← All Of It with Alison Stewart
Loading summary
Transcript129 lines
- [00:00]
A
Foreign.
- [00:09]
B
This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Tiffany Hansen. If you believe the movie Elf. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. And tomorrow you'll have a chance to do just that. The West Village Chorale is hosting its annual Greenwich Village Caroling walk, an over 50 year tradition. You're invited to join and sing and walk around the vil share in the holiday spirit. It's a free event. It starts at 2 o'. Clock. Ahead of that and to get us in the holiday spirit are members of the West Village Corral, their third year in a row, joining us for a special live performance. They're fresh off their sold out holiday concert last Sunday and last night's Messiah, saying, welcome everyone.
- [00:53]
C
Thank you.
- [00:54]
B
Hey, all right. And I feel like we've been talking about carols. We might as well just hear here one. So let's go for it.
- [01:23]
A
Carol. See the blazing you before us. Strike the harp and join the choruses. Sing. Rejoice.
- [02:13]
B
Applause, applause, applause, applause, applause. That is the West Village Corral. I'm going to pull out a couple of members here to ask a question to Diane. Diane, can you just introduce yourself and tell us what parts you sing? What part you sing and I'll have a follow up question for you.
- [02:33]
D
All right.
- [02:33]
C
My name is Diane Patterson and I sing alto.
- [02:37]
B
Love. Starting with the altos.
- [02:38]
C
That's right.
- [02:39]
B
Sopranos can just sit. Take it back now. We're not going to start that. All right, so I mentioned this 2 o' clock sing happening tomorrow.
- [02:48]
C
The Carolyn Walk.
- [02:49]
B
Yes.
- [02:49]
A
Right.
- [02:49]
B
Okay. So just tell us a little bit about that. Do you guys meet somewhere? Can anybody show up? Oh, I see someone else coming in. All right. Who has maybe potentially more information.
- [02:59]
C
Do you want to go?
- [03:00]
A
You can go.
- [03:01]
E
Okay. Hi, my name is Katie Fitzgerald. We are assembling tomorrow at 2 o' clock at our home, Judson Memorial Church.
- [03:09]
B
Okay.
- [03:09]
E
Which is at 243 Thompson Street. It's right off the bottom end of Washington Square Park.
- [03:15]
C
Anybody can join us.
- [03:16]
B
Okay. Anybody can just show up at 2:00'. Clock.
- [03:19]
C
That's absolutely correct.
- [03:20]
E
No registration, no tickets.
- [03:21]
C
Just no tickets. Just show up, show up.
- [03:23]
B
Sheet music. Talk to me about she sheet music. Do we?
- [03:25]
C
Well, we have caroling books available.
- [03:27]
B
Oh, you do?
- [03:27]
C
Yes, we do.
- [03:28]
B
Okay.
- [03:29]
C
And then if someone has a carol that they want to just shout out. Yeah, we can accommodate that too.
- [03:34]
E
Yeah, if it's not in the book, we can still give it a shot.
- [03:36]
C
We can still give it a shot.
- [03:37]
B
And is there a specific route you Walk and how long is it. So, like, how long should people be prepared to walk? Okay, and another. Another choral. I don't know what to say. Choir member is approaching.
- [03:50]
F
Yes, I am John Onderdonk, and you can go ahead and get a route from one of the route leaders that we have. We have about six or seven routes that go out the entire West Village.
- [04:03]
B
Okay.
- [04:03]
F
We try to always get into Washington Square park and see in the park to get as many people up for the festivities as possible.
- [04:11]
B
All right, sounds good. Okay, Diane, since we started with the altos, maybe we'll have the other altos introduce themselves. Yes. Oh, I like the Santa hat. What's your name?
- [04:22]
E
Hi, my name is Jung Min Lee.
- [04:25]
B
And I live in Tribeca, and I've lived in New York City for 30 years, since 1995. Nice. Okay, other altos lurking.
- [04:34]
E
I'm Sarah and I live in Astoria.
- [04:37]
B
Nice. Okay. And we just. Is that it for the alto ranks? That's it for the alto ranks. Okay. Do you take requests? I'm going to throw this to the group. Do you guys take requests? Styann. Anyone wanna answer that question? Do we take requests? Like, I know you said you can shout out a caroling walk. Yeah, for the caroling walk. Sorry. Oh, I'm gonna just throw it out. No, no.
- [05:00]
C
Absolutely. For the caroling walk. Yes, you can.
- [05:03]
B
You do.
- [05:03]
C
Yeah, you can if you have a favorite carol. And pretty much we probably will figure it out, Right?
- [05:11]
B
Yeah.
- [05:11]
F
Right.
- [05:12]
B
Cause, I mean, you have most of them, I would assume, in these caroling books. Right. Like, so you don't have to.
- [05:17]
C
I think we've run the gamut there with the. We have most of them in there. If someone could come up with something that we don't have, I would be surprised.
- [05:23]
B
Right. Because, you know, a lot of people mumbling the, you know, good King Wenceslaus, the like, third, you know, that is in the book.
