Master Chorale Wins Competition

The Connecticut Master Chorale won first place in the McDonald’s Gospelfest 2001 Competition held on May 27, bringing home a huge trophy, a check for $1,000 and an afternoon’s worth of exciting memories.

“The Master Chorale is not focused on gospel music, so we weren’t quite sure how we’d be received,” said Tina Johns Heidrich, the founder and director of the group of 55 area singers. “I don’t think the audience knew what to expect as we took the stage.

“But once we began singing,” Ms Heidrich continued, “we could hear excitement building in the audience and that encouraged us to do our best. When we finished they were on their feet hooting and hollering. What a rush!”

The chorale competed with a rousing spiritual entitled “The Word Was God,” a piece the group also performed during its concert at St Mary’s in Bethel last November. It is an eight-part fugue and sung without instrumental accompaniment. The work starts quietly and builds in intensity and complexity until it reaches “God” in the final climactic chord.

“The judges and audience loved it,” said chorus member Nancy Lavers. “They were clapping and yelling and dancing in the aisles. Some audience members lifted their kids and were swinging them in the air. Until Sunday, I didn’t know what gospel music was all about. I learned for one thing that it’s an audience participation event. They embraced us — and they loved us!”

The winning number and selections from other Master Chorale concerts can be heard on the Web site www.cmchorale.org. Concert information can also be obtained by calling 743-0473.

The Connecticut Master Chorale was one of 12 groups selected from a field of 2,179 in the tri-state area. The final  was held at the Palace Theater in Stamford. The event was recorded and will be aired in its entirety on ABC-TV 7 on Saturday, July 14, at 7 pm.

Featured in the first half of the program were performances by the renowned gospel performers Melba Moore, Cissy Houston, Tremaine Hawkins and Hezekiah.

The Gospelfest Competition is an annual event sponsored by McDonald’s and local McDonald’s restaurant franchise owners.

The competition includes several gospel genres. The Master Chorale took first place in the Adult Choir category. Other categories include Soloists, Praise Dancers, Christian Rappers, Steppers, and Youth Choir.

The Connecticut Master Chorale, founded and directed by Tina Johns Heidrich, will be starting its third season in September. The chorale is comprised of 55 select, highly gifted, auditioned singers from over 20 towns in Connecticut and New York who share in the joy of making beautiful music together.

The talent of each singer enables swift mastery of the music, allowing the chorale to present several professional quality concerts each year in the Danbury area.

Newtown residents who are current members of the chorale are Judy Bolduc, Ginnie Carey, Gil Fong, Wendy Fong, David Jurman, Joel Romanelli, and John Sullivan.