A project of the Nova Scotia Choral Federation, the Children's Chorus of Nova Scotia (CCNS) is a program where talented singers in grades 5-9 are provided with a challenging opportunity to achieve choral excellence. Selected from all over the province, singers will get to work with a team of musicians who are respected in Nova Scotia and across Canada, making this an exceptional learning experience.
We are thrilled to announce the return of the Children's Chorus of Nova Scotia in 2025!
Full details for singer selection and schedules will be available in January 2025.
Guest Conductor 2025, Dr. Susan Brumfield
Dr. Susan Brumfield is Professor of Music Education at Texas Tech University, and holds a Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of Oklahoma. She is known throughout the United States and Europe as a clinician, consultant, author, composer, arranger and choral conductor. An internationally recognized expert in the Kodály approach, Dr. Brumfield is the author of First, We Sing! Kodály-Inspired Teaching in the Music Classroom (Hal Leonard), a set of Kodály-based of curriculum and resource materials for K-5 music.
Founder and Artistic Director of The West Texas Children’s Chorus, Dr. Brumfield is also in frequent demand throughout the world as a commissioned composer and guest conductor. Her choral music is published with Hal Leonard Music, Colla Voce Music and BriLee/Carl Fischer, and includes more than forty titles. With four choirs consisting of singers from Kindergarten through college, the West Texas Children’s Chorus organization serves children throughout the South Plains area, and serves as a teaching lab for TTU Music Education students. In addition to performances with the Texas Tech University Choirs, the Lubbock Chorale and the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, the choirs have performed at the Texas Music Educators’ Conference, national conferences of the Organization of American Kodály Educators and the American Orff Schulwerk Association, and has been featured in concerts at Carnegie Hall and other prestigious venues in NYC. The choir travels throughout the US on its bi-annual tours. For more information about The West Texas Children's Chorus, please visit www.wtccsings.com.
Dr. Brumfield was honored in both 2012 and 2014 with the Texas Tech University College of Visual and Performing Arts Award for Outstanding Research, and as a two-time finalist for the President’s Book Award. In 2015, Dr. Brumfield was the recipient of the Louisiana Tech University Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award.
Music
Music will be suited for unchanged treble voices and chosen by the guest conductor. The program is designed to be fun, accessible, but also challenging, to encourage the singers to higher levels of music making than what they normally get in a school choir setting.
Singers are expected to learn their music as best they can on their own, with help from recordings and a regional rehearsal. Singers will be provided with online practice recordings to help them learn their parts. Notes, words and rhythms should be in place before the regional rehearsal. All music and materials will be delivered to the conductors of the selected singers starting February 14, 2025.
Commitment
All choristers must be able to commit to the following dates: (all rehearsals and performances are mandatory).
Regional Rehearsals
All singers must attend one of the three regional rehearsals listed below. If they do not they will be dismissed from the choir. If a chorister has a sudden conflict, they may attend a different rehearsal.
TBA
TBA
TBA
Rehearsal/Concert Weekend in Halifax
April 11-13, 2025
First United Chruch
711 Prince Street, Truro, NS
The final rehearsal session will be led by the guest conductor Dr. Susan Brumfield, culminating in a final concert Sunday afternoon. Schedule coming soon.
Registration for CCNS is a two-step process. *Registration Deadline extended to February 14, 2025!*
Step 1: Conductor/ Music Teacher Recommendation
Please fill out our Conductors Recommendation Form. This must be completed by February 7, 2020 and should include the names of the singers you are recommending (max. 10 choristers). Parents are responsible for filling out the individual registration form below in Step 2. Registration is first come-first serve.
Choirs sending singers must be or become members of the NSCF. There are many benefits to becoming a member - especially discounts for your singers! Click here to apply online for membership.
Step 2: Individual Registration
Once you have been recommended by your teacher (or if you are registering without sponsorship from a choir), each chorister must complete out an Individual Online Registration Form. This must be completed in its entirety (3 sections). Online forms and payment must be received by February 7, 2020.
For more information on Payment, please refer to the Payment Options tab.
To review the consent information, please refer to "CCNS Consent Information" found under the Important Documents tab.
Program Fee:
$100 per singer (if singer is recommended from a NSCF member organization - school/church/studio etc.)
$125 per singer (for singers who do not have a choir to recommend them. This fee also provides the individual with a student membership to the NSCF.)
*Please note: $35 adminstration portion of fee is non-refundable. Remainder is refundable for withdrawals until February 28, 2025.
Concert Ticket Orders:
Each singer can pre-order a maximum of 5 tickets using the Individual Online Registration Form. First 2 tickets are at reduced rate of $15 until March 20, 2025, all others at $20. (Please include payment of tickets with fees.) Concert usually sells out - don't wait until later! All Tickets at the door will be $20. After April 1, 2025 tickets may only be purchased at the door.
Information on ticket purchasing will be available in January 2025.
Payment Options
Option 1: Please submit cheque or money order to the NSCF. Cheques should included CCNS and the name of your child in the memo line.
Note: Some conductors may wish to or offer to send the cheques in a group. Please check with your conductor if this is the case otherwise, please send cheques on their own.
Cheques should be made out to "Nova Scotia Choral Federation" (with "CCNS" and "child's name" in the Memo line)
Option 2: With PayPal below (Please note that you will have to return to this webpage to add tickets to your cart if you wish to purchase these at the same time as your registration):