March 2008
Kent Tritle
An invitation from Kent:
I invite you to come hear J.S. Bach's
Jesu, Meine Freude at St Ignatius this
Wednesday March 12th! Also on the program: Heinrich Schutz's German Requiem (a
precursor of our Brahms!) And Buxtehude's Cantata on Jesu , Meine
Freude. For tickets call 212-288-2520 or visit www.smssconcerts.org.
Nanci Parrella plays a fabulous pre-concert recital at 7 pm, for
those of you who love this genre and want to immerse in the glory of it.
Hilary Maddux
The brother of OS alto Hilary
Maddux, Compton Maddux, is a finalist for the Listener's
Choice Award from Country Music television. Hilary has
provided the following details:
Dear Friends: My wonderful brother, Compton, is in the final running for the Listener's Choice Award from Country Music Television. It's a prestigious award and he is one of 15 finalists from tens of thousands of entries. The winner gets a lot of goodies -- most important of which is recognition by others of his talent. His song, The Black Violin, which he wrote and
performs with great back-up, is toe-tapping and fabulous! But he needs your help to make it to the top of the charts.
Please
click here to go to the CMT.com website and scroll down to the 9th finalist, listen to
The Black Violin and then VOTE, VOTE, VOTE. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO VOTE AS OFTEN AS YOU WISH -- go figure -- so please join the masses who are lining up to hear The Black Violin. And please tell everyone you know to do the same BEFORE MARCH 8TH -- THE DEADLINE FOR VOTING.
No hanging chads here!
Thanks for helping to give birth to a STAR!!!! Vote, Vote, Vote.......and then Vote again. Who needs American Idol when we have our own?
Robert Schartoff
A request from OS bass Bob
Schartoff;
I am looking for a part-time job (2 or 3 days a week) to supplement my
present financial status and to find a way to stay active and involved.
Here is my background:
*I am a graduate of The Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts, and
continued with classes at NYU.
*I worked as a graphic artist in both advertising and publishing
eventually becoming a Creative Director (in charge of both graphics and editorial) and a Senior Vice President
at Sterling Magazines.
*I have written reviews of classical music for a now defunct on-line
company.
*I published a newsletter called "Chorale" for approximately a year.
* I was on the board of the OSNY and did the graphics (posters,
flyers, etc.) for several years.
*I have travel far and wide (England, France, Italy, Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Africa) and
been on a couple of trips with the OSNY. My favorite country is Italy where I have been on at
least a dozen occasions. I speak the Italian language to a degree.
If anyone in the OSNY is interested, or knows of a position, please
contact me at 718-499-1872.
February, 2008
Chuck Hamilton
The society mourns the death of OS
bass Chuck Hamilton. Chuck's friend and partner Reva Grossfield called to let us know that Chuck died
on February 17, 2008. Details of memorial services will be posted when available.
Chuck is survived by his two children, Kevin Hamilton and Karla Jones.
Notes of condolence may be sent to:
3850 Hudson Mannor Terrace 1B East
Riverdale NY 10463
Richard Pace
Richard Pace sends greetings to all.
"We have had a great vacation in Barbados, despite the fact that I slipped and fractured the arm bone just above the wrist, early this week. I am sending this posting in the hope of not having to explain why I am wearing a cast 180 times on Thursday."
The society wishes Richard a speedy
recovery and thanks him for the lovely 'postcard' from
Barbados:
Mary-Jo Knight
Mary-Jo Knight extends the
following invitation:
The
Roadmap to Your Retirement
The choices you make 5-10 years
before retirement can shape the entire course of your
retirement lifestyle. What are the critical decisions
all pre-retirees need to make? You and two guests are
invited to create a retirement roadmap customized specifically
for you.
Mary-Jo P. Knight, Retirement
Planning Specialist and Robert A. Dryzgula, VP and Regional
Manager, Alliance Bernstein Investments, present a 60 minute
seminar on Tuesday, February 19, 2008, 6:00 pm, at Alliance
Bernstein, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10105.
Please call 212-408-9047 by February 15 to reserve.
Seating is limited. Refreshments will be served. Please
click here for a flyer with complete details.
