jackie, their daughter, Aria, and their dog, Oreo.

Join us this Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. at St. James's Episcopal Church in West Hartford!

Tickets are available through our Facebook Event, or from any chorale member. We look forward to seeing you there!

05/07/2026

On Sat., May 9, CONCORA and the Farmington Valley Chorale partner to present two works jointly for the first time in the Hartford area – Bach’s Easter Oratorio (BWV 249) and Ascension Oratorio (BWV 11). Soprano Jennifer Ferrand-Kelly, mezzo soprano Megan Roth, tenors Michael McAvaney and Justin McArthur, and bass Jermaine Woodard, Jr. will be the CONCORA soloists, with Chorale singers performing choral movements; Violinist and CONCORA Board President Andrew Smith will lead the orchestra; Chorale Director and CONCORA singer Ellen Gilson Voth will conduct.

In Ellen’s words: “Our arts community in greater Hartford is bursting with organizations that promote choral music and aim to share it as widely as possible. Whenever two of them perform together, we become a part of the success of the other. A concert like this also brings these musical gems to fresh ears today. In this music, Bach does more than retell familiar religious stories; he draws us into the human experience of joy and suffering, of hope and questioning and resilience. We can’t capture the scope of this music with words alone; you have to hear it firsthand.”The concert on May 9 starts at 4:00 pm, at St. James’s Episcopal Church, 1018 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. Tickets are available on our Facebook event, with limited tickets also available at the door. Join us, and spread the word!

Justin McArthur graduated in 2022 from UMass Amherst with degrees in classical singing and archaeology, as well as minor...
05/04/2026

Justin McArthur graduated in 2022 from UMass Amherst with degrees in classical singing and archaeology, as well as minors in linguistics and Medieval studies. He has sung with CONCORA since 2024. He sings in various choral groups in Connecticut and New York and also performs in musical theater, especially at Curtain Call in Stamford, and he recently finished performing the role of Lord Mountararat in Iolanthe with the Troupers Light Opera in Norwalk. Besides singing, he is starting a new career in piano tuning.

Jennifer Ferrand Kelly, soprano, is an accomplished ensemble and solo singer based in Connecticut. She performs regularl...
05/03/2026

Jennifer Ferrand Kelly, soprano, is an accomplished ensemble and solo singer based in Connecticut. She performs regularly with Connecticut ensembles CONCORA and Voce, and has appeared with the Hartford Chorale, the Greater Middletown Chorale and its chamber ensemble Alchemy, and Collegium Ancora in Providence, Rhode Island.

An avid interpreter of Bach’s vocal works, Jennifer’s recent solo engagements include performances in Music Worcester’s The Complete Bach series, notably Bach Organ and Arias, where she performed selections from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach. She also appeared as a soloist in BACHtoberfest 2025, performing Cantatas BWV 29 and 41 with conductor Chris Shepard and the BACHtoberfest Choir, and this season sang Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51 with Wesleyan University’s Ad Hoc Bach. Additional solo appearances include Bach’s Mass in B Minor and Handel’s Messiah with Music Worcester, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and CONCORA’s Bach Clavierfest.

Her artistry has been praised for its clarity, expressiveness, and musical intelligence. The Worcester Telegram described her phrasing and tone as “gorgeously on target and utterly compelling,” while The Hartford Courant highlighted her “strong musical intelligence” and “excellent breath control.” She can be heard with Voce on Signum Classics recordings, including Blessing: The Music of Paul Mealor and The Nativity.

Originally from Buffalo, New York, Jennifer earned a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from the State University of New York at Geneseo. A clinical psychologist by training, she now leads Hartford HealthCare’s Departments of Colleague Health and Well-Being, bringing a nuanced understanding of human emotion to her work - an insight that also profoundly shapes her approach to music-making.

Mezzo-soprano Megan Roth is known for her “versatile voice” and “rich character portrayals” across opera, concert, and c...
05/02/2026

Mezzo-soprano Megan Roth is known for her “versatile voice” and “rich character portrayals” across opera, concert, and chamber repertoire. Equally at home in traditional and contemporary works, she has performed roles with White Snake Projects, Boston Midsummer Opera, MassOpera, and Summer Garden Opera. Highlights include Despina (Così fan tutte), Tisbe (La Cenerentola), Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), and Meg (Little Women).

As a concert soloist, Megan has performed Copland’s In the Beginning, Handel’s Messiah and Dixit Dominus, and major works by Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, and Duruflé. She is the founder and artistic director of Calliope’s Call, a New England-based art song ensemble dedicated to fresh, engaging programs.

A devoted chamber musician, she sings with ensembles such as the GRAMMY®-nominated Skylark Vocal Ensemble, Yale Choral Artists, Spire Chamber Artists, and True Concord. She is also a skilled violinist, featured on Skylark’s GRAMMY®-nominated album It’s a Long Way.

Outside of her musical work, she enjoys reading, yoga, and kayaking with her husband and their two appropriately spoiled Boston Terriers, Bronx and Brooklyn.

International soloist, recording artist, and Virginian baritone, Jermaine Otis Woodard Jr., continues to elevate his pro...
05/01/2026

International soloist, recording artist, and Virginian baritone, Jermaine Otis Woodard Jr., continues to elevate his profile. His versatile roster portfolio includes Voices of Concinnity (Navona Records), CONCORA, Voce Inc. (Signum Records), Cathedral of Saint Joseph’s Schola Cantorum/Cathedral Quartet, Berkshire Opera Festival, and Composer’s Choir. Woodard has been recently featured as a soloist with CONCORA, The Hartford Chorale, Mystic River Chorale, Music Worcester, and is stoked to be making his Farmington Valley Chorale soloist debut. Jermaine is passionately devoted to freelance (soloist) artistry, ensemble partnership, and loves being a recurring background singer in Javier Colon's live band—inaugural winner of NBC’s ‘The Voice’.

In November 2022, Jermaine inaugurated Bailey, the lead role in 'Magic: A Ballroom Musical' (regional premiere) by James Gadzik. In August 2025, Woodard made his house debut as Commissionario in Verdi’s La Traviata with Berkshire Opera Festival. In December 2025, Woodard made his stage debut as Singer/Actor with Playhouse on Park West Hartford in a non-equity regional production of ‘All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914’ by Peter Rothstein. Next up, Jermaine excitedly prepares for a June 2026 Central Park NYC and Public Radio Broadcast debut with CONCORA as a featured soloist, collaborating with the renowned Simone Dinnerstein on Bach recitativo. Mr. Woodard actively serves as Baritone Section Leader & Soloist at Asylum Hill Congregational Church, Crescendo Inc, and the Hartford Chorale; offering scholarship to the board of governors for the Hartford Chorale and Consonare; and remains committed to cantorial leadership and ministry at Sacred Heart Parish of Bloomfield and Cathedral of Saint Joseph.

Bach is Back! The Farmington Valley Chorale is thrilled to be collaborating with CONCORA for our upcoming concert on Sat...
04/27/2026

Bach is Back! The Farmington Valley Chorale is thrilled to be collaborating with CONCORA for our upcoming concert on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.

Join us at St. James's Episcopal Church in West Hartford.

Tickets are available through our Facebook Event, or from any chorale member. We look forward to seeing you there!

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Simsbury, CT
06070

Opening Hours

7pm - 9pm

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