Newtown And Ridgefield Friends Will Join

To Celebrate The Season With Music

Newtown Congregational Church at 14 West Street will host a concert of holiday music on Sunday, December 12, at 4 pm.  The concert is open to the public. A freewill donation will be gratefully accepted to benefit the church and its outreach programs.

Recent additions to the Newtown musical scene are Larry and Lynn Williams and Amy Lonsinger. Mrs Williams and Ms Lonsinger both originally hail from the Hoosier state and received their musical training at Indiana University School of Music.

Mrs Williams has experience singing leading roles in regional opera companies including New Jersey Opera Festival and Opera New England, among others. She has also been active in regional oratorio and recital performances, and was a founder and co-artistic director of Ridgefield Opera Company. She maintains a private vocal and piano studio in Newtown.

Ms Lonsinger began her violin studies at the age of six and made her debut as a soloist at age 11 with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. She has had an active professional career performing as a chamber musician and as an orchestral violinist throughout the country for the past 15 years.

Larry Williams enjoys playing classical guitar and accompanying his soprano wife as an avocation.

Ten year Newtown resident Phil Crevier will be accompanying this holiday song fest on piano and organ. Mr Crevier has been the organist at Newtown Congregational Church for nine years. He holds a double degree from Trinity College in computer science and music composition.

Ridgefield resident William Joyner will also be lending his talents for the concert event. Mr Joyner has sung leading tenor roles in more than 40 opera companies throughout the world including Washington Opera, NYC Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Chicago Symphony, NY Philharmonic and many others. In Europe, Mr Joyner has been heard at La Scala, Paris Opera, Deutsche Staats Oper Berlin, and Arena di Verona, among others.

Bill’s wife, Jackie Sifford Joyner, will also be playing for this concert. Mrs Joyner was a bassoon major at the University of South Carolina. She also holds a master of music as well as post graduate study from the University of Texas. She has performed locally with Ridgefield Symphony and Ridgefield Opera Company. She spent seven summers working at the Aspen Music Festival, which is where she and her husband met.

Ridgefield resident Anne Wright Coffman will be offering her beautiful soprano voice. Ms Coffman studied music at the University of Wisconsin. Her performance roles have included include Elisabeth and Venus in Tannhauser, Aida and Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors as well as Mother in Hansel and Gretel.

She was a co-founder of Ridgefield Opera Company and is active in regional concerts and recitals. She holds a doctor of divinity from Yale University.

Mattie and Caroline Joyner, aspiring violinists and students at Scotland Elementary School in Ridgefield, will also lend some talent for the concert. The girls are following in their parents’ musical footsteps, already having two operas under their belt.  They performed in Ridgefield Opera productions of Hansel and Gretel and Brundibar.

Call the church office for additional information at 426-9024.