- [05:32]
E
We actually redid the book last year.
- [05:35]
C
Yes, we redid the book last year.
- [05:36]
E
Shout out to our colleague Katherine Morrison Garcia and her husband.
- [05:39]
B
Oh, nice.
- [05:39]
E
Who put together the new version of the book. I think we've even got Mariah Carey in there.
- [05:44]
C
Yeah, I think so.
- [05:45]
E
Although when we get to the bridge there, it's a little dicey.
- [05:47]
A
Okay.
- [05:48]
B
All right, we'll take it. Well, here's one that I think a lot of folks. Folks may have heard of. It's angels we have heard on high.
- [06:17]
A
Rains. Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joy has strayed from all Say what made us fightings be which inspire your Heaven, glory. Of Phoenix, Come to Bethlehem and see him whose birth the angels sing Come ador abandon me, Christ the Lord, the.
- [07:36]
F
New K.
- [08:06]
B
That is the West Village Corral. Those are the voices, I should say, of the West Village Chorale. They are hosting a an annual event tomorrow. It's a sing and walk around the village for you to share in the holiday spirit, saying it's free. It's a free event. It starts at 2 o', clock, but they have joined us in studio today. We're going to get some more music from them coming up here in just a moment. You are listening to all of it. I'm Tiffany Hansen in for Alison Stewart Singh. Stay with us. This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Tiffany Hansen in for Alison Stewart and we're talking with the West Village Corral. This is their third year in a row, joining us here for a special live performance. And coming up tomorrow, they have a singing walk around the village, sharing in the holiday spirit with a free event that starts at 2:00'. Clock. Katie, I'm going to bring you back. You are one of our sopranos. So I feel like we should hear from the, you know, introduce the other sopranos in your ranks here. If you guys would like to just come up, introduce yourself, tell us how long you've been with the group.
- [09:17]
E
Sure. So my name is Katie Fitzgerald. I've been with the group. I think this is my 14th year and I'm part of the Westchester contingent.
- [09:25]
B
Nice. All right. Hello, I'm Sandra Ward. I live in Greenwich Village and I've been with the group since 2018. So this is my eighth year season. Nice. Hello, my name is Wei Ting Du. I'm a soprano.
- [09:42]
E
I've been with choir for like 12.
- [09:45]
B
Years and I love singing. Wow.
- [09:47]
E
Nice.
- [09:50]
B
Hello, my name is Ellen Gottlieb and yes, I'm a soprano. I live in Cobble Hill in Brooklyn and I've been in this course for 23 years and love it. Oh, that's so nice. Can I ask you a question before you leave the microphone? So you all are great singers. I am a horrible singer. You have this event coming up tomorrow. I assume that people like me are still welcome to come. Absolutely. Come sing in my group tomorrow. Okay. See, and I'll just sing quietly and then everybody else will sort of like you could sing loudly.
- [10:24]
E
Okay.
- [10:24]
A
All right, Good.
- [10:27]
B
Katie, this walk has a long history as well. Some of you have been with the. I almost said the show. Been with the group for 20 years, but this has a long history.
- [10:37]
E
Right. This is our 51st annual Caroling Walk. I think it got a little weird during COVID We had one year where it was virtual.
- [10:44]
B
A lot of things got weird during COVID Yeah.
- [10:45]
E
I'm pointing at my colleague John, who is our kind of most senior member and knowledgeable of all the history.
- [10:50]
B
All right, let's hear it, John.
- [10:51]
F
Yeah. So you know the west village corral was founded in 1971. It was an outgrowth of the music program of the Church of St. Luke in the fields, Just a short walk from the studio up on Hudson street in the village. I just recently had the pleasure of seeing our founder, Gwen go, and she told me that the catling walk was one of the first programs they launched after founding the chorus to reach out to the community along with our messiah sing and our summer sing series. In 2010, we moved to our current location where we rehearse and perform at Judson memorial church right on Washington square. So we have the great advantage. We start out by going under the arch where the acoustics are just phenomenal.
- [11:33]
B
Sure. It's like singing in the shower.
- [11:37]
F
So we've had various kinds of weather over the years. We've even sent out a few teams in pouring rain. I didn't go, but they. They went. And, you know, it's just heedless of the wind and weather.
- [11:49]
B
Nice. Well, while you're at the mic, why don't we have you introduce yourself?
- [11:53]
F
And then the basses.
- [11:54]
D
Yes.
- [11:54]
B
Yeah, we'll go with the bases.
- [11:55]
F
In case you can't tell, I sing bass. My name is John Herzfeld. As I think Katie introduced me, I live in Chelsea. To quote our late, Great bass, Dan McCrary, I've been with west village corral longer than I care to admit.
- [12:11]
B
All right.
- [12:11]
F
But I did in the 20th century.
- [12:13]
B
Okay, good. And there are other bases here as well.
- [12:17]
F
My name is Robert Charles. I live in Brooklyn in Prospect, Lefferts Gardens, and this is my fourth year at the corral. And I love harmonizing in voice and in spirit.
