Who are we?

We are an intergenerational family chorus made up of individuals, families, friends and neighbors, young and old, who come together weekly to sing a variety of songs from the American folk tradition. Our families come from various suburbs of Boston, including Newton, Needham, Watertown, Natick, Cambridge and Lincoln.

What is our mission?

NFS was formed by a few musicians “at heart” with a  vision of bringing together families and friends, young, old and  in-between, to sing and perform a variety of folk and traditional  songs.  We share a common interest in creating a musically rich community where  all members, adults and children, are nurtured and encouraged to sing, create, learn and perform as an integral part of daily life.

When and where do we sing?

For each session (Sept-December and January-April) we hold 10-12 rehearsals, and end the session with a public performance for friends, families and the community, as well as a performance at a local senior center.  Generally, rehearsals are held on Sundays, from 4:15 to 6:30.  See our Rehearsal page for the rehearsal schedule of our current session.

Who leads the group?

The Newton Family Singers have a professional choral director to lead the group and to prepare us for performances at the end of the session. Our musical director is Chris Eastburn, a professional composer, director and arranger. Chris is assisted by Newton's own singer extraordinaire, Emily Prenner.  

What kind of music do we sing?

Our programs embrace the spirit of community, family, friendship, and peace. We began singing traditional American folk repertoire like the works of Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Johnny Cash and the Carter Family. More recently, we have incorporated music from artists like The Beatles, U2, Bob Marley, Neil Young and the Talking Heads. In our choice of music, we have been developing a canon of songs that are appropriate for singers of any age and reflect a desire to live in a world of musical and social harmony.

Who May Join the Newton Family Singers?

Anyone who loves to sing may join the Newton Family Singers.  Reading music is not required, although it is helpful. We do not hold auditions, but welcome experienced singers and instrumentalists.  Our members range from “shower singers” to experienced performers. We find that singers at every level can improve tremendously by singing, listening and singing some more.

Small children are welcome and often surprise us with what they have learned from just being at rehearsals with their parents!  We provide babysitting for those times when children need a break.

How Do We Join?

For the current session, we are at capacity. We maintain a list of families interested in joining NFS.  If you would like to put your name on the list for future sessions, please use the this form.  You will receive notifications when spaces open up.  Please note that we draw from this list based on our specific needs at the time. 

​We often find ourselves in need of a bass or tenor voice to join our men, for example, or children in a particular age group.  It is, therefore, helpful if you can list each member of your family who would be joining NFS with you, his or her age,  vocal parts (if known) and any past experience singing or playing acoustic instruments.