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VAN FEATURES
Stonewall offers Considering Matthew Shepard
Posted 3/20/2023

Considering Matthew ShepardOn Saturday, March 25 at 7:30 PM, The Stonewall Chorale, the nation’s first gay and lesbian choir, will present Craig Hella Johnson’s cantata Considering Matthew Shepard at Holy Apostles Church (28th Street and 9th Avenue) in Chelsea. Considering Matthew Shepard tells the story of Matthew Shepard, a young gay college student from Laramie, Wyoming, who was beaten, tortured and left to die tied to a fence in 1998.

Composer Craig Hella Johnson “wanted to create, within a musical framework, a space for reflection, consideration and unity around [Matthew’s] life and legacy.” The passion-style oratorio incorporates excerpts from Matthew Shepard’s diary, interviews with his family and friends, and news articles. More...



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  • New York Opera Alliance (NYOA), with support from OPERA America, has announced NYOANext, a new citywide opera series spotlighting local artists and companies in each of New York's five boroughs. The initiative begins with a spotlight on the Bronx with a three-day festival April 20, 22 and 23, 2023, celebrating the borough's vibrant and varied opera community. Opera companies from around the five boroughs, including the 56-year old Bronx Opera, will perform in the Bronx with local artists from the neighborhood. For details, visit NYoperaalliance.org. (2023-3-3)
  • New recordings! Dessoff has released its world-premiere recording of Credo and Simon Bore the Cross, two cantatas by 20th-centtury African American composer Margaret Bonds. The recording, with full orchestra, is conducted by Malcolm J. Merriweather and features soprano Janinah Burnett and bass-baritone Dashon Burton. To listen and purchase, visit orcd.co/av2589. And Zulal, an a cappella trio of Armenian-American women, has released its fourth album, By the Shepherd's Clock. Visit linktr.ee/zulaltrio for more information. (2023-2-15)
  • Join the New York Choral Consortium for its annual Membership Day on Saturday, February 11 from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church. For details and to regsiter, visit www.newyorkchoralconsortium.org/events-dormant. (2023-2-3)
  • Ron DeFesi is the new musical director of The Warwick Valley Chorale. (2023-1-7)
  • James John artistic director of Cerddorion, leads "Pilgrimage" as part of Make Music Winter on Wednesday, December 21. Headlamp-clad singers will walk a route along Riverside Park making stops at the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument and other landmarks to sing medieval melodies once sung on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. For details, visit makemusicny.org/2022-make-music-winter-schedule/pilgrimage. (2022-12-14)

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  • February 14, 2023: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for the New York Gregorian Chant Project.
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  • December 15, 2022: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for the St. John's Choir, a semi-pro church choir in Somerville, NJ directed by Mark Trautman.
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  • September 10, 2022: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for The Old Mill Singers, a community chorus based in Ossining, NY.
  • July 25, 2022: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for Larchmont Madrigals, a newly-formed group in Larchmont, NY.
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  • 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.
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