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Cumberland Choral Arts receives Arts Council grant to support its 35th season of concerts and expanded Fayetteville Youth Chorus

By Staff Report, posted Oct 1, 2026 on BizFayetteville.com

Cumberland Choral Arts (CCA), the area’s premier community choir, is pleased to announce support of its 35th season titled “It’s About Time” with the help of a $27,000 grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County.

“We are energized by the growth CCA has experienced in the past few years, and we are truly grateful for this grant from the Arts Council. It is instrumental for our concert programming as we celebrate our 35th season and the expansion of our youth choirs,” stated Sandy Cage, president of CCA’s Board of Directors in a press release.

Cumberland Choral Arts was established in 1991 as a community chorus to sing Mozart’s “Requiem” for the world-wide 200th anniversary of his death. The community group enjoyed the experience so much that they organized as the Cumberland Oratorio Singers. Over the years the group expanded its musical genres and changed its name to Cumberland Choral Arts to reflect the diverse choral music it now presents. With Artistic Director Curtis Kinzey, CCA now consists of two adult choirs: the CCA concert choir with up to 110 community singers, and the Cross Creek Chorale, an auditioned chamber choir of 28 beautifully blended voices from members of the larger CCA choir.

CCA has performed at Carnegie Hall (2022 and 2025) and toured Europe (2024) with concerts in Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague. CCA also supports the Fayetteville Youth Chorus (FYC), open to all young singers in Cumberland County who love to sing and want to expand their vocal abilities.

As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, CCA relies on grants, sponsors, and donors to keep the music coming. Ticket sales make up a very small percentage of the budget because the organization keeps ticket prices low, so concerts remain accessible to as many community members as possible. This season’s finale, the great Brahms’ “Ein Deutsches Requiem,” is the largest production the group has ever programmed and requires an additional $20,000 from sponsors for the orchestra, professional soloists, and venue.

The Series Support Grant from the Arts Council will help Cumberland Choral Arts present more concerts for the season “It’s About Time” than it ever has in its 35-year history:

All concerts begin at 7:30p.m. and locations and ticket information are available on the CCA website. www.cumberlandchoralarts.org

In addition to the expanded repertoire for the 2026-2027 season, CCA is excited to announce an expansion in our sponsored youth chorus. The Campbellton Youth Chorus is now the Fayetteville Youth Chorus (FYC), and an additional director has been added to support the growing number of young singers.

Richard Butler is the new director of the FYC Senior Choir for students in grades 7-12, and Lisa Packer returns as the director of the FYC Junior Choir for students in grades 4-6. Both groups will be performing with CCA during the 2026-2027 season. CCA is committed to youth choral education and keeping FYC tuition-free for all choristers, and the support from Arts Council grant is part of what makes that possible.

Cumberland Choral Arts enriches and connects our diverse community through the transformative power of song and looks forward to a season of sharing beautiful choral music and bringing joy to the community with every concert, every song, every note. Project Support Grants increase opportunities for access to arts, cultural, and historical programming in Cumberland County. The grants are awarded to nonprofit agencies, institutions of higher education and municipal entities in Cumberland County that demonstrate financial and administrative stability.

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