Musicon Choir To Sing At NCC
Musicon Choir To Sing At NCC
Musicon 2000, a choral ensemble of high school students from across the state, will present a free musical, Never Alone, Saturday night, August 19, at the Newtown Congregational Church at 7 pm.
The 60 voices, under the direction of the Rev Jonathan Colegrove, will tell the story of a janitor who befriended a street kid and ultimately brings him home to his family. âThis is a story about belonging,â said Rev Colegrove. âEveryone wants and needs to feel valued.â
âEveryone needs to know that someplace is home. But what makes a place home is what Never Alone is all about. Can a teen who has lived by his wits alone for three years learn to love and be a part of a family?â
Music and lyrics are by Bill and Cathy Schrull. The score offers a variety of musical styles with an appeal for all ages. This is the seventh musical the Schrulls have written especially for Musicon. Last year they wrote the music for âNot Forgotten,â presented by Musicon.
The Musicon Choir was started in 1980 as a one-week summer camp. Rev Colegrove said, âWe really had no expectation there would ever be another Musicon after that summer program. But people wanted to see us. Churches started calling and the kids wanted to continue.â
Rev Colegrove was ordained in 1984 and has served churches in Ridgefield and Berlin, Conn. In January 1991 the Rev and Mrs Colegrove, Jama, became full time missionaries to the youth of Connecticut with Musicon Ministries, Inc. Over the years they have written ten other musicals with three writing teams.
âWe start with a character or concept,â he said. âThen, together with the lyricist and composer, we weave a story with monologue and live action, choral, and solo musical numbers. We rehearse the show over a very intense weekend in August and take it on the road. This is absolutely original stuff. It is a great way to communicate the Christian message, both to the teens we work with and to the congregation we serve.â
In addition to the senior high Musicon Choir appearing in Saturdayâs concert. Musicon Ministries also has Joy, Inc., which ministers with junior high voices. During the 2000/2001 season Musicon groups will be seen in 65 churches throughout the Northeast.
The Saturday, August 19, concert is open to the public and is free. A free-will offering will be taken to help with the groupâs travel expenses. Those wanting further information should call Newtown Congregational Church at 462-9024 Tuesday through Friday during the day.
Choir members will be housed by local church members and will be taken to Brookfield for another concert on Sunday morning.
To make inquiries about hosting a Musicon program or information on how to become a part of this ministry, one can write to Musicon Ministries, 519 Arch Street, New Britain, CT 06051, call 860/229-5664, or e-mail musicon@juno.com.