Quoddy Voices
Photo by Robin Farrin of Coastal Maine Photography
Music Director
Photo by Robin Farrin of Coastal Maine Photography
John Newell, our founding director, was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a graduate of Duke University and earned his M.F.A. from California Institute of the Arts. John completed his formal musical training at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he studied with Morton Feldman. While in Buffalo he held the first Edgard Varese Fellowship in composition, earning his Ph.D. in 1979. John has broad experience as a choral conductor in leading school and community groups. He has composed a wide variety of works for chorus, chamber ensembles and orchestra; and has received commissions from a number of professional and amateur organizations. Also an accomplished pianist, John has performed throughout the Northeast as soloist and chamber musician. He teaches privately and is on the faculty of SummerKeys, an adult music program in Lubec.
Accompanist
Our wonderful accompanist is Jane Lanctot, a resident of Lubec. She has a varied musical performance background, including studying and teaching classical Cambodian music all over the United States. She was the executive producer for two CDs of Cambodian music, one of which won the Best World Music CD of 2003. In the past few years she has focused on modern piano. She holds degrees in electrical engineering and mathematics, and is currently working on the design and testing of implantable medical devices.
Concert Programs
Click here to view our offerings on past programs.
Requests Welcomed by New Quoddy Voices Director for Fall Season, Beginning Sept. 12
Gene Nichols, new Director of Quoddy Voices, is taking singers’ requests for the choir’s fall season, which begins Tuesday, September 12, 6-8 pm. Performances are scheduled for December 15-17, 2023. The group welcomes singers of all levels of experience; no audition is required. “Singing is good for you,” notes … [Read More]
Quoddy Voices to Resume Rehearsals
Quoddy Voices’ fall season, under the direction of Gene Nichols, will begin, Tuesday, September 12, 6-8 pm at Eastport Arts Center. (Returning participants: please make note of the change from Mondays to Tuesdays, and of the earlier start time for rehearsals). Performances are scheduled for December 15-17, 2023. The … [Read More]
Quoddy Voices’ ‘Here in Maine’ Concerts a Delight; Retiring Director Honored at Reception
John Newell, hard-working steward of the Quoddy Voices community chorus, retired from his role as Director after the group’s spring concerts on May 19 and 21. Nearly 150 attended the weekend performances, which included diverse musical material, all related to the state of Maine: Shaker tunes, shanties, Native American … [Read More]
Quoddy Voices’ Director to Retire Following May Concerts; Singers Pay Tribute to Their Longtime Leader
John Newell, founding director of Quoddy Voices, will retire from this role following the group’s concerts, “Here in Maine,” to be held May 19 at 7 pm and May 21 at 3 pm. Newell’s stewardship of the chorus—from its beginning as a new EAC constituent group in 2014—has brought … [Read More]
Chorus to Present Maine-Themed Concerts, May 19 and 21
Quoddy Voices, a Downeast community chorus, takes the stage on Friday, May 19 (7 pm) and Sunday, May 21 (3 pm) at Eastport Arts Center, with Here In Maine, a celebration of the many musical flavors of our home state. The joyful and varied program will conclude the tenure of … [Read More]
Quoddy Voices’ Spring Session is Maine-Themed! New Singers Welcome
In preparation for its spring concerts Quoddy Voices will begin rehearsals at on Monday, February 20, at 7 pm, at Eastport Arts Center. This season the chorus will celebrate the many musical flavors of Maine, including: a work by Supply Belcher, the 18th century ‘Handel of Maine’; arrangements of … [Read More]
Singers Connect with Community on Solstice Eve Outreach Tour
A group of Quoddy Voices singers and friends visited Washington Place assisted living in Calais, and Eastport Memorial Nursing Home on December 20, with a program of seasonal music offered as part of EAC’s outreach program. The group met the night before the mini-tour to work out some of … [Read More]
Quoddy Voices’ Latest Celebrates Music as a Refuge; Features Little-Known Composer
Quoddy Voices will present the collection of music they’ve learned together since September this weekend, with ‘A Harvest of Song’ on Friday, November 18 at 7 pm, and Sunday, November 20, at 3 pm. The program is both a joyful celebration of the harvest season, and a tribute to … [Read More]
Quoddy Voices to Present ‘A Harvest of Song’
Quoddy Voices, our region’s community chorus, once again takes the stage with a pair of concerts on Friday, November 18 at 7 pm, and Sunday, November 20 at 3 pm, at Eastport Arts Center. The chorus’ program, ‘A Harvest of Song,’ celebrates the season of thanksgiving as well as … [Read More]
Quoddy Voices Will Resume Rehearsals September 12, New Members Welcome
Quoddy Voices is gearing up for its fall season, with rehearsals beginning on Monday, September 12, at Eastport Arts Center. Concerts are scheduled for November 18 and 20. The musical selections have been chosen to celebrate a season of thanksgiving as well as the upcoming feast day of St. … [Read More]
The work of Eastport Arts Center is funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.