| Northeast Connecticut Community Orchestra | |
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| Play an orchestra string instrument? Come play with us! Click here for details. | |
| Where and when do we rehearse? Click here for details. | |
Concerts
Spring Concert 2025
Friday, May 16th at 7:00pm
Clark Chapel, Pomfret, CT
Sunday, May 18th at 2:00pm
Clark Chapel, Pomfret, CT
Admission is free. Donations are welcome.
Music
Welcome to the Spring Concert of the Northeast Connecticut Community Orchestra’s 14th year: “The Remarkable Adventures and Amazing Compositions of Connecticut’s Own Leroy Anderson.”
Our concert program consists entirely of music written by Leroy Anderson who died 50 years ago in 1975 at his Woodbury, Connecticut home.
Our program features many of his instrumental compositions that are played around the world, including Blue Tango, Belle of the Ball, The Syncopated Clock, Jazz Legato, Jazz Pizzicato, The Waltzing Cat, Plink Plank Plunk, The Typewriter, Bugler's Holiday and Sleigh Ride.
The composer's grandson, baritone Lars Vercelli and his wife, soprano Laura Apruzzese, will sing two songs from the 1958 musical Goldilocks, which Anderson wrote the music for, "Save A Kiss" and "I Never Know When to Say When. With the orchestra Lars will sing "Forgotten Dreams."
The final number will be "Bugler's Holiday" arranged for three violins with a surprise appearance by three trumpeters who inspire Linda Tracy, the conductor, to start the piece over again with trumpets taking the lead.
Members of the composer’s family participating in this concert are: the composer’s children (Jane Anderson Vercelli, Rolf Anderson and Kurt Anderson), grandsons (Anders Vercelli & Lydia Vercelli and Lars Vercelli & Laura Vercelli) and the two eldest of his five great grandchildren (Kate Vercelli and Luke Vercelli).
The extended Anderson family wishes to thank NCCO and all the musicians, especially Linda Tracy (conductor) and Kevin Tracy (typewriter).
History of the Northeast Connecticut Community Orchestra
By Jane Anderson Vercelli, NCCO presidentThe Northeast Connecticut Community Orchestra (NCCO) is a non-audition based musical group open to anyone who plays violin, viola, cello or string bass. We are a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization funded by grants and contributions from our members and supporters. We perform concerts in May and November each year, usually at the historic Clark Memorial Chapel on the beautiful campus of Pomfret School, Route 169 /44, Pomfret. Admission is free. Donations are accepted at the door and may be mailed to: NCCO, Saul Ahola, 88 Butts Rd., Woodstock, Conn. Anyone who would like to play music with us is welcome to attend rehearsals on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. in Ashford. For details, email janevercelli@gmail.com or call 860 428-4633. The orchestra was founded in January 2012 by violin virtuoso Yaroslav “Yarek” Tereshchenko, along with his students James Bump and Jane Vercelli who had been playing viola duets for years with the hope that someday they could form a string orchestra. At the first rehearsal 20 musicians attended: 14 violins, 3 cellos and 3 violas. The musicians who played in the orchestra during the first year and who are still playing with us today include: Saul Ahola, Wesley Eaton, Michael Geigert, Sara Harkness, Melissa Joyal, Kurt Kaufman and his daughter Margalit, Joan Sinder, Jane Vercelli and Jan Zarcharski. For five years, Jim Bump was music librarian, and Jane Vercelli handled all communications between Yarek and the musicians. In 2014, violist Dylan Lomangino, then a University of Connecticut student, became assistant conductor. In 2017, Yarek moved out of the area, Dylan took over as principal conductor, Ellen Browne became assistant conductor, Melissa Joyal succeeded Jim Bump as music librarian, and Saul Ahola became treasurer and filed paperwork for our 501(c)(3) non profit status. Sadly, Jim Bump died in November 2017. Dylan continued at the helm until November 2023 when he passed the baton to NCCO violinist Linda Tracy of Storrs, a veteran music teacher who is also the founder and artistic director of Take Note!, an a cappella choral ensemble.
Read About Us
Officers
| President | Jane Anderson Vercelli |
| Vice President | Melissa Joyal |
| Treasurer | Saul Ahola |
| Secretary | Karen Robert |
Musical Leaders
| Conductor | Linda Tracy |
| Assistant Conductors | Ellen Browne |
| Concertmaster | Brieanna Toedt |
| Principal 2nd Violin | Karen Robert |
| Principal Viola | Francis De Rege |
| Principal Cello | Jennifer Owen |
Backstage Support
| Graphic Design | Rachel Lewis |
| Music Librarian | Melissa Joyal |
| Concert Program Booklet | Saul Ahola |
| Karen Robert | |
| Rehearsals | Jennifer and Jesse Owen |
| Audio/Video | Mark Thayer, Signature Sounds |
| Website | Gale Olsen |
Support Us
We have two free programs each per year. Please consider
a donation at our next concert. Donations may be mailed to:
Northeast Connecticut Community Orchestra, Inc
88 Butts Road
Woodstock, CT 06281
The orchestra has been delighted by a grant from CT Humanities in 2022 for $5500 which was extremely helpful during COVID and grateful for another grant for $5200 to support our community orchestra in 2023. The grants were made possible by the CT State Legislature, who during the pandemic designated monies for support of community-based art, humanities and cultural non-profit organizations through the CT State Dept of Economic and Community Development and the CT Office of the Arts. CT Humanities is the statewide nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) which administers the grant funds.
Rehearsals
Come Play With Us
The Northeast Connecticut Community Orchestra is a non
audition-based string orchestra open to anyone who plays
violin, viola, cello or string bass. Our members include
people who played a string instrument when they were
children, gave it up and are relearning to play. We also
have members who began playing one string instrument or
another for the first time late in life.
The strength of our group is that we have several
conservatory-trained musicians who provide musical
leadership for those players who have not had the advantage
of many years of music lessons or of majoring in music in
college.
The disparity in musicianship is reflected in the attendance
at orchestra rehearsals. Those players who are the most
proficient are welcome to attend only the “full rehearsals”
designated by our conductor, Dylan Lomangino, several times
per semester. Those of us who are weaker players try to attend
all the rehearsals to iron out the kinks in our playing. For us,
missing a rehearsal is a rare occurrence.
Many folks appreciate the diversity of our musical selections
which have ranged in age and complexity from Vivaldi and Mozart
to Scott Joplin and the Beatles. We have played music by
Albinoni, Handel, Telemann, Bach, Haydn and Strauss. We have
enjoyed traditional tunes from the British Isles and Christmas
carols from France. We have reveled in Andante Festivo by
Sibelius and felt the creativity of a little known Lullaby by
Gershwin.
If you or someone you know would like to join us, please come to
a rehearsal or phone Jane Vercelli at 860 428-4633.
Where and When
Spring 2025 Schedule:
Friday, April 11 @ 6:30pm - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ashford- Rehearsal
Friday, April 18 @ 6:30pm - Good Friday, NO rehearsal
Friday, April 25 @ 6:30pm - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ashford - Rehearsal
Friday, May 2 @ 7:00pm - Clark Chapel - Rehearsal
Friday, May 9 @ 6:30pm - Clark Chapel - Dress Rehearsal
Friday, May 16 @ 7:00pm - concert, Clark Chapel
Sunday, May 18 @ 2:00pm - concert, Clark Chapel
Contact Us
Email: mail@NortheastConnecticutCommunityOrchestra.org or Click Here to launch in your local email program