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VAN FEATURES
A rare chance to hear Florence Price
at Central City Chorus’s “The Spirit of 1776” on May 16
Posted 4/27/2026

Central City: Spirit of 1776The Central City Chorus celebrates the nation’s semiquincentennial with a concert of all-American composers, from William Billings’s Revolutionary War anthem Chester, to traditional spirituals arranged by Moses Hogan and William Dawson, to works by Copland, Barber and Bernstein. Showcasing the diversity of voices in American choral music, the program includes rarely-performed works like Florence Price’s Summer Clouds, which whisks listeners away to a ride on a carousel, and William Averitt’s African American Fragments, set to texts by Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes.

“What I’ve chosen is music that highlights the beauty of our shared history, everything from a Navajo prayer to Make Our Garden Grow from Leonard Bernstein,” says Central City Chorus Music Director Dr. Bryan Zaros. More...



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NEWS
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  • Monmouth Civic Chorus is pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Vondrak as its new Artistic Director. Vondrak will begin his tenure with the ensemble for the 2026-27 season, stepping into the position held by Dr. Ryan Brandau for 14 years. (2026-4-27)
  • Read The Growing Chorus of Resistance, and the Women Holding the Baton by Candice Helfand-Rogers in The Story Exchange. (2026-3-9)
  • On March 13 and 14, Cantori New York celebrates the 85th birthday of noted African-American composer Adolphus Hailstork, who has served on Cantori’s Advisory Board for 25 years. This all-Hailstork tribute concert will feature two world premieres: a new chamber orchestration of his signature oratorio Crispus Attucks, the brand new Four Psalms and a revisit of Friends Eternal, which Cantori New York premiered a year ago. (2026-1-27)
  • Harold Rosenbaum hosts Sounds Choral on WWFM on Sunday, October 5 at 2 PM (rebroadcast Tuesday, October 7 at 3 PM). The show will focus on sublime contemporary choral music that Harold has conducted and recorded over the decades. For details, visit www.wwfm.org/show/sounds-choral. (2025-9-30)
  • West Side Rag has an article about auditioning for and singing with the Central City Chorus. (2025-9-10)

Archive of old "News" items

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NEW ON VAN
The latest additions to the site's content and features.
  • January 19, 2026: New link for Harmony Travel, offering combined performing and travel opportunities.
  • December 15, 2025: New link for COROS.PT, listing choirs in Portugal.
  • November 3, 2025: New link for Broadway Goes A Cappella, where the magic of Broadway meets the art of a cappella.
  • October 29, 2025: New link for Best Broadway Musicals.
  • October 7, 2025: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for Young@Heart New York City, a group for folks 75 and older.
  • October 5, 2025: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for Khôra Consort, a new chorus and instrumental ensemble.
  • October 3, 2025: Ah, choirs come and choirs go. We've done a culling of the listings in the Choir Directory with the goal of removing those groups that are no longer operating, insofar as we can determine. If your group was removed in error, please let us know and we'll happily whip up a brand new listing. And if you come across listings for groups that are no longer around, let us know and we'll do some further cleanup.
  • September 29, 2025: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for the New York City Otaku Choir, a new community ensemble dedicated to celebrating music from anime, video games and Asian pop and folk traditions—alongside contemporary choral repertoire.
  • September 16, 2025: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for Skylands Chorale, a new SATB community choir in Ringwood, NJ.
  • August 25, 2025: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for Mendelssohn Club of Albany. New Choir Directory listing for Octavo Singers of Schenectady. New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for Albany Pro Musica. New Choir Directory listing for Saratoga Voices. Thanks to Clark Cooper for suggesting these listings.

Archive of old "New on VAN" items

SERVICES
See also the Info Exchange.
  • Need some exquisite beaded jewelry to complement your concert attire or enhance your look on your next Zoom call? Or perhaps a distinctive gift for that special singer in your life? Or maybe you'd like to host a jewelry show to benefit your favorite non-profit organization? Try Carnelian Knoll, where you'll find necklaces, bracelets and earrings of vintage beads and silver handcrafted by Julie Siegmund.
  • Looking for an outstanding vocal ensemble coach? Mark Johnson, possessor of an amazing ear and terrific interpretive insights in a variety of styles, is available to coach your group. Contact Mark via e-mail.
  • Learn ear training, theory and ensemble skills at the Lucy Moses School’s acclaimed Sight-Singing program. Taught by Liz Fleisher, hailed as “one of New York’s great teachers” (New York Magazine) and “a teacher who gets results” (New York Times), classes for all skill levels help singers learn to read music for the first time or refine their skills. These classes are for soloists, choral singers and everyone who loves to sing. Learn more and register online at  www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/lms/program/sight-singing/. Or contact us at 212-501-3360 or lucymosesschool@kaufmanmusiccenter.org.

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Vocal Area Network gratefully acknowledges the support of the following Sustaining Members
who have contributed during the past twelve months:

Cantori New York (Gold)
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Laura Daly
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