In 1985, six students from the Essex Middle School in Vermont, inspired and driven to learn, persuaded their music teacher, Constance J. Price, to instruct them outside of school. Under her leadership and guidance, these young students became the founding members of the Essex Children's Choir of Vermont.
The Choir, soon after its establishment, performed in Denmark at the Copenhagen Children's Choir Festival in recognition of excellence. The purity of sound and accomplished musicianship of the children propelled the reputation of the ECC. The Choir's underpinning philosophy to treat music education as an academic discipline originated a unique legacy for music education within the state of Vermont. Through several generations of students, the Choir performed at International, National and Vermont State Conferences, National and Vermont Public Radio, as well as local television. The lives of children throughout Vermont and the United States have been enriched through the Choir’s artistry, education program, and community service. (See a full list of notable past performances here.)
The program nurtured musical understanding and vocal development, teaching the language of sound and form to achieve excellence in the production of pure tone. We have had the honor of collaborating with artists nationally and locally. Karen Reed, our accompanist, and Heidi Soons, harpist, performed with the Essex Children's Choir from its inception.