• Russian Chamber Chorus of New York performs Russian folk songs (Posted 6/7/2009)
• Frederick Delius and his neglected "Pagan" Requiem (Posted 6/3/2009)
• A role debut for Deborah Voigt as The Collegiate Chorale presents Gluck's Alceste (Posted 5/20/2009)
• New Jersey Choral Society to premiere work by Ed Lojeski (Posted 5/19/2009)
• Melodia Women's Choir presents rare Messiaen choral work with newly-created all-women orchestra in "Visions of Eternity" (Posted 5/10/2009)
• An interview with Kristina Boerger (Posted 5/9/2009)
• Harold Rosenbaum previews the New York Virtuoso Singers April 26 concert (Posted 4/20/2009)
• Umbrian Serenades: participants' perspectives (Posted 4/11/2009)
• West Village Chorale to sing April 19 in memorial for longtime member Dan McCrary (Posted 3/29/2009)
• Russian Chamber Chorus to perform "Sacred and Earthly Love" concert (Posted 3/24/2009)

Archive of old VAN Features

Want to see more coverage of the vocal ensemble community? You can help! See your feature article here. You'll gain valuable exposure as a writer about vocal ensemble music and your group will benefit from the PR. Submit proposals for approval to the editor.

• Visit YouTube to view a CBS Sunday Morning feature follow-up to the recent Chorus America study of choral singing in the US. (2009-6-30)
• Singing is good for you! So says a new study by Chorus America that finds that singing "is strongly correlated with qualities that are associated with success throughout life." Read the full story at www.chorusamerica.org/about_choralsinging.cfm. (2009-6-8)
• See TimeOut New York's article on the best a cappella groups in New York City. (2009-4-1)
• Constance Chase is the new music director of the Connecticut Chamber Choir. She succeeds Richard Erickson, founder and director of the group for 30 years, who retired in April 2008. (2009-3-14)
• Here are the results from the New York Regional Harmony Sweepstakes, held March 7 at the Miller Theatre, as provided by producer Colette Thompson. Best original song: "We Rub," written and arranged by John McMahon of Rub. Best original arrangement: "Damaged," arranged by Nick Fox of Kelso. Audience favorite: Cartoon Johnny. Best solo: Julie Seda of Classic Sounds for "At Last." Third place: Classic Sounds. Second place: Rub. First place: Cartoon Johnny. (2009-3-10)
• Hear all 185 solo vocal works of Charles Ives, the recalcitrant master of the art song, during the Ives Vocal Marathon, January 29 to February 1, 2009 at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. For the first time, these songs will be performed end-to-end in one venue, in six concerts, supplemented with selected instrumental pieces, additional lectures and panel discussions by Ives authorities. Organized by Ives scholar, composer, pianist and educator Neely Bruce, the Marathon is the culmination of a four-year presentation of these songs in 14 major concerts and many smaller recitals. For details, visit www.ivesvocalmarathon.com. (2009-1-12)
• Fenno Heath, choral composer, arranger and director of the Yale Glee Club from 1953 to 1992, died on December 5. For more about Fenno Heath, visit www.fennoheath.blogspot.com. (2008-12-6)
• Christopher Clowdus is the new artistic director of the Empire City Men's Chorus. (2008-9-13)
• Robert Bass, Music Director of the Collegiate Chorale, has died. He was 55. See the obituary in The New York Times. (2008-8-26)
• Read about the New York City chapter of the Complaints Choir in this article from the Village Voice. (2008-8-15)

Archive of old "News" items

• June 25, 2009: New link for the Winter Harbor Music Festival for singers and instrumentalists, in Maine in August.
• June 16, 2009: The Rye Town Federico Singers are now known as The Village Singers of Westchester.
• June 11, 2009: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for Con Brio, an auditioned classical chorus in the Essex area of Connecticut. New Choir Directory listing for the Children's Chorus of Bay Ridge.
• June 1, 2009: New link for Atlantic Harmony Brigade, a gathering of barbershop quartet singers in Wilmington, DE in August.
• May 31, 2009: Promote your group's summer and fall auditions. Take advantage of the VAN Ads banner advertising summer special: run a banner ad from now until Labor Day for the flat rate of $100. Details on the Advertising page.
• May 25, 2009: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for Church of the Village Chancel Choir.
• May 19, 2009: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for Madrigalia Via, a Manhattan-based chamber ensemble directed by David Recca. New Choir Directory listing for All Saints Schola Cantorum, based in Corning, NY.
• May 12, 2009: New web site for the Queens College Choral Society.
• May 9, 2009: New link for the International festival of choirs and orchestras in Prague (Czech Republic), 4 - 6 December 2009.
• March 10, 2009: New link for FlexiMusic Audio Editor, developers of audio editing, recording and composing software for professional and home music makers.
• March 8, 2009: The Choral Workshop is now known as The Clurman Singers.
• March 4, 2009: New link for The Modern Vocalist, a new social network specifically designed for vocalists, voice instructors, scientists, voice health practitioners, and audio production and engineering professionals.
• February 15, 2009: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for The Carrollton Chorale, a 21-voice a cappella choral ensemble in Elizabeth, NJ.
• February 4, 2009: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for Renaissance Vocal Ensemble, a chamber choir based in Peekskill, NY.
• January 12, 2009: New link for The Renaissance Chorus Association, collecting, cataloguing and circulating the music of the Renaissance period and of Harold Brown.

Archive of old "New on VAN" items

• Need some exquisite beaded jewelry to complement your concert attire? 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 rehearsal space or performance venues? Try NYC Music Places, New York City's free database of available rehearsal and performance spaces for instrumental and vocal musicians. You'll find places to rent, from studios to large venues, for classical, jazz, rock--whatever you need to rehearse or perform in NYC. NYC Music Places is a service of Exploring the Metropolis, the only nonprofit organization that focuses solely on resolving performing artists' needs for work space.
• 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. To arrange for Mark's services, e-mail Colette Thompson.
• Liz Fleischer's Sight-Singing Program is offered each season at the Kaufman Center (129 West 67th Street). Classes include ear-training, rhythm and pitch reading, music theory, basic notation and terminology, with emphasis on learning to hold a part with confidence. For more info, visit www.kaufman-center.org/lucyadults_mus_sight.htm, e-mail fleischerliz@aol.com or adultdivision@kaufman-center.org or call (212) 501-3362. The sight-singing program is just one of the classes offered by the Kaufman Center's Lucy Moses School.
• Candy Ear Studios in Soho offers digital recording to ADAT, DAT or CD. Owner David Strahl does very nice work with voices. Mention Vocal Area Network and get a 10% discount on six hours or more of recording and editing time. Visit Candy Ear on the web or call (212) 965-0927.