THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY College of Music
presents the
Capital Children’s Choir
Suzanne Rita Byrnes, Director
Addy Burwell, Collaborative Pianist | Alexandra Brookshire, Teaching Assistant
CCC Interns
Frances González, Jack Marshall, Addison Peltier, Haydyn Scrimgeour
3311 Field Experience (Dr. Ann Harrington)
Jeremiah Tacey, Reese Cooper
2040 Field Experience Students (Dr. Mark Belfast)
Rachael hayworth, Alisyn Jones, Samuel Joyner, Zachary Magner
Gabriella Sierra, Nia Thompson, Adrew Walker, Henry Zheng
Volunteers
Julia Chaves, Josie Frein, Aspen Atwood, Nina WanYee Yim
School of Arts and Sciences at The Centre
2nd – 5th grade students
Caitlin Rivet, Principal; Brittany Poirier, Assistant Principal of Curriculum
Michelle Williams, Assistant Principal of Administration
Dillard’s Polikarpov, SASC K-8 Music Director
2nd / 3rd grade teachers: Keyah Tomlin, Chevon Mikota, Amy Selover
Sarah Descalsota, Amber Link, Kenzie Kangas, Ashley Daughterty
4th/5th grade teachers: Jenna Hajal, Emily Palmieri, Gina Palmisano, Tova Ervin
Shawn Thorpe, Jasmyn Jordan, Selen Schaaf, Brigitte Baldwin, Melissa Wells, Erin Batts
Monday December 8, 2025
6:30 p.m. | Opperman Music Hall
To Ensure An Enjoyable Concert Experience For All…
Please refrain from talking, entering, or exiting during performances. Food and drink are prohibited in all concert halls. Recording or broadcasting of the concert by any means, including the use of digital cameras, cell phones, or other devices is expressly forbidden. Please deactivate all portable electronic devices including watches, cell phones, pagers, hand-held gaming devices or other electronic equipment that may distract the audience or performers.
Recording Notice: This performance may be recorded. Please note that members of the audience may at times be included in this process. By attending this performance you consent to have your image or likeness appear in any live or recorded video or other transmission or reproduction made in conjunction to the performance.
Florida State University provides accommodations for persons with disabilities. Please notify the College of Music at (850) 644-3424 at least five working days prior to a musical event to request accommodation for disability or alternative program format.
Come Let Gather Now and Sing
Round and Round
Traditional Round
Folk song from the West Indies arr. B. Thompson
Chattanooga Choo-Choo Folk Song
Making a Sound With Our Mouth Super Simple Play
Animal Song
Michele Schnur Ritholz
Do As I’m Doing Folk Song
Walk! The Wiggles
El Coquí Puerto Rican Folk Song
Down By the Bay Folk Song
Charlie Knows How to Beat That Drum Nordoff and Robbins
Way Up in the Sky Folk Song
Peace Like a River
Birthday Song
African American Spiritual
Let’s Sing Together Channel
Goodbye Anonymous
School of Arts & Sciences at the Center, 2nd-5th grades
Dillard’s Polikarpov, Director
Lift Every Voice and Sing
John Rosamond Johnson
Turn Off Your Phone arr. Adam & Matt Podd
Gold Choir
Dance and Sing Nancy Gifford
Garnet Choir
Hope is the Thing with Feathers
Somewhere in My Memory (Home Alone)
Poetry, Emily Dickenson, Music, Penny Rodriguez
Combined Choirs
John Williams, Lyrics Leslie Bricusse
The Holly and the Ivy Ruth Elaine Schram
O Nata Lux
Patti Drennan
Christmas Time is Here (Charlie Brown Christmas) arr. David Pugh
Theme from Elf
Believe (Polar Express)
John Debney, arr. Daniel Grassi
Alan Silvestri & Glen Ballard
FSU CCC & School of Arts & Sciences at the Center
There is More Love Somewhere arr. Adam & Matt Podd
Addison Peltier, flute; Tyler Berman, bass
Mackenzie Selimi, percussion coordinator
Amara Hope Abril, Scottsdale Academy
Lily Alao, Kate Sullivan Elementary
Hannah Appleman, Homeschooled
Corynne Boyett, Homeschooled
Estelle Carroll, Miracles in Me Academy
Yara Diaz, Magnolia School
Adeline Dorman, Trinity Catholic School
Emmy Dorman, Trinity Catholic School
Ellie Duarte, SASC
Neel Mathew Francis, SAST
Conor Grennan, SAST
Melana Harris, Cornerstone Learning Community
Nova Hollar, Magnolia School
Cali Krueger, Conley Elementary
GARNET CHOIR
Norah Landers, Canopy Oaks Elementary
Matthew Liu, Hawks Rise Elementary
Alice Madden, Gilchrist Elementary
Lucía Méndez, SAST
Timothy Parker, Homeschooled
Sophia Ajamajebi, SAST
Maya Victoria Pierre, Homeschooled
Demi Shields, Homeschooled
Bianca Sainval, Godby High School (PRM)
Kate Temkin, Hawks Rise Elementary
