RESOURCE PAGE FOR CHOIR MATRIX
Tuition for Session I WINTER 2026 is $35.
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How to pay tuition:
--bring a check or cash to the first rehearsal
--mail a check to Consonare Choral Community, P.O. Box 338, Mansfield Center, CT 06250
--pay online via in the new registration system (above)
If paying tuition is a hardship for you, please send Sarah an email. If you would like to add a donation to your tuition, you can do so easily and your donation is tax deductible.
MEET OUR MUSIC LEADERSHIP
Sarah Kaufold, Director of Choir Matrix
Sarah is a conductor, soprano, and music educator who advocates for inclusion on the podium, within the choral ensemble, and in the choir folder. With extensive choral conducting and leadership experience, Sarah has directed choirs for singers of all ages, range of abilities, and in a number of settings, which include: church choral programs for children and adults since 2000, teaching middle and high school choral and general music classes; conducting collegiate choirs; directing adult community choral programs and a professional vocal ensemble.Sarah holds a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from UConn with extensive graduate study in choral conducting from Cal State University, Los Angeles and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Cal Poly Pomona where she began her studies as a music educator. Sarah is current and founding Artistic Director of Consonare Choral Community. Learn more on our Consonare website.
Janice Castle, Ccollaborative Pianist.
Jan is a music educator and has accompanied adult and youth choirs throughout our area for over 20 years.
Catherine Schiedman, Conducting Intern
is a graduate of UCONN, having received a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education in 2013. She taught for several years in local schools and graduated with a Master of Music from SUNY Potsdam in 2016. Catherine is passionate about providing musical experiences in her local community. During the pandemic, she started a socially distanced outdoor music class in order to ensure that families could continue singing together and has continued music classes for little ones ever since. She is excited to be partnering with Consonare in order to keep bringing music to this wonderful community. Catherine currently homeschools her three children, has loved singing with Choir Matrix and is principal horn of the Willimantic Orchestra.
WINTER REHEARSALS--SUNDAYS 3:00-4:30pm
Storrs Congregational Church
January 11
January 18
January 25
February 1
February 8
February 15
February 22
March 1
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Dress Rehearsal:
Friday, March 6, 2026 at 6:00-8:00pm
Mansfield Middle School
Session Concert:
Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 4:00pm​
Mansfield Middle School
CONCERT ATTIRE:
All black with an optional splash of blue (scarf, hair accessory, jewelry, etc.)
INCLEMENT WEATHER:
Please check your email one hour prior to rehearsal as any rehearsal cancellations will be advised by 2pm the day of rehearsal. If rehearsal has to be cancelled, we will replace the missed rehearsal time by extending a subsequent rehearsal or two to 5pm.
WINTER SESSION CHOIR PARTY
Saturday, March 7, 2025 directly after the concert (location TBD). Families are welcomed and encouraged to attend.
GENERAL RESOURCES
SONG RESOURCES
The theme for this session is "CODED: celebrating double meanings" where we will explore through a play on words the stories of visionaries who did incredible things in the field of computers, coded language (cryptography), and medicine.
All the way home
Composed by Sarah Quartel
Combined with youth choirs
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Text:
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Sing to me comfort, sing to me home,
Sing to me friendships I have known.
Sing me a place where I belong,
Joyful, with harmonies sing me
All the way home with a song in my heart.
All the way home brighten my path and
Carry me on, all the way home.
There’s a beautiful power in what we bring,
There’s strength in the glorious song we sing.
Easing all troubles, calming all fears,
Joyful with harmonies sing me…
Evening brings a shining star,
Her ancient anthems from afar.
Silence below, her song in the sky.
Joyful with harmonies sing me…
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INTERVIEW WITH SARAH QUARTEL
In 2022, Consonare invited Sarah Quartel to meet with our singers and other choirs in the area that happened to be performing her works during the same season. We conducted the interview over zoom where Sarah Quartel discusses her works and her compositional process. Her approach to composing is really insightful and knowing this information can change how we perceive the music as we are learning it and singing it.
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Sarah Quartel discusses "All the Way Home", which we are singing.
Hymn of Acxiom
Words and Music by Vienna Teng
arr. by Robin Salkeld
Text:
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Somebody hears you. you know that. you know that.
Somebody hears you. you know that inside.
Someone is learning the colors of all your moods, to
(Say just the right thing and) show that you’re understood.
Here you’re known.
Leave your life open. you don’t have. you don’t have.
Leave your life open. you don’t have to hide.
Someone is gathering every crumb you drop, these
(Mindless decisions and) moments you long forgot.
Keep them all.
Let our formulas find your soul.
We’ll divine your artesian source (in your mind),
Marshal feed and force (our machines will)
To design you a perfect love
Or (better still) a perfect lust.
O how glorious, glorious: a brand new need is born.
Now we possess you. you’ll own that. you’ll own that.
Now we possess you. you’ll own that in time.
Now we will build you an endlessly upward world,
(Reach in your pocket) embrace you for all you’re worth.
Is that wrong?
Isn't this what you want?
Amen.
Practice Tracks
mm. 1-22
mm. 22-42
mm. 41-75
mm. 75-end
Practice Tracks
mm. 1-47
TaReKiTa
Composed by Reena Esmail
Text:
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Dha Tarekita, Dhum Tarekita, Nom Tarekita Takadimitaka
Takadimi Takajanu Takadimi Na
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This piece is based on sounds the Indian drum, the tabla, makes, called “bols” — they are onomatopoeic sounds that imitate the sound of the drum. The result is something like a scat would be in jazz – ecstatic, energetic, rhythmic music that feels good on the tongue.
Practice Tracks
mm. 1-47
Measure me, sky
Composed by Elaine Hagenberg
Words by Leonora Speyer
Text:
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​Measure me, sky!
Tell me I reach by a song
Nearer the stars;
I have been little so long.
Horizon, reach out!
Catch at my hands,
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stretch me taut,
Rim of the world:
Widen my eyes by a thought.
Sky, be my depth,
Wind, be my width
and my height,
World, my heart’s span;
Loveliness, wings for my flight.
- Leonora Speyer
Practice Tracks
mm. 4-12
mm. 13-28
mm. 28-35
mm. 38-54