The Organization

Joyful Noise is a unique and inspiring choral organization that administers the activities of the well-known children's choir, Chorus Angelicus (the Angelic Choir), and the adult vocal ensemble, Gaudeamus (Let Us Rejoice), along with two Training Choirs. Founded in 1991 by three-time Grammy Award-winning composer, Paul Halley, Joyful Noise transforms the lives of 90 children from more than 15 towns in Northwest Connecticut and the Berkshires. Choristers absorb a passionate commitment to excellence through singing; they learn self-respect, confidence, and the willingness to strive for results of the highest caliber in all aspects of their lives.

Members of Chorus Angelicus, ages 8-15, travel twice weekly for hour-and-a-half long rehearsals to receive training in the art of singing, reading and understanding music and music theory. Training Choir students, ages 5-10, meet once a week for quality ear and vocal training, and many of these children go on to audition for Chorus Angelicus. Gaudeamus, the 40-member adult ensemble, performs in several concerts each year, creating a rare partnership of children and adults working together as equals to achieve artistic excellence. In addition to a rigorous schedule of rehearsals and concerts, the children of Chorus Angelicus participate in workshops, weekend camps, tours, and fundraisers. Most children enter Chorus Angelicus with an ordinary background in singing. What eventually makes all of them extraordinary is their hard work, commitment and passion for music. The challenging repertoire of music they must master requires a thorough education in music theory and ear training while demanding their utmost in terms of diligence and self-discipline. They become accomplished musicians as they learn to blend their voices to create the unique sound that is Chorus Angelicus.

In its annual season of approximately 25 concerts the chorus performs a large and varied repertoire, featuring the great choral masterworks from Gregorian chant to the modern mystics, as well as contemporary world music and some of Halley's own works. Performances have included collaborations with The Hartford Symphony and the Paul Winter Consort in venues such as Boston's Symphony Hall, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, and The Music Shed in Norfolk, CT. Chorus Angelicus has toured from Key West, Florida, to Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Pacific Northwest and is frequently invited to perform at workshops, concert series, and music festivals. Chorus Angelicus was also privileged to perform at Governor Rowland's Inauguration in 1999 and the next year released a CD entitled Untraveled Worlds, which was submitted for Grammy Award consideration in the Best Choral Music category. The choirs have been featured on numerous other recordings.

The Mission

The mission of Joyful Noise is to promote beauty and human enrichment for people of all ages through instruction in, and performance of, choral music.