Valley Regional High School

For the second concert of the Essex Winter Series season on February 22, 2026, our Jazz Advisor Jeff Barnhart is thrilled to announce the return of EWS favorite Vince Giordano, who will lead his incredible jazz orchestra – The Nighthawks – for an afternoon of Hot and Sweet Music of the 1920s and ‘30s! Vince told Jeff that our audiences are among the most rewarding he's performed in front of, averring “It's like returning to visit old friends!” Indeed, this concert marks the fifth time the group has graced our stage, making it the most requested jazz ensemble in the history of the series! Be sure you don’t miss this increasingly rare opportunity to experience the incredible jazz orchestra Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks outside of their NYC home! For this treat, you’ll just have to get to Valley Regional High School. Concerts are on Sundays at 3 pm and are general admission. Adult - $45 / Student - $5. Discounted subscriptions are available as well. For information or tickets visit www.essexwinterseries.com or call 860-272-4572. For all our venues, parking, entry and seating accessibility is available.​ 2026 season sponsors include ASP Trust, BrandTech Scientific, Clark Group, Essex Bank & Essex Financial Services, Essex […]

Having captivated audiences worldwide, Chanticleer – the Grammy® Award-winning choral ensemble of 12 male voices – again appears for an Essex Winter Series concert with a soaring, spellbinding program called Without A Song. The group notes that "Music can lead us to places we never expected. It can inspire us forward, or it can hold us back. Music’s power has been the subject of wonder and speculation for millenia. Its ability to influence people has been both lauded and derided. Music has been called both divine and diabolical. In Without a Song, Chanticleer explores music’s power throughout the ages. Repertoire includes Medieval and Renaissance motets by Guillaume de Machaut and Orlando di Lasso, a new work by the Grammy-nominated composer Ayanna Woods, and a new version of the jazz standard Without a Song, arranged for us by Stacey Gibbs." A not-to-miss event, this “orchestra of voices” will close the 49th EWS season on April 12, 2026, at Valley Regional High School in Deep River, CT.​ Concerts are on Sundays at 3 pm and are general admission. Adult - $45 / Student - $5. Discounted subscriptions are available as well. For information or tickets, visit www.essexwinterseries.com or call 860-272-4572. For all our venues, parking, entry and […]

Con Brio presents two glorious, uplifting, at times somber, rousing, and patriotic concerts to celebrate our Nation’s 250th Birthday (1776-2026). These concerts feature a special program of All-American music with full orchestra and augmented brass section. Stars & Stripes Forever A choral celebration of our nation’s 250th birthday Featuring over 110 performers, with the Con Brio Chorus, the Con Brio Festival Orchestra, and with special guest Soprano and Tenor soloists, conducted by Dr. Chris Shepard on April 17, 2026 at 7 PM and April 19 2026 at 4 PM, Valley Regional High School, 256 Kelsey Hill Road, Deep River CT 06417. March The Stars & Stripes Forever, John Philip Sousa, USMC (orchestra) The National Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner, Smith, words Francis Scott Key, arr. Hayes (chorus and orchestra) The Testament of Freedom, Randall Thompson, words from Thomas Jefferson, (chorus and orchestra) I. A Summary View of the Rights of British America (1774) II. and III. Declaration of Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms (July 6, 1775) IV. Letter to John Adams, (September 12, 1821) The Mansions of the Lord, Glennie-Smith, arr. Harlan & Rickets, words Wallace, (chorus and string orchestra) Battle Hymn of the Republic, Steffe, arr. Wilhousky, words […]

Con Brio presents two glorious, uplifting, at times somber, rousing, and patriotic concerts to celebrate our Nation’s 250th Birthday (1776-2026). These concerts feature a special program of All-American music with full orchestra and augmented brass section. Stars & Stripes Forever A choral celebration of our nation’s 250th birthday Featuring over 110 performers, with the Con Brio Chorus, the Con Brio Festival Orchestra, and with special guest Soprano and Tenor soloists, conducted by Dr. Chris Shepard on April 17, 2026 at 7 PM and April 19 2026 at 4 PM, Valley Regional High School, 256 Kelsey Hill Road, Deep River CT 06417. March The Stars & Stripes Forever, John Philip Sousa, USMC (orchestra) The National Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner, Smith, words Francis Scott Key, arr. Hayes (chorus and orchestra) The Testament of Freedom, Randall Thompson, words from Thomas Jefferson, (chorus and orchestra) I. A Summary View of the Rights of British America (1774) II. and III. Declaration of Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms (July 6, 1775) IV. Letter to John Adams, (September 12, 1821) The Mansions of the Lord, Glennie-Smith, arr. Harlan & Rickets, words Wallace, (chorus and string orchestra) Battle Hymn of the Republic, Steffe, arr. Wilhousky, words […]