Pearl Shapian
The society mourns the death of
former OS alto Pearl Shapian. Pearl retired from
the society a few years ago, after having sung with us for
over half a century! Notes of condolence may be sent to William
Leggio,
2 Charlton Street, Apt. 11K, New York, NY 10014.
As posted in the Bergen News:
Pearl Lucy Shapian died of natural causes on February 3rd , 2008, at the age of 87. A Ridgefield resident for the last 65 years, the daughter of Zvart Halfa and Berj
Shapian, Pearl is survived by her sister, Victoria Leggio, and nephews, Robert Leggio and William
Leggio.
Pearl enjoyed traveling with her sister Rose after retirement from 30 years of a civilian administration position with the US Navy. She was a member of the Oratorio Society of New York for 51 years. Her intelligence, leadership and musical talents will be missed.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Armenian Missionary Association of America (201-265-2607).
Viewing on Tuesday, February 5th, 5 PM to 9 PM, at McCorry Brothers, Cliffside Park. Funeral service at the funeral home Wednesday, February 6th, at 10:30 AM. Committal service at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus, will follow.
(McCorry Brothers, 780 Anderson Ave, Cliffside Park, (201)945-1220)
January, 2008
Bob Unterman
The society mourns the death of OS
bass Bob Unterman. Bob passed away on January 25,
2008.
David Rosenmeyer
David Rosenmeyer has composed the original music (only one song but truly loved)
in a play presented by Target Margin Theater. The play is called 'AS YET THOU
ART YOUNG AND RUSH' (AYATAYAR) and is based on Euripides 'The
Suppliant Women'.
The performances will be on Friday Jan 11th @ 7pm, Saturday Jan 12th @ 3pm,
Sunday Jan 13th @ 7pm, Monday Jan 14th @ 3pm. The
theater is at 311 W 43rd St.
Check out www.targetmargin.org for more details.
December, 2007
Kathleen Flaherty and Chad Cygan
Christ Church United Methodist will
present its annual Christmas Concert on Friday, December 14,
2007 at 8:00 pm. The program is orchestra, brass, organ,
handbells and choir (which includes OS soprano Kathleen
Flaherty and OS tenor Chad Cygan.) Included
will be parts of the Bach Christmas Oratorio, Vaughan
Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem, traditional carols and
original works by Music Director Steve Pilkington.
Christ church is located at 60th
Street and Park Avenue. (We've had rehearsals
there.) $15 for adults, $12 for students and
seniors. Information about this concert, and other
Advent events can be found at the Christ
Church Website.
Kent Tritle
Kent Tritle will be conducting
Amahl and the Night Visitors at St. Ignatius Loyola on
Friday December 14, 2007 at 8:00 pm, and Sunday December 16,
2007 at 4:00 pm. For more info and tickets, please visit
the St.
Ignatius Website.
David Rosenmeyer and Chad Cygan
The Bach Society of Columbia
University will present their Winter Concert
on Saturday, December 1, 2007 at 8:00 pm, St. Paul's Chapel,
Columbia University Campus. (Amsterdam Avenue at 117
Street.)
David Rosenmeyer will be
conducting and Chad Cygan will be the tenor soloist.
Admission is free. More info
at: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/bachsoc/
November 2007
Dorothea Brady
The society offers condolences to OS
soprano Dorothea Brady; her father passed away on
November 14. Patrick Brady is being waked at Walsh-La
Bella & Sons. (87-13 87th Street, Woodhaven, Queens,
718-849-1000, Sat & Sun.) The funeral will be
Monday, Nov. 19, 9:45 am, at St. Thomas the Apostle
Church. (Just down the block from the funeral home.)
Dorothea tells us that, "Dad had a good life until a couple of years ago when he broke his hip and couldn't walk. He made it to 84 and got a real kick out of seeing us perform at Carnegie Hall the last time we did the Faure
Requiem. He was a big fan of the group even though he didn't get to mix and mingle with us like he would have when he was more mobile."
David Rosenmeyer, Malena Dayen
and Lev
Dear Oratorio Society members,
We want to thank you for your great
generosity and love. Malena was very excited when I shared
with her the gift certificates you gave us. As for me, as you
probably saw, I was truly surprised and overwhelmed. We are so
happy to be part of the OSNY family and Lev is Lucky to be
welcomed so warmly by all of you.
Much love,
David, Malena and Lev
Liz Simpson
Soprano Liz Simpson will be appearing on "The Sunday Mass", this weekend, Nov 3-4, and next weekend, Nov 10-11.
