Fairfield native Jon Edgeton to perform with men’s ensemble Sunday

FAIRFIELD — A men’s vocal ensemble from Des Moines will perform at the Fairfield Methodist Church this weekend, and will feature Fairfield native Jon Edgeton.

The group is called Vox, and it will perform a winter concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27. According to promotional materials from the group, the men will sing music from Elaine Hagenberg, Francis Polenc, Shawn Kirchner and more.

Local residents may remember Jon Edgeton from his time in Fairfield, where he lived since his parents, Jim and LeAnne, moved here when he was 2 years old until he graduated from Fairfield High School in 2008.

“Everybody knows my parents because they’re so involved in the community, and they’ve been influential in getting me to go into the music world as well,” Jon said.

During Jon’s time at FHS, he was in band and choir, including two years as a drum major for the marching band, and the leader of his tenor section during his junior and senior years. After high school, he enrolled at Drake University, where his initial emphasis was on radio and television, and to which he later added music education.

“My parents were supportive of my decision to go into music education,” Edgeton recalled. “They told me there’s not much money in it, but if it makes you happy, you should do it because you get to connect with kids.”

Since graduating from college, Edgeton has taught music at schools in the Des Moines area, first in Johnston, then at Southeast Polk and later in downtown Des Moines. He is in his fifth year of teaching at Urbandale High School. He leads a bass choir of 100 students, and a treble choir of 60 students.

Throughout high school, college and into his adult life, Edgeton has sought opportunities to sing in groups both large and small. At Drake, he was part of a men’s singing group called “Brocal Chords.”

“We thought that was pretty clever at the time,” he joked. “And they’re still around, too.”

The group that he’s a member of now, Vox, formed in 2018. It was formed by friends from Luther and Wartburg colleges who shared an interest in choral music.

“In 2019, I heard that they were looking for a tenor,” Edgeton said. “I knew some of the people in the group through my music education circles, so I tried out.”

Edgeton said the group sings a mixture of classic songs from the 16th Century up through contemporary pieces. Vox usually performs a winter and a spring concert in the Des Moines area, but its concert Sunday in Fairfield is a special one.

Jim Edgeton is a member of the Fairfield Concert Association, and he attended one of Vox’s concerts last year. He told the group that the Fairfield Concert Association would love to host them in Fairfield. Not only that, but Jon Edgeton’s mother LeAnne will accompany the group on piano for a few of its pieces.

Jon Edgeton said this will be the first time that he has performed in Fairfield since he and his brother performed in a Coming Home-Coming Together concert at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center several years ago. They did a duet, the song “Agony” from Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods.”

Edgeton said he’s excited to return to his home town and perform in front of his Fairfield friends and family.

“I have a lot of connections in Fairfield, and people I went to high school with who are still there,” he said. “I’m excited to sing for them. Fairfield is also where my wife and I were married, right there on the square.”

Edgeton’s wife, Caroline, is a music education teacher at Ankeny. The two met during music class at Drake. They have two children, a 5-year-old son, Leo, and a 2-year-old daughter, Magnolia.

“Fairfield is a very special place for me, and I know that the other guys are eager for another performance opportunity in front of a different audience,” Edgeton said. “Hopefully, we’ll get more people excited about choral music.”

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com