SoHo Notes
Dear Friends and Families of the SoHarmoniums and the SoHo Voce.
Here’s our second edition of SoHo Notes, a biannual series so you know what we’re up to. Each issue includes announcements, photos and news and insights about the musical world of interest.
Our next concert, Saturday, May 14, 8:30pm at our Merkin Home, is going to be a PIP! There will be at least three big surprises for the audience and by the time we get there, perhaps even more. The repertoire, with just one exception, was voted on by the full choir last semester -- choosing eight of our most favorite songs that we’ve sung starting in 2006. So you’re going to hear some old friends as well as the best of the best. Alas, for fans of the kazoo songs, they did not make the cut. But wait! There’s more: we’re throwing a post-concert birthday party at nearby AG Kitchen - wines, beer and delicious (we tasted them all, did some serious extensive research on this…) hors d’oeuvres. To buy tickets for both events, go to our website, Easy as pie.
Ok, what have we been doing?
The real question is --What haven’t we been doing?
First there was the introduction of our NEW LOGO. (Ok, ok, here it is again, but we can’t help bragging.)
Then we sang, for the second time, at CARNEGIE HALL
on April 6, again as a guest choir of Japanese American Lions Club Charities. When we were rehearsing on that golden stage, Elizabeth stopped us to make a correction, and for at least 2-3 magical seconds, our last notes clearly, purely reverberated back and back through this magnificent 2,804 seat space. It was as if the ghosts of the 1891 Hall were singing with us. Just astounding. We sang Gloria (Gjeilo), Sing Me To Heaven (Gawthrop) and Chindia (Pascanu). The acoustics of a happy clappy audience were pretty swell too.
And……………….WE TOURED
April 16, twenty-two of us performed at the Syracuse University Women’s Choir’s 13th Annual Invitational Festival. With our own Elizabeth Nunez, we sang the dynamite My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord (arranged by Dilworth) and later under the baton of renowned guest conductor, Vance George, we joined with four other women’s choirs and an all women’s orchestra to sing Sicut Erat (Porpora), Lift Thine Eyes (Mendelssohn), Cantique de Jean Racine (Faure) and Walk in Jerusalem (a spiritual also arranged by Dilworth). Back on the bus for a jolly winey ride home. What fun!
And….
Oops! I can’t tell you that because that’s one of the concert surprises. But it is going to be TERRIFIC.
Home Sweet Home
At one early rehearsal Elizabeth asked each singer where was “home”. Responses began with naming places (for me, Evanston, Illinois) but by the time we got to the last batch of singers, it had become an idea or concept or mood. Here’s a sample summary:
USA Places: California, Illinois, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, Mississippi, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida.
World Places: Sweden, Argentina, Tbilisi, Georgia, Canada, Japan, Kuala Lumpur, France, Bogotá, Colombia, Iceland.
Places of the Heart: A Moving Body of Water, Open Sky, YPC (Young People’s Chorus of NYC), “Here” (our SoHo rehearsal loft), The Canadian Rockies, Florence, Italy (one chorister visited there for the first time and knew instantly that this was her real home, just waiting for her).
Early Audiences
Some killjoy reports now inform us that listening to Mozart will NOT make your baby (or you) any smarter than the little darling in the next cradle whose parents are tone deaf. However his glorious music may at least temporarily soothe the savage beast which lurks and prowls in every bone-weary new parent.
Mother Daughter Singers
So far, we have had six Mother-Daughter singing pairs: three currently. Very sweet for all. Can you find them on stage?
Home for this wonderful choir is singing to our audiences.
We sing for joy and inspiration, but even more, we sing for the love of sharing that human beauty and joy. See you at our 10th Anniversary Concert at Merkin Hall, 8:30pm on May 14th and at our birthday party afterwards.THANKS and see you soon,
Deborah McManus, Founder
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