"The Sunday Mass" is a weekly broadcast of the Catholic liturgy, primarily for the benefit of viewers who are unable to go out to church.
Liz joined with the choir from Notre Dame parish, New Hyde Park, for these two masses.
For up to a month after the
broadcast, you can see the broadcast video on the Sunday Mass
Website: http://www.thesundaymass.org.
Simon Dratfield
OS bass Simon Dratfield will be playing in the Greenwich Village Orchestra’s “Spiritual” Concert this Sunday, November 18th at 3pm at Washington Irving High School (16th and Irving Place, 1 block east of Union Square). Program includes:
Rimsky Korsakov—Russian Easter Overture
Lam—”Her Thousand Year Dance” World Premiere;
Eric Jacobsen & Kojiro Umezaki, soloists
Bruch—Kol Nidrei; Eric Jacobsen, soloist
Strauss—Death and Transfiguration
Price: $15 Individual Tickets ($10 for Seniors and Students with ID - available at the door)
Jim Taratunio
OS tenor Jim Taratunio,
president of AYUDA For The Arts, invites you to their annual
fundraiser, A Fashionable Taste of New York. The
event will take place on Monday, November 12, 2007, at
Cipriani 200, 6:00 - 10:00 pm. Enjoy an evening of
delicious food from over 20 of New York's finest restaurants,
roaming fashion models, a casino where you can win valuable
prizes, and an auction.
Tickets may be purchased in advance
via the AYUDA
website. Advanced ticket prices are $125 per person,
$200 per couple.
AYUDA For the Arts is a non-profit
organization dedicated to providing scholarships and mentoring
to creative young urban students who, due to limited financial
opportunities, are unable to further their studies into
college programs for design and the arts.
Alan Meltzer
OS bass Alan Meltzer shares
the following:
Cantori New York is looking for tenors and basses to sing as part of Teatro Grattacielo’s next concert on November 13 at Avery Fisher Hall. The program is concert versions of Montemezzi’s
L’incantesimo and Leoni’s L’Oracolo. Rehearsals do not conflict with our OSNY rehearsals. Those interested should e-mail
info@cantorinewyork.com.
October 2007
Joe DeMerit and Karen Sweeney
Congratulations to soprano Karen
Sweeney and tenor Joe DeMerit. Their
daughter, Agnes Rose DeMerit, was born on October 27, 3:41 am,
7 lbs. 7 oz., 21". Mom, Dad and Daughter are all in
good spirits and good heath. Click on an image for a
larger view.
Jen Fuschetti,
Jen Fuschetti is raising money for
blood cancer research by participating in the P.F. Chang's
Rock and Roll Marathon in Phoenix, AZ, 01/13/08. Please click
here to read Jen's letter, with info about how the money
she raises will strike a blow against leukemia, Hodgkin and
non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and myeloma. Additional
information is available at the Leukemia
& Lymphoma Society website, and the website for Team
in Training. Please
click here to make a donation via Jen's website.
Sue Dramm
A
request from Sue Dramm:
My building, Alwyn Court, home of the "Petrossian", is celebrating its
100th birthday this year. This is the historic Francois I building
on 7th, between 57th and 58th. We had a major celebration in May at
which Arthur Fiacco and a few instrumentalists played. For the
holidays, we are planning a much more modest "cocktail party", Dec.
11th, 6-8. Is there any small group of singers that anyone knows who
would like to sing at this event? (Possible compensation.) Probably 8-12 singers, ?? a cappella (?) or with piano.
You can reach Sue by writing to ChorusNews@oratoriosocietyofny.org;
your message will be forwarded to Sue.
Please note that this is not an OSNY
event, and not something for individual OS members to
"sign up" for. Please contact Sue only if you
are part of, or know of, a suitable group for this event.
David Rosenmeyer and Malena Dayen
Congratulations to Malena and David on the occasion of the birth of their son Lev (Hebrew Lamed Vet), born during the Oratorio Society rehearsal
on Oct 4, 7:27 pm and weighing 5 pounds, 13 ounces. Lev was anxious to come forward in the world, and made his debut three weeks earlier than expected.
Mother, father and son are all doing well.
Click on an image for a larger
view.
