News for ICC&CS        Thursday, October 22, 2026 
 
Director:  Gerald Wolfe
Visit the ACI website:  ACIthaca.org
Contact the ICC&CS Steering Committee:  ICCCSBoard@ACIthaca.org
Please email all newsletter related items to: ICCNews@ACIthaca.org
From the Director
HOMEWORK FOR 10/28:  No. 4 Sanctus, No. 7 Libera Me
 
I will be performing in two upcoming concerts.  Posters are attached.
Upcoming Musical Events 
 
Dialogues and Songs:  Music of Christopher Morgan Loy, Composer/Pianist
 
Featuring the premiere performance of Dialogues, a sonatina for violin and piano
 
  Guest performers:  Asher Wulfman, Violinist
Ju Hyeon Han, Soprano
 
  Tuesday, October 27 at 7pm
  First Baptist Church of Ithaca
 
General admission $20; high school and middle school students free
 
You Are Not Alone:  a prayer vigil against sexual violence
Saturday October 24
3pm - Gather at St Luke on Oak Avenue in Collegetown
4pm - Service
 
Arlo Guthrie's Grandmother Composed Yiddish Songs! 
The Yiddish song group ABI GEZUNT  will be singing and teaching some of her (Aliza Greenblat’s) songs and others from the unaccompanied singing tradition of Ashkenazic women (Jews of eastern Europe).  If you enjoy klezmer music, you might hear tunes you are familiar with, since the song and instrumental traditions influence each other.  This is music from a family/home context -- quite a contrast to the performance tradition of our community chorus. 
You must register to join:  https://www.tbeithaca.org/adult-ed.html
Look down the page to find this class. (Content has evolved since this was first sent out)
Questions: skaboooch@gmail.com
 
Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers Concert
 
  The Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers (DCJS) will present a special program of gratefulness to usher in the season of Thanksgiving:
 
Sunday, November 1 at 4pm
Ithaca College's Ford Hall, November 1, 2026, at 4:00pm. 
 
      A live stream will be available on the day of the performance at dorothycottonjubilleesingers.org               
 
     Please consider making a donation to help keep concerts free and open to all.

Haydn Masses
 
  Professor Emeritus James Webster, distinguished music historian, will share his insights into Haydn's Masses.  Following the talk and a Q&A will be a read-through of Haydn's Mass in B-Flat  Major, Hob. XXII:7, led by the COLLIS Choir and organist Dcn. Matthew Hall.  Vocal scores will be provided, and all are welcome to join in the singing!
 
Monday, October 26, 6-7:15pm
     Anabel Taylor Hall Chapel
 
Sage Chapel December Choir
     Rehearsals for the December Candlelight Service in Sage Chapel on the Cornell University campus:
  • Regular Rehearsals: Thursdays, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, starting October 29 (Unitarian Church Annex)
  • Extra Rehearsal: Monday, December 21, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM (Sage Chapel)
  • Candlelight Service Day: Wednesday, December 23 (Includes two services with exact times to be announced, as well as a dress rehearsal prior to the services, light dinner provided to all choir members). 
  • Register for the choir with this link:   https://forms.gle/jRvbKs8YiLYGnzYw7
   There is no cost for joining this choir.
 
 
Kate's Corner
     As I am a newcomer to the Verdi Requiem, my eyes, ears and heart are wide open to the music which I am hearing and singing for the first time. I am amazed by the fervor and scope of human emotion captured within the different movements, from the sheer terror of the Dies Irae section to the almost angelic peace of the Sanctus fugue that we sang last evening. Singing a fast-paced composition in eight parts is not easy, but we are getting there!
 
 Here are a few tidbits that I gleaned from the “Singing Through A Lifetime” workshop that took place last Saturday:
 
     -Stay hydrated! Steaming is a good way to hydrate the vocal folds. Definitely rest when needed and do not strain!
 
     - Our voices naturally deepen as we age. To counterbalance this tendency, try using a more resonant speaking voice over a wider range, not just the low “rumbly” range (definitely my word)!
 
     - We learned of many and practiced several SOVT (semi-occluded vocal tract) exercises. If you Google that you will see that Gerald uses some but there are many more that you can use while driving in the car or doing the dishes.
 
     - We learned some of the science behind our changing voices as we age. If you are interested, Katie recommended the book “The Evolving Singing Voice: Changes Across the Lifespan” by Karen Brunssen.
 
     - Katie Howell’s voice professor is starting a class on singing as we age (I don’t know the exact title or details of the class). You can email Patrice Pastore at ppastore@ithaca.edu for more information.
 
     I hope that you can get outside and enjoy the remarkable Fall weather we are having.

     See you next week!
 
How You Can Help Your Chorus
-             - Join the ICC Steering Committee. Meets every 4-6 weeks from Aug-May. 1.5 hour meetings. Next meeting will be in mid- Nov. Thanks to Ron Trunzo for stepping up! More help still needed.

-             - Help organize a reception to take place after our January concert

-        - Serve on the ACI Board. 1.5 hour commitment every 3 months. Next meeting is in December. Thanks to Beth Ellen Clark Joseph for stepping up! More help still needed.  Contact Vivian Goldsmith at treasurer@ACIthaca.org if interested or for more information.

-        - ACI Secretary needed. 3 hour commitment every three months. Review the Zoom meeting notes, perhaps reformat them, and send them to Board members. Contact Vivian Goldsmith at treasurer@ACIthaca.org if interested or for more information.
 
 
Musical Medicine of the Week
Ron Trunzo wrote: “Listening to choral music always makes me feel uplifted and refreshed because it helps me clear my mind and fully embrace the music.”
 
Jennifer D-B wrote: “When I am feeling lethargic, I like to listen to 'You Can Call Me Al' by Paul Simon because it makes my blood start moving and my heart pump faster.”
 
Natalie Melas wrote: “When I am feeling down, I like to listen to the Bach Brandenburg Concerti. Or John Coltrane 'Blue Train' or 'My Favorite Things.' ”
 
Allen Reed wrote: “When I am feeling down, I like to listen to Gilbert and Sullivan because it’s just so happy, and the words are witty.”
 
Mel Richards wrote: “Listening to the Faure Requiem always makes me feel inspired.”
 
Newsletter Items?
If you would like to include a brief item in the ICC&CS e-newsletter, send text ready to copy and paste by Thursdays at 6pm to ICCNews@ACIthaca.org. Notices should be related to the chorus or the local music community.
 
Affiliated Choruses of Ithaca
P.O. Box 622
Ithaca, NY  14851
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