By Maggie Symington
As many of you know, Concentus held its inaugural fundraiser at the end of September, on a beautiful evening, in the cafeteria of the Allendale Columbia School. We held extra rehearsals over the summer to prepare our repertoire, and several alumnae accepted our invitation to join us for the opening and closing numbers (and attend rehearsals!). The event was successful beyond our expectations, not just financially, but musically and emotionally. Singers created new friendships while rehearsing their small-group pieces, and hidden talents emerged (we were graced with the clarinet skills of Debbie McCullough and the choreographic ability of Sarah Kelsick, among others).
Over 100 people attended (some, thankfully, as volunteers, to help keep the evening humming while the chorus sang), and the informality of the setting allowed for a more relaxed interaction between chorus and audience. Everyone seemed to enjoy the singer-prepared food, and one audience member even made a contribution when she took home an extra pan of lasagna!
Kathy Cronin Grant, co-chair of the event, did a lovely job as MC, and our three pianists, Dr. Linda Boianova, singer Michelle Brown, and alumna Glenda Brayman, masterfully tickled the ivories, er, I mean plastic of an electronic keyboard. And our conductor, Gwen, ensured that the musical quality (other than the piano…) was consistent with her usual high standards for our performances. We had a mix of accompanied and a cappella songs; a mix of traditional and non-traditional Concentus pieces (some of which might just end up in our regular repertoire!), a mix of classical, contemporary, musical theatre and opera; and a mix of full chorus, small ensembles, and duets/trios. There was something for everyone!
We thank everyone who attended and/or contributed to make the evening such a wonderful success, and we had so much fun, that we’re definitely going to hold another one. Definitely, maybe, this decade…
Concentus Women's Chorus 