15 minutes old |
12 hours old |
1 day old |
Lev |
Kent Tritle
An invitation from Kent:
I
have
been sharing with you my excitement about the upcoming
BELSHAZZAR performance at St Ignatius. (Wednesday, October
24th.) But I have neglected to
tell you that on Monday night October 22 at 7:30 pm in the
Church, music historian Fred Fehleisen will deliver a free
lecture. Fred will be talking about Handel and this important
period in his life. Importantly, he will address the recent
controversy surrounding Michael Marissen's article in the New
York Times last Easter. It was with our discussions of this
controversy in mind that I asked Fred to present this lecture.
I hope you will join us! The lecture with Q & A should
last about an hour and a half. The address is Park Avenue at 84th Street
Charley Tolk
Charley Tolk extends the
following invitation, via his sister Alice, who is acquainted
with Matthew Ferraro:
Matthew Ferraro is arranging a
contemporary work written for symphony, orchestra, mixed
chorus, tape and soloists using the spoke word as a musical
element. You are invited to hear the piece at Dolby
Sound Stage on 6th Avenue (near 55th Street), 28th floor, on
Tuesday, October 23, 2007, at 10:00 am. Matthew Ferraro
has a date to perform with the Crouch End Festival Chorus and
the London Orchestra da Camera at the Barbican in July.
If you are interested, please write
to ChorusNews@oratoriosocietyofny.org
to request the contact info for Charley's sister, Alice
Mitchell. She will be happy to make the arrangements for
you.
Rena Ceron
Rena
Ceron is raising money for the Alzheimer's Association by running in the
Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. Please click
here to read Rena's letter, explaining how this illness
has touched her life, and how she has joined Team Memory
Makers in an effort to raise funds for this worth cause.
You
can click here to visit the Team Memory Makers website and
make a donation.
Sue Morris
OS soprano Sue Morris extends
an invitation to a concert that may be of interest to our
members: A Tribute to Woody & Marjorie Guthrie, to
benefit the Huntington's Disease Society of America.
October 17, 2007, 8pm at Webster Hall, NYC. $75 general
admission, $250 and $500 VIP seating.
Concert info is available at the HDSA
website.
Click
here to purchase tickets via TicketMaster. For Sponsorships or VIP tickets please contact:
Fred Taubman at HDSA, 212 242 1968 ext. 229, ftaubman@hdsa.org
September 2007
Simon Dratfield
OS bass Simon Dratfield will
be playing in a concert with the GREENWICH VILLAGE ORCHESTRA
this Sunday , September 30th at 3 pm at Washington Irving High
School, Irving Place between 16th and 17th Streets, 1 block
east of Union Square.
The program includes Rossin's La Gazza Ladra
Overture, Rota's Tombone Concerto (Nitzan Har-oz
of the Philadelphia Orchestra, soloist) and Dvorak's
Symphony No. 6 . Tickets are $15 and are available at
the door.
Simon is Principal Flutist with the
Orchestra, as well as one of its founding members.
Joanne Wosahla
A message from Joanne:
A friend of mine has taken a job as
music director/organist at a Lutheran church in downtown New
Rochelle. The church is looking to revitalize its music
program and has the budget to hire a paid quartet. Positions
are available for an alto, a tenor, and a bass. Two big
plusses: the church is located right next to the train station
so coming from NY would be a breeze, and the rehearsals are on
Sunday morning from 9:15 to 10:15 before the 10:30 service (no
extra weeknight rehearsal). The year would run from October
7th through the third Sunday in May and would require
attendance at services on Sundays, Christmas Eve, and high
holy days.
If you are interested or know someone
who may be interested, please email ChorusNews@oratoriosocietyofny.org
and your message will be forwarded to Joanne. She will
give all the responses to Philip who will then reach out to
you with further details.
Susan Almasi
The society mourns the death of Susan
Almasi, former accompanist and assistant conductor for the
society.
Donald Malin
The society mourns the death of Donald
Malin, a long time member of the Society, and former member of
the board of directors. Cards may be sent to:
Ms.
Barbara Malin
126 Shaker Ridge Road
Canaan, NY 12029
Kent Tritle
Kent's
annual
organ recital will be at St Ignatius on Sunday, September 23rd
at 4 pm. He'll be playing Mendelssohn’s Prelude and Fugue
in D Minor; Franz Liszt’s Prelude and Fugue on BACH,
Franck’s Grande Piece Symphonique and including a set
of Reger songs with baritone Christopher DeVage. Christopher
was our second place winner in the solo competition this year.
