April 2008

Carole Swaim
     Congratulations to alto Carole Swaim. On April 28th, Carole welcomed her 18th grandchild - Emily Grace.

Florence Long
     Alto Florence Long is raising money for Parkinson's Research by walking with and for her friend who has this disease. It is Saturday April 26th in Central Park, and she requests anyone willing to support her in the walk to see her at rehearsal this Thursday (4/24/08). Checks can be made to "Parkinson's Unity Walk" and cash is happily accepted. Cash donations will be matched.......Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Chieko Yamaguchi
     The society offers condolences to alto Chieko Yamaguchi. Chieko's mother passed away in Japan.

Lorraine DelliCarpini and Brian Fisher
     Congratulations to OSNY couple Brian Fisher (tenor) and Lorraine DelliCarpini (alto currently on leave of absence) on their recent engagement!

Lydia Good
     A concert recommendation from Lydia Good - one of Lydia's colleagues is performing:
          Charis Chamber Voices - Scott Turkington, Artistic Director
          Love's Language: The Song of Songs
     May 3, 2008, 8pm, St. John's Catholic Church, Stamford, CT.  May 4, 2008, 4pm, Bedford Presbyterian Church, Bedford, NY.  May 9, 7:30pm, St. Agnes' Church, 143 E 43 St NYC.  $25 ($20 senior/student).  914-931-6575.  Web: CharisVocals.com
     Click here for a PDF flyer.

Marti Torn
     The society offers condolences to alto Marti Torn.  Marti's brother passed away in Maryland.

Susan Shelhart
     The society offers condolences to soprano Susan Shelhart.  Susan's father passed away on April 2, 2008.  If you would like Susan's parents' address, please write to ChorusNews@oratoriosocietyofny.org. 

Shirley Medwick
     The society offers condolences to soprano Shirley Medwick.  Shirley's son, Lonnie, passed away on April 4, 2008.  If you would like Shirley's address, please write to ChorusNews@oratoriosocietyofny.org. 

Helen Travis
     Alto Helen Travis discovered a flyer and score that add three previously unknown performances to the Society's total—856 performances in 135 years, and still counting!
The materials were found in a house that has been in Helen's family for many years. She has donated them to the Oratorio Society Archives on behalf of the Nichols/Taylor/Travis families.
     The flyer and score pertain to the three-day Ocean Grove Summer Music Festival, August 12-14, 1896. The concerts were conducted by Walter Damrosch and featured the Oratorio Society of New York, the New York Symphony Orchestra, and a chorus of 1,000 children conducted by Tallie Morgan, a leading music teacher and temperance orator. Tickets were sold through the OSNY office and cost 25¢.
     The flyer and score came from the estate of Olivia and Martin Travis (Helen’s parents) and was found in the basement of a 200-year-old house known as “The Homestead.” They were found in the cellar, in a file of old librettos, flyers, piano/cello/violin music, etc. that was compiled by Helen’s mother. As a child studying piano at the Mannes School, she heard Walter Damrosch give a children’s lecture on Wagner’s Ring, with members of the orchestra illustrating it. She wrote, “we all piled out to the auditorium during one of my lessons to listen to little Lenny Bernstein from Boston, age 11, play Clementi! I was 12." Her mother was also a member of Frank Damrosch’s People’s Chorus Union, founded in 1892 for the working people of New York City. Given the age of Helen’s documents, her grandparents were most likely also involved in Oratorio Society related activities.
     The house was purchased in 1809 by Helen’s great-grandfather, John White Treadwell Nichols, from Samuel A. Jones. It had been built by his great-uncle, Maj. Walter Jones, a descendent of Major Thomas Jones of "keeping up with the Joneses” and Jones Beach fame.

Lester Wigler
     OS Bass Lester Wigler serves on the Board of Directors of the Westchester Philharmonic and chaired the search committee which has secured the services of Itzhak Perlman as Artistic Director for their 2008-2009 Season.  For a sneak peak at what's in store, please visit the Westchester Philharmonic Website. 

Darren Lougee
     A request from OS Bass Darren Lougee:
     SEEKING ACTORS-WHO-SING
     ActorCor
          Building Bridges between Muslims, Christians and Jews
          Seven 30-Minute Concerts in Times Square
          The Actor’s Chapel @ St. Malachy’s Church
          West 49th Street, across from Spring Awakening
     May 5, 7, 10 and 11
     Monday, 8pm; Wednesday, 1pm & 7pm; Saturday 7, 8 and 10:20pm
     Sunday @ 1pm
     FREE
          Sponsored by over 50 of NYC’s Falafel Vendors
     10 hours of rehearsal
          Monday, April 14 8-10
          Monday, April 21 8-10
          Sunday, April 27 8:30-10:30
          Monday, April 28 7-9
          Sunday, May 4 7-9
     Dress Rehearsal
          Monday, May 5 5:30-6:30 8pm First Performance
     CALL DARREN @ 917-445-2816 or e-mail: ActorCor@gmail.com 
Click here for a printable flyer.  (PDF)

Kent Tritle
     An invitation from Kent:
     You are cordially invited to come to two concerts which I am conducting this month. The first, April 8^th,  is Bach’s Mass in B Minor, which we will be singing next year! Information is available on the Musica Sacra website. The second, which I am also very excited about, is on April 16^th at St. Ignatius. We are singing Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater (singing in Polish, even!) and performing Saint-Saens’ glorious Organ Symphony. For that Sacred Music in a Sacred Space concert, please visit www.smssconcerts.org or call 212-288-2520 for tickets. I hope you’ll celebrate Spring with one or both of these events!

For previous Chorus Member announcements, please visit the Member News and Notes Archive.