Elena Washington, Homeschooled
Arielle Carissa Willy, Homeschooled
Grace Ye, Maclay School
GOLD/SEMINOLE CHOIRS
Maddie Abbott, Community Leadership Academy
Kennedy Baker, Homeschooled
Anna Barnes, Tree of Life School TLH
Macey Bell, Cornerstone Learning Community
Arjuna Bosukonda, DeSoto Elementary School
Amelia Boyett, Homeschooled
Vivian Carnes, Gilchrist Elementary
Meghan Charles, SAST
Camilla “Millie” Clark, Homeschooled
Lilly Cooksey, Homeschooled
Azaria Ephraim, Homeschooled
Quinston Ephraim, Homeschooled
Emmett Fields, Cornerstone Learning Community
Lina Fields, Cornerstone Learning Community
Kiara FitzGerald, Homeschooled
Tremaine FitzGerald, Homeschooled
Ella Garcia, Homeschooled
Remy Gil, Hawks Rise Elementary
Kai Gil, Hawks Rise Elementary
Ava Gonzalez, SAST
Joanna Gonzalez, Cornerstone Learning Community
Katherine Hemenway, Gilchrist Elementary
Crosby Howell, Buck Lake Elementary
Markus Jackson, Amos P. Godby High School (PRM)
Quincie Lewis, Florida State University Schools
Ally Li, Hawks Rise Elementary
Serenity Li, Hawks Rise Elementary
Trinity Li, Hawks Rise Elementary
Elliott López-Lumsden, Killearn Lakes Elementary
Thea López-Lumsden, Killearn Lakes Elementary
Eva Maria Luque, SAST
Gabriel Muhammad, Astoria Park Elementary
Jonathan Noel, Killearn Lakes Elementary
Victoria Noel, Killearn Lakes Elementary
Eliana Ocampo, Homeschooled
Gideon Parker, Homeschooled
Josiah Parker, Homeschooled
Isabella Perazzola, Hawks Rise Elementary
Martin Pierre, Lincoln High School (PRM)
Maxine Pierre, Swift Creek Middle
Penny Robinson, SAST
Joel Rodriguez, North Florida Christian
Bithia Rosales, Greensboro Elementary
Adella Rubottom, SAST
Reagan Savoie, Montford Middle
Alexandra Schimpf, Montford Middle
Meera Seepersaud, Buck Lake Elementary
Cali Smith, Fairview Middle
Camille Smith, Kate Sullivan Elementary
Cordelia Smith-Bemid, Homeschooled
Aiden Tidwell, Brownsville Preparatory Institute
Noelle Waller, Homeschooled
Sarah Kate Welty, Cobb Middle
Sydney Wilson, Homeschooled
Charlotte Yeoh, Holy Comforter Episcopal
Sienna Zaydon (PRM)
Aidan Zhang, Tallahassee Classical
Amy Zhang, Tallahassee Classical
Angela Zhang, Tallahassee Classical
ABOUT THE CAPITAL CHILDREN’S CHOIR
The FSU Capital Children’s Choir is a community outreach program for children in Kindergarten through eighth grade. The FSU College of Music sponsors CCC. The program was first started in 1957 under the name “Tallahassee Junior Chorus” and was directed by Lois Laverne Schnoor (later Ballard). After several years of non-existence, the choir was reinstated as a children’s opera chorus by then teaching assistant Michael Braz (under the guidance of Dr. Clifford Madsen) in the summer of 1981 and later became the children’s choir proper. After another lag, faculty took the helm of the program. Many thanks to Dr. Judy Bowers and Dr. Kim VanWeelden for upholding CCC for a decade each! In time, the program evolved into be the ensemble standing before you today, which includes internship, field experience, and volunteer opportunities for college students, as well as peer role model opportunities for high school students.
Thanks are extended to Dr. Mark Belfast for sending us enthusiastic and helpful field experience students and to Dr. Ann Harrington for providing the elementary music lab experience for our students in 2-5 grades. The aim of the program is to teach appropriate singing techniques and music to children in an enjoyable, safe, and noncompetitive atmosphere; we focus on process over product.
Thank you to the Florida State University College of Music students who donate their time to work with the children and to the parents/grandparents/guardians who bring them to us every week! Gratitude is extended to the Dean of the College of Music, Dr. Todd Queen, and to all our community supporters.
The Gold/Seminole Choirs will be performing with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 20th for their “Hollywood for the Holidays” concerts. Details and tickets can be found at tallahasseesymphony.org/event/hollywood-for-the-holidays.
The FSU Capital Children’s Choir will resume on Monday, January 26, 2026. NEW MEMBERS WILL BE ACCEPTED STARTING NOW! All returning members must be re-registered. Visit “FSU CAPITAL CHILDREN’S CHOIR” on Facebook for details or visit music.fsu.edu/capital-childrens-choir.
Have a safe and happy holiday break!