GET
A HANDEL ON THIS
For
those of you looking into vacation opportunities for NEXT
summer, Kent is pleased to be conducting Handel’s SOLOMON
at the Berkshire Choral Festival the week of July 21-26, 2008.
He would be delighted to see you there! It’s a beautiful
location, and will be a wonderful week of immersion into this
great work
And
speaking of Handel, Kent will be conducting BELSHAZZAR
on October 24th at St. Ignatius. If you don’t
know Belshazzar, it contains some of Handel’s most exquisite
music.
For tickets to St Ignatius concerts
after September 1st, please call 212-288-2520 or
visit www.saintignatiusloyola.org.
Ronnie Oliver
Congratulations
to
OSNY member Dr. Ronnie Oliver, Jr., who has just joined
the faculty of
Westminster
Choir
College
! You know Ronnie from his wonderful warm-ups last season;
fortunately for us, he plans to continue with us as a member
of the bass section. At Westminster Ronnie will be
co-directing the Chapel Choir, directing the Men’s Choir,
and teaching a conducting class.
August, 2007
Beth Turi
Congratulations to Beth Turi
and Ross Kaye on the birth of their daughter, Samantha Morgan
Kaye, June 14, 2007, 7 lbs. 6oz., 19 3/4 inches.
(Click image for larger view.)
July, 2007
Kent Tritle
If you are looking for something fun to do Monday, July 2,
2007, please consider going to a concerto concert! Kent
Tritle is conducting the Barber Toccata Festiva, a movement from a Rorem
Concerto, the Poulenc (yes, the same concerto he played a few days ago!)
Concerto and the Stephen Paulus Concerto. These are works for organ and orchestra. The concert is at 8 pm at St Ignatius Loyola, and tickets are available at the door for only $20! All seating is general. The event is part of a Regional Convention for the American Guild of Organists. The soloists are James Feddeck (a competition winner) and
Kent's incredible colleagues Nancianne Parrella and Renee
Louprette.
June, 2007
Beth Gilroy
Congratulations to Beth Gilroy
and Bob Dawson on the birth of their daughter, Emma Kathryn
Dawson, on Sunday 5/27/07 @ 12:24am, 8lbs 4.9oz. Everyone is
doing fine.
(Click image for larger view.)
Ylisa Kunze
The society offers condolences to Ylisa
Kunze. Ylisa's sister, Jill Grella, passed away the
morning of June 28, 2007. The family has requested that
no flowers be sent, but donations are welcome to the
Lustgarden Foundataion for Pancreatic Cancer and the
Portuguese Water Dog Foundation.
Richard Cook
We are deeply saddened by death of
Richard Cook, a long time member of our board and supporter of the Society in so many ways. Notes and cards may be sent to Rhonda Barnat at the following address:
Ms. Rhonda Barnat
429 East 52 Street
New York NY 10022
The family has requested that contributions be made to the Oratorio Society, The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York, the Hundred Year Association of New York or Calvary Hospital in lieu of flowers.
Ellen Blair has shared this obituary, which she placed in the
paper on June 9:
COOK, Richard A. The Oratorio Society of NY will always
remember this gentle and brave man who graced our Board of Directors for many
years. His quiet, but forceful personality was evident as he faced his final days with a
serenity typical of his inner strength.
Michiyo Fisher - Request for
singers for June 10
Soprano Michiyo Fisher
sometimes performs in the concert series at St. Jacobi Church
in Brooklyn. They need singers for a concert on Sunday,
June 10, at 4:00 pm. The program is Messiah (Part
2). There is a rehearsal on Saturday, June 9, from 3-5
pm, and on Sunday, June 10 before the concert, 3-4 pm.
Being able to make either one of the rehearsals is good
enough.
If you are interested, please call
St. Jacobi Church at 718-349-8978, or just show up for a
rehearsal.
St. Jacobi Church is located at 5406
Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. (Between 54th and 55th
Streets.) You can take the R train to the 53rd Street
station.
Click
here to see the flyer for the concert. (PDF file.)
May, 2007
John Linahan
As most of you know, tenor John
Linahan is the man behind all of our beautiful concert
posters and flyers, as well as our website graphics.
John is a graduate of University of Detroit Mercy, and he was
recently featured in article in the school's alumni
news. In addition to his work at ABC Television, John
graciously mentions the OSNY in the article! Please click
here to read all about John.
