Chorale History

Singing for Joy Since 1982

The Suncook Valley Chorale is a non-auditioned community chorus. We rehearse and perform in Concord, but draw our membership from several towns in Central and Southern New Hampshire. The Pittsfield Area Arts Council established the Chorale in the spring of 1982 to perform at the celebration of Pittsfield’s Bicentennial. The enthusiasm generated by that event led the singers to develop a more far-reaching organization, striving to grow in numbers, geographic representation, and musical skill.

The Suncook Valley Chorale was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1985.

The Chorale has grown to around 80 members over the years. Members range from teenagers to octogenarians, but we are united in our enthusiasm for singing. Our repertoire is varied, ranging from Bach to the Beatles, and the Chorale constantly aims to grow in musical knowledge and skill. Although our dedication to music is serious, our motto is “Sing for Joy” and we try to create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for our singers and audiences.

The Faces of The Chorale

From our Director & Accompanist to the dedicated folks who volunteer for our Board, We thank all of these wonderful Suncookies.

Chorale Director

Scott Lounsbury

Scott finds great joy in leading the Suncook Valley Chorale, which he has done since September of 2001. A music teacher and chorus director in the Shaker Regional School District (Belmont and Canterbury), Scott has also found success as a composer, lyricist, and poet. In the summer he can frequently be found either conducting or playing with the Cate Park Band on the bandstand on the

shores of Wolfeboro Bay. He serves as the Mixed Chorus Manager for the New Hampshire Music Educators’ All State Music Festival, where he’s affectionately known as “The Bow Tie Guy.” Some of his other interests include photography, and community theater. It is his passion for the process of working with amateur singers (“those who sing from the love of it”), guiding them toward higher levels of musicianship and performance, and his love of “Suncookies” who Sing for Joy, that keep him coming back for more.

Accompanist

Jacqueline "Jackie"
Morin

Jackie is very excited to be joining the Suncookie community! She graduated summa cum laude from West Chester University with a M.M. in Piano Pedagogy and Plymouth State University with a B.A. in Piano Performance and Pedagogy.

She currently runs her own private studio in Concord teaching piano and music theory to students of all levels and is the music teacher at Namaste Montessori

School in Goffstown. She has won several prestigious awards and was also named to Expertise’s list of Best Piano Teachers in Concord.

Since making her accompanying debut at the age of ten, Jackie has performed with soloists, chamber groups and choral groups throughout New England. She has served as pianist for the NHMEA Elementary Honors Choir, New Hampshire All-State Treble Choir, MTNA and NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) Competitions and several local schools. In addition to performing as a collaborative pianist, she is an active choral singer and has performed with the Plymouth State University Chamber Singers, Cantari Donne, New Hampshire Philharmonic, New Hampshire Music Festival Chorus and the New Hampshire Master Chorale.