Brooklyn (Joe Beasley Memorial) singing, Sunday, March 11, 2012

At St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, in the Choir Room.  Singing from The Sacred Harp, 1991 Denson edition

Present: Ezra, Brenda, Nancy B., Sarah K., Jon, Ann, Kristina, Sarah L., nbm  New: Kevin.  A brownstone Brooklyn story: Kevin turned up at about the midpoint, and told us that he’d been cleaning the house with the windows open to the beautiful warm day when he’d heard a woman doing vocal exercises.  This put the idea of choral singing in his head, so he went out to the street and around the corner, where he heard us through our open (neo-Gothic) window, remembered singing with us months before, and came up the stairs.  He sat right down with Ezra in the basses and we were very glad to have him.

We went around counterclockwise this month, radicals that we are.

46 Sarah K
50b Nancy
504 Ezra
74b Jon
196 Ann
70b nbm
47b Sarah K Read the rest of this entry »

Lower East Side Sacred Harp Singing, March 3, 2012

At The Living Room, Ludlow Street, Lower East Side.  Singing from The Sacred Harp, 1991 Denson edition. Treats from Economy Candy on Rivington Street.

Present: Terry R, Nancy B., Charles B., Patrick, Kristina, Jon, Douglas, Gary, Carol, Dick, Melissa, nbm.  New: Tarik (sings near Albany), Andrew, Andrew’s friend Mike, Charlie (out of Wesleyan); at the end, Tarik’s friend Brant.  A packed bass bench, always a good thing, with four new men.   Charlie bought a book.

99b Nancy
335 Tarik
45t nbm
31b Jon Read the rest of this entry »

Midtown midweek shapenote singing, Weds Feb 29, 2012

At St. Peter’s Church, Citicorp Center, New York.  Singing from The Sacred Harp, 1991 Denson edition. Shortened session to accommodate the church’s schedule.

Present: Ian, Cory, Nancy B., Ann, Mary Jane, Ezra, Katie F., Carol, Jon, Sarah K., Douglas, Sam, Abby, nbm.  New or newish: Eloise

May I be frank?  Not so successful a singing as we have had recently. And I contributed to the difficulty, for which I apologize.  But there’s always next week, and more songs.

32t Ian
30t Nancy B
30b nbm
77b Ian
77t  Katie Read the rest of this entry »

Midtown midweek singing, February 22, 2012

At St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Citicorp Center, New York.  Singing from The Sacred Harp, 1991 Denson edition.

Katie F and I went to an opening beforehand, so we arrived just at break.  We were greeted enthusiastically: “Are there any treats?”  Why, yes, there were.

Present Aldo, Katie J., Alicia, Ezra, Loren, Cory, Lisa D., Robert, Charlotte, Douglas, Dick, Katie F., Jon, Carol, Rita, Alice, Jennifer, nbm.

New or newish or not seen in a while: Sarah W., Ginger, Katie L.  Yes, we had three Katies in the room. (We also had a rare near-pair of an Alice and an Alicia.)

All that aside, it was a rousing singing.  A rare compliment from Aldo came to our bench of four trebles.  Thanks, maestro.

BREAK

128 Aldo
472 Jennifer
160b nbm
524 Jon Read the rest of this entry »

Manhattan (Upper East Side) singing, February 19, 2012

Presidents’ Day weekend.  At the Church of the Epiphany, 74 Street and York Avenue, New York.  Singing from The Sacred Harp, 1991 Denson edition.

Jon & I were on the same crosstown bus and got in a little late, for which we were rewarded with the pleasure of the sound of the singing as we entered the church and came around the corner, before the side chapel came into sight.  Mmm.  This week also brought us a nice Connecticut delegation, including Paula P. and Dan Adams, and a friend of Dan’s, Janice, who’d never sung SH before but was very enthusiastic, and sounds good, too.  She bought a book, so the hook’s in.  Who knows how often she will be able to get down to NYC?  I had hoped to see her Tuesday in New Haven, but she didn’t make it. Mary Ellen and Melissa, whom we see seldom, both were there.  New people included Rachel, who came late and to whom I didn’t have much chance to speak — she said Melissa helped her out (that’s what we do, right?) and she enjoyed it; also two SVA students, Will and Nina, both really keen.  I think and hope we’ll see them again.  They bought a book to share.  Will and Nina, if you’re reading this, one thing you can do is alternate taking the tenor and treble lines and seeing how songs work as duets; certainly not everything will work but you can have some fun while getting more familiar with the songs.

Present: Dick, Nancy B., Paula, Diane, Jon, Dan Adams, Aldo, Charlotte, Ann, Melissa, Mary Ellen, Ezra, Robert, nbm.  New: Rachel, Janice, Will, Nina.

I missed the first few songs.

50b Nancy
42 nbm
101t Paula
148 Diane
155 Aldo Read the rest of this entry »

Midtown midweek singing, Weds., February 15, 2012

At St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Citicorp Center, New York.  Singing from The Sacred Harp, 1991 Denson edition.

Another big group with a number of new folks.  Hmm, I see my handwriting became illegible on a couple of the new names — sorry.

Present: Aldo, Michael, Robert, Douglas, Charlotte, Carol, Ezra, Ann, Mary Jane, Nancy Britton, Cory, Dick, Sam, Katie F., Jennifer, Jon, Sarah K., Eli, Rita, Alice, nbm.  New or newish: Lisa D., Fran, Alison, Rachel, young Miranda, and Eli’s two nice friends whose names I can neither read nor remember. Brownies & blondies by Katie, clementines from Ann, peanut butter chocolate things (the latest in the Strange Cookies from Trader Joe’s series) from nbm.

83t Aldo
68b Michael
86 Charlotte
Lesson by Aldo, 45t, 39t, 155
87 Douglas
77t nbm
72b Carol
176b Cory Read the rest of this entry »