Florence Long
The Society offers condolences to alto
Florence Long. Florence's brother, Jim Long, passed away
on May 19.
Ruby Morgan
The Society offers condolences to alto
Ruby Morgan. Ruby's sister, Marjorie Ferguson, passed away
on May 8.
Alexandra Deis-Lauby
If you missed the Pirates of Penzance at NY City Opera, you are in luck because LaGuardia (the Fame School) is doing a fully staged production with orchestra Thursday and Friday, May 24 and 25.
OS soprano Alexandra Deis-Lauby is The tickets are only $15.
Get a leg up on the Fauré Requiem! (Alexandra
is in this too!) Come to the LaGuardia performance Friday and Sat June 8 or 9th at $7:30. The terrific orchestra will play by themselves as well as playing for the
Fauré. Tickets are $15 at the door.
The school is located at 100 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, New York 10023 • Tel 212.496.0700.
April, 2007
Brian and Marianne Percival
For two
weekends in April and May, Brian and Marianne Percival will be performing in "Sleeping Beauty," a new family musical by William Ryden and Louise
Guinther.
Place: St. Luke's Church, 85 Greenway South, Forest Hills (Queens).
Times: April 28, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.
April 29, 2:30 p.m.
May 4, 7:30 p.m.
May 5, 2:30 p.m.
May 6, 2:30 p.m.
For Reservations call 718-268-7772. Suggested donation is $10 per person.
Marti Torn
The Society offers condolences to alto
Marti Torn. Marti's mother passed away this week, at the age of 100.
March, 2007
Chad Cygan
Tenor Chad Cygan extends an invitation to his graduation recital:
Friday, March 16th, 6pm
PAUL HALL, The Juilliard School (65th and Broadway)
(This is a FREE concert)
MASTERS DEGREE GRADUATION RECITAL
Chad
Cygan, tenor
Liza
Stepanova, piano
Featuring works by Faure,
Duparc, Poulenc, Liszt, Britten, Schumann,
Wolf,
Rachmaninoff, Kern and Cygan!
Sewin Chan & Ron Miller
Congratulations to alto Sewin Chan
and her husband, bass Ron Miller, on the birth of their
daughter Ariadne Chan-Miller on March 8, 2007. According
to dad, Ariadne recognizes Messiah from rehearsal and
performance!
Helene Kirshner
The Society offers condolences to
alto Helene Kirschner, who’s brother passed away in
March 2007.
Elaine Boxer
Vocal Coach needed: A colleague of
alto Elaine Boxer's is looking for an inexpensive vocal coach for 5 – 10 sessions. He wishes "to practice and be a little less off-key next time I hit the karaoke parlor." If anyone knows of a vocal coach who might fit that description, please email
ChorusNews@oratoriosocietyofny.org,
and your note will be forwarded to Elaine.
February, 2007
Jennifer Ritter
Congratulations to soprano Jennifer
Ritter and her husband Daniel Katz on the birth of their
daughter Samantha Rose Katz on the 13th at 11:26 pm.
Parents and baby are doing fine.
Joy Kotrch
The society mourns the death of
soprano Joy Kotrch. Joy passed away on Feb, 19,
after an extended illness. She had joined the society in
2004, but had to stop singing in the spring of 2006 due to her
illness. If you would like to express sympathy to Joy's
husband Steve, please see either Liz Simpson or Alfreda
Haaland at rehearsal for contact info.
Dana Lawrence
Alto Dana Lawrence is raising
money for blood cancer research:
To
all my friends,
I am training for a half ironman
triathlon (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) on May
12th in Panama City, Florida and am raising money by April for
the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. After my first season
fundraising with this society, I was inspired to commit to
this worthy cause again. Many of my friends and teammates are
survivors of blood cancers.
Our training started in December and
will culminate in May in our race. Each Saturday we have a
mission moment where we honor those people and their families
whose lives are touched by blood cancers. Personally, I am
racing to honor my grandfather, Raymond Lawrence, who had
leukemia, and my cousin Dean Camp, who had Non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma.
I have pledged to raise $4,600 for
this society by April and these funds will go towards finding
a cure for all blood cancers. Most of the money goes towards
research. Any donation would be greatly appreciated. If you
want to pay by credit card, I have an email site that allows
you to make a donation online (see link below) or you can give
me a check at rehearsal, made out to the Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society, and then I will mail these checks into a Paycor
account. Here's the link for on-line credit card
payments: http://www.active.com/donate/tntnyc/danalawrence
Thanks in advance for your
generosity and support!!
