Tenors

Joseph Groff, Principal

Joe holds a BA in music from Hamilton College. He has held positions as a computer programmer with The Hartford for the past 26 years. Joe has extensive experience as a singer for nonprofit organizations. He has sung for a number of professional and semi-professional groups including Concora and The Woodland Scholars (Hartford, CT). In addition, he has been employed as a section leader in the Immanuel Church choir in Hartford for the past 5 years and at South Church in New Britain for 15 years before that. When he is not coding or singing, Joe enjoys spending time doing anything outdoors with his wife, Cyd, and their two dogs, a cat, and a horse.

Ehren Brown

Ehren Brown is quickly becoming known throughout Connecticut for his energetic musical leadership and a wide range of expertise in different areas of choral music. He has served as Director of Music at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, co-founded and directed the all-male vocal ensemble A Completely Different Note, and taught choir and general music in the Connecticut public school system. Ehren currently serves as Artistic Director of the Vernon Chorale, Associate Director of Music at Immanuel Congregational Church, Conductor of the newly-formed Hartford Chorale Chamber Singers, and Assistant Music Director of the Hartford Chorale. He also serves as Repertoire and Standards Chairperson for Community Choirs on the Connecticut ACDA Executive Board. An active performer as well as conductor, Ehren sings with several ensembles in the Hartford area, including Voce, CONCORA, and the Hartford Chorale. The Hartford Courant describes his voice as having "a laser clear sound and diverse vocal colorations" in his recent Bach performances. An alumnus of the University of Connecticut, Ehren holds undergraduate degrees in voice and music education and a Master of Music degree in choral conducting. He has studied conducting with Peter Bagley, Mark Singleton, and Jeffrey Renshaw.

Floyd Higgins

Floyd Higgins has been active as a singer and organist in the Hartford area since 1981. A graduate of Trinity College and Yale University, he has sung with many area choruses including the Woodland Scholars, Gaudeamus, CONCORA and the Yale Camerata. As a soloist, he has performed with many local groups including Connecticut Concert Opera. As an organist, he has served at at several area churches. Currently, he serves as Co-Director of Music Ministry and organist at South Church in Hartford with his wife, Gretchen Collins, who also sings in VOCE. Floyd's day job is in International Sales for Gerber Scientific International in South Windsor. Floyd and Gretchen and their son David live in West Hartford.

David Pettyjohn

A native of Independence, Missouri, David earned his Bachelor's of Music and Computer Science from William Jewell College, Liberty, Missouri in 1998. At William Jewell, he was a member of the William Jewell Concert Choir, William Jewell's premier choral ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Arnold Epley. In addition to his singing duties, he also played viola in the Liberty Symphony Orchestra and the William Jewell Chamber Orchestra, and as a senior he was a student conductor for the William Jewell Chapel Choir under the direction of Dr. Donald Brown. After William Jewell, he pursued some post-graduate studies at Baylor University's School of Church Music in Waco, Texas. David moved to Connecticut in 2003 to accept a position of Software Developer for COCC, Inc of Avon. He is currently a member of Voce and a soloist/section leader for Immanuel Congregational Church of Hartford. As a soloist, he made his first appearance with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony and Eastern Connecticut Symphony Chorus in their performance of Beethoven's Choral Fantasy in April, 2005, and in December, 2006, he performed Schubert's Mass in G with ECSC. In December, 2005, he performed Et In Terra Pax by Gerald Finzi with the Vernon Chorale, a community chorus located in Vernon, Connecticut. David currently makes his home in Manchester, Connecticut with his two cats, Clara and Lili, and works as an Application Architect for Hartford Investment Management Company of Hartford, Connecticut.

Adam Atkins

Mr. Atkins currently teaches music at The Gilbert School in Winsted, CT, where he is responsible for teaching all levels of vocal instruction and music theory. In addition to directing the 4 choirs at the school, Mr. Atkins is active within the local community as the director of the Boar’s Head Music Festival and Laurel City Singers. His educational background includes a B.S. in Education, a B.A. in Music, and a Masters of Music all from the University of Connecticut. He has performed throughout Connecticut with many groups including the University of Connecticut music ensembles, the Waterbury Chorale, the Connecticut Yankee Chorale, Gaudeamus, and Concora. He currently resides in Harwinton with his wife Jennifer and their two children, Nicholas and Elizabeth.

Steven A. Mitchell

Steve Mitchell is recognized as a distinguished choral conductor, choreographer, and soloist. Conducting credits include: The Miami Boy Choir, Harmony Creative Arts Center, University of Wisconsin Music Clinics, and the choirs of Temple Judea (Miami), Temple Israel (Coral Gables), Cutler Ridge United Methodist Church, and Coral Gables Congregational Church. He is currently Minister of Music and Arts at Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford where his responsibilities include direction of the Sanctuary Choir, worship development, children’s music programming, adult studies in art and music, book reviews, lectures and the Asylum Hill Music & Arts Series. A graduate of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL, Mr. Mitchell is a sought after soloist. His solo credits include: The Miami Bach Society, the Florida Grand Opera, Miami Symphony, CONCORA (Connecticut Choral Artists), Connecticut Concert Opera and The New World Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Michael Tilson-Thomas.