Who Are the Laurel City Singers?
Laurel City Singers is a community-based choir, conceived by Adam Atkins, Roger
Atkins, Joe Butkevicius, Debbie Storrs and Lynn Whittaker thirteen years ago. They
recognized a need to develop a choir that was dedicated to a wide variety of musical
styles.
We generally perform three concerts a year, a spring concert, a fall concert, and We
are proud to be the featured choir in The Boar's Head Festival, sponsored by First
Church of Winsted.
Concerts in the past have welcomed guests such as Native American Flute-man,
Joseph Fire Crow, and the well known percussionist, John Marshall. Our Christmas
Concerts have also featured the Silver Belles and Beauxs.
Click this link to hear a sample of the choir.
Niska Banja was a selection from our International Folkfest Concert.
Our Mission:
- To use our combined talents for the betterment of our community·
- To continue to perform great music from Mozart to Motown, before and
beyond· - To act as a vehicle for singers to explore their vocal abilities through
performance
- If you can carry a tune, we’ll supply the bucket!!
Come and Join Us in 2010!
For more information please email our secretary, Denise Torson
at denisetorson@hotmail.com
Meet the Volunteer Staff ~
Director:
ADAM P. ATKINS, founding member and director of the Laurel City Singers, is a
Winsted native. He attended the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, where he received
a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music, a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, and a
Master of Music degree in Music Education. Upon completing college, he returned to
Winsted to accept a teaching position at The Gilbert School. He has taught at the
school for the past ten years where he teaches three different choruses and the music
theory program. In addition, he is the Music Department Coordinator. He has also
been music director for the Boar's Head Festival for eleven years.
Mr. Atkins has been seen in many performances throughout the area as a soloist,
director and singer. He has sung with various groups such as CONCORA, Gaudeamus,
Leading Tone (an eight member a cappella group), Waterbury Choral and the
Connecticut Yankee Choral, and is currently singing with Voce.
Mr. Atkins enjoys spending his free time working on his new house in Harwinton and
relaxing with his wife Jennifer, son Nicholas, daughter Elizabeth and their two cats.
Accompanist:
CYNTHIA ESEPPI RINES has been entertaining audiences with her music for over 25
years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music/Piano Performance from St. Joseph
College, where she also studied voice, guitar and organ. She is currently the
accompanist for Laurel City Singers and The Gilbert School, and a member of the local
bluegrass gospel group, Mad River Crossing. She also plays at various churches and
coffeehouses. She enjoys many types of music, but especially bluegrass gospel.
Cynthia is a self-employed CPA and lives in West Hartland with her husband Jeff.
Administrative Assistants:
DEBBIE STORRS has celebrated life through her love of music. Besides being a tin
whistle and hand-drumming enthusiast, she is a member/co-founder of Laurel City
Singers, directs the First Church Youth Music program. Mrs. Storrs was Administrator
and Bookkeeper for Joyful Noise, a choral organization which had oversight on the
activities of the well know children's choir, Chorus Angelicus, and Gaudeamus, the adult
chamber choir. For the past 12 years has served as Director of the Boar's Head
Festival, sponsored by First Church of Winsted. She enjoys music in many forms, and
is a member of the bluegrass gospel group, Mad River Crossing.
Debbie is currently Accounting Assistant at Northwest Community Bank, and resides in
Torrington with her husband Gary.
LYNN WHITTAKER was raised with music. She believes that music is the voice of the
Soul, and enjoys singing music that inspires and tells a story. Lynn studied voice at the
prestigious Hartt College of Music.
After a brief hiatus, she has returned as Cantor and Soloist at St. Joseph’s Church in
Winsted where she had previously been for eleven years. She volunteers her time and
talents for a number of charitable organizations, including Special Olympics, the United
Way, the Burlington Town Carol Sing, the Boar’s Head Festival, is co-founder of Laurel
City Singers. She has been a featured vocalist at the benefit concert sponsored by the
Church of Christ to aid the local food banks and soup kitchens. She has also signed on
as vocalist with the bluegrass gospel group, Mad River Crossing.
Mrs. Whittaker is a member of numerous animal rescue foundations, and rescues dogs
from families who can’t keep them, and helps them find new homes. Lynn lives in
Torrington with her husband Scott, and their three rescued boxers, Molly, Copper, and
Hugh and a rescued Boston Terrier, Pekoe. Lynn is a Professional Dog Trainer and
owns her own business, "Bow Wow University,” and gives individual voice lessons.
Secretary:
DENISE TORSON
Denise has been with LCS since its inception 13 years ago. Besides LCS, she has been
singing in the choir at the Church of Christ for 19 years. Member of the Music
Committee at Church of Christ and is Treasurer of the Memorial Committee.
Participated in the BH for the last 13 years.
Denise is the Development Assistant at Susan B. Anthony Project in Torrington. Married
for 27 years.
LCS BOARD:
Moderator: Cindy Rines
Secretary: Denise Torson
Treasurer: Debbie Storrs
Financial Secretary: Lynn Whittaker
Artistic Director: Adam Atkins
Members: John Greaser & Brian Tassinari
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SINGERS WANTED
Laurel City Singers will begin rehearsals for their
spring concert season on Thursday, February 25th at
First Church of Winsted, 95 North Main Street. The
theme of the spring concert will be songs from
around the world. It will feature a medley from the
musical Oklahoma, Who Can Sail, a Scandinavian
folksong, a Jamaican Farewell, made famous by Harry
Belafonte. Famine Song, written by a professional
vocal quartet of women named VIDA, and inspired by
the stories of Sudanese basket weavers who
expressed the pain and hope experienced by those in
the famine of the 1980s, a most unusual and
fascinating song. A Song for Athene, the best known
work of Sir John Tavener, which was performed by
the Westminster Cathedral Choir at the funeral
service of Dianna, Princess of Wales September 6,
1997 will also be part of the program.
Those interested in joining the choir should call
Denise Torson at 860-379-2655.
Laurel City Singers will begin rehearsals for their
spring concert season on Thursday, February 25th at
First Church of Winsted, 95 North Main Street. The
theme of the spring concert will be songs from
around the world. It will feature a medley from the
musical Oklahoma, Who Can Sail, a Scandinavian
folksong, a Jamaican Farewell, made famous by Harry
Belafonte. Famine Song, written by a professional
vocal quartet of women named VIDA, and inspired by
the stories of Sudanese basket weavers who
expressed the pain and hope experienced by those in
the famine of the 1980s, a most unusual and
fascinating song. A Song for Athene, the best known
work of Sir John Tavener, which was performed by
the Westminster Cathedral Choir at the funeral
service of Dianna, Princess of Wales September 6,
1997 will also be part of the program.
Those interested in joining the choir should call
Denise Torson at 860-379-2655.
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