With love,
Dana Lawrence
Mary-Jo Knight
Soprano Mary-Jo Knight
(formerly Iacovino) will have a Solo Art Opening on February 23 at Fordham University's Center Gallery from 6 to 9 p.m. (60th Street and 9th Avenue).
You can see some of Mary-Jo's work at
her website: http://www.mjoartist.com/
January, 2007
Kent Tritle
I'm pleased to invite you to my next recital, which is at St Ignatius
on January 21 at 4 pm. This is a recital for organ and trombone, with
my friend Joseph Alessi, principal trombone of the NY Philharmonic and
one of the best players in the world. We're doing an exciting program
spanning from the baroque era through two world premieres. Tickets are
available by calling 212-288-2520, or
via the St.
Ignatius website.
Paul Zorovich
An invitation from bass Paul
Zorovich: (Clarification - Paul is happy to
publicize this benefit concert, but is not able to recruit
volunteer singers for the event.)
I would like to tell you about a concert for a cause
I'm performing in at Carnegie Hall on Monday January 22nd at 8:00 p.m.
The piece is none other than the Verdi
Requiem, and the cause is one that sadly barely needs an
introduction: Darfur. Hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced in the
midst of a civil war.
As with last year's Beethoven Ninth for South Asia,
the orchestra will be made up of many incredible players (members of the New York Philharmonic,
Philadelphia Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Juilliard String Quartet, and the like) but
we are thrilled that the word on the street regarding our combined efforts in the last concert has
created an incredible interest from orchestras all over the world -- including the Berlin
Philharmonic, among others. Players are coming from many of the great
American, European, and Asian orchestras to contribute artistically to the cause. Glenn
Dicterow, concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, has eagerly agreed to be our concertmaster
once again. Our soprano will be Alexandra Deshorties and our bass
Morris Robinson (both from the Metropolitan Opera and wonderful singers). Alto and tenor are being
finalized as we speak. The chorus will be made up of members of the finest choral groups in the
metropolitan area, including the Oratorio Society of New York, the Russian Chamber Choir
of New York, the Choir of St. Bartholomew's Church, and many others.
As a result of the tireless efforts of Maestro George
Mathew our Advisory Board has grown to include the likes of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Daniel Barenboim,
Zubin Mehta, Ruth Messenger, and Alexander Bernstein (Leonard Bernstein's son and President of his
father's foundation), among others. The board is actively spreading the word both to help fill
the house and to raise funds.
Our goal is to raise $500,000 this time and that will
be possible largely due to the fact that all of the artists are again donating their services. This year
the net proceeds will be going to several organizations, including UNICEF and Refugees
International. A more detailed description of each organization is available at
http://www.requiemfordarfur.org.
I would love to have as many of you as possible join
us again this year for what will be an incredible experience and invite you to participate in this
historic event that will serve as an example of how the arts can make a difference by coming together and
forgetting our own needs and political differences for a moment and contributing to something bigger than
ourselves.
For more information, go to http://www.requiemfordarfur.org (note that portions of
this site are still under construction). Ticket information is available there as well, or you can
visit the Carnegie Hall website (http://www.carnegiehall.org)
or call their box office at 212-247-7800.
Joe DeMerit
Tenor Joe DeMerit will be
appearing as Kaspar (one of the Magi) in a production of Gian
Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors at St.
Augustine's Church in Brooklyn, Friday January 5, 2007 at 8:00
pm. The performance is a benefit for the restoration of
St. Augustine's brownstone bell tower. St. Augustine is
located at 116 6th Avenue in Park Slope. (Four blocks
south of the Bergen St. stop of the 2/3 train.)
Suggested donations is $20. ($10 for seniors and
students.) Click
here for a PDF file of the flyer.
PDF Files from Previous Years
Member
Notes 2006
Member
Notes 2005
Member
Notes 2004
Member
Notes 2003
Member
Notes 2002
Member
Notes 2001
Members,
If you have anything that you'd like
to announce here, like performances outside of OSNY in which
you're involved, life events (weddings, babies), business
announcements, etc., please send a note to Liz Simpson at webmaster@oratoriosocietyofny.org,
or see her at rehearsal.