- [12:28]
B
Oh, great. All right. And our third base, and I'm Jack. This is going to be my ninth year in the corral, and I am.
- [12:35]
C
A resident of Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
- [12:37]
B
Nice. All right, well, I think that's a good point. Let's hear another. Another song here from you folks. How about carol of the bells?
- [13:05]
A
One seem to hear words of good cheer from everywhere filling the air oh, how they come raising the sound o' er hill and dale tell in the town gaily they ring While people sing songs of the cheer Christmas Is gifting. Ding Dong, Ding Dong, dad. Is a song Winter for Bring More Carol. One seems to hear words of good cheer from everywhere, filling the air. While people sing songs of the cheer. Christmas.
- [14:18]
B
That was a good. A good little spotlight there for the basses at the end. I'm glad we introduced you all. And before we, lest we forget, the tenors. Maybe we should start there. And then Colin, who is the artistic director, I'll have a question for you. But let's start with our tenors. We heard from one already who is.
- [14:34]
F
Hi. Hi again.
- [14:35]
C
I'm John Underdog.
- [14:37]
F
I reside in the West Village for the last 34 years, and 23 have been singing with the West Village Chorale.
- [14:44]
B
All right.
- [14:46]
C
My name is Joe Haydam. I'm a tenor also, and I'm from the West Chester contingent along with Katie, except I'm from Yonkers. I've been singing with the West Village Chorale since 2018.
- [14:56]
B
All right. And our other tenor here, looking quite festive. I like the tie.
- [15:02]
F
Thanks.
- [15:03]
D
I only get to wear it once a year. I'm Tom Terry. I live in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, so almost the Westchester contingent. And I've been singing with this choir for 10 years, and I love it.
- [15:15]
A
Great.
- [15:15]
B
Okay, Colin, you're the artistic director, so talk to us a little bit about your song choice. You have these concerts. You had a. What is it, a Northern Lights concert that was just sold out. You had this Messiah sing, obviously enormously popular. Do you tend to focus more on traditional songs or do you. I know you said potentially Mariah Carey in the songbook for tomorrow, but is there a general focus for the more traditional music or.
- [15:46]
D
Actually, there's not. And I think that's one of the things we're really proud about with the West Village Chorale. We try to have a wide variety each season, so we'll do some of the major works. Last year, we did the Foray Requiem, but paired it with a contemporary piece by Joelle Thompson, the Seven Last Words of the Unarmed. We just did our holiday concert, which focused a lot on themes of the stars, celestial phenomena, northern lights, et cetera. And we have an upcoming concert in March that's kind of a potpourri, a mix of favorites. And I should mention, this is my 10th season with the West Village Chorale, so we're calling that concert All Aboard Conductor's Choice. And then in May, we're doing a collaboration with Jersey City based dance company Nimbus D. And that concert is going to sort of acknowledge the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The concert's called this Land Is yous Land, and it features a couple of commissions and some really exciting music. But we try to have a wide array of music and repertoire, something to sort of speak to everybody, but also try to say something with each concert we offer.
- [16:51]
B
You've been with the group how long?
- [16:53]
D
This is my tenth season.
- [16:54]
B
Yeah. Reflections.
- [16:56]
D
It's been an amazing ride. When I first started, I was living in Jersey City. I actually now live in Massachusetts. I teach at Mount Holyoke College and I live there with my family. So I take the train down every Tuesday and get to work with these wonderful singers.
- [17:10]
B
Well, let's hear a song before we run out of time here. Let's see. Can I pick? Can I pick? Can I pick? Joy to the world.
- [17:48]
A
And nature See Joy to the earth the Savior reigns Let all our songs endure While fears and thoughts. He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love and wonders of his love and wonders won Wonders of His love.
- [18:46]
B
That is the West Village Chorale. We've been talking most recently here with Colin, who is the artistic director. Colin, one other question for you. What makes a good holiday song?
- [18:59]
D
I think. I mean, it's obviously a subjective question, but I think a song that people can learn and sing by ear or by reading music is always a good thing. I love a song that's got harmonies, but there's some classic songs from the American Songbook that I think just tug at your heartstrings with the nostalgia. You know, you can't. For me, it's not Christmas until you hear Nat Kinkle singing the Christmas song.
- [19:23]
B
And let's talk about the choir then a little bit, because some folks have been here for 20 years. Some folks, One of your bass singers here has been for what, four years? I think so, you know, 28. Some for 28 years. Oh, wait, we weren't going to say that, though. I thought if folks are interested in joining the choir, how to just say how we get that info?
- [19:47]
D
Sure. So you can look us up. You can Google us West Village Chorale. You can email westvillagechoralemail.com we have rolling auditions throughout the season. We're actually a 70 voice choir, so this is only about 12 or 13 of us.
- [20:00]
B
I don't think we could fit everybody in here.
- [20:02]
D
We'd love to try, but I don't think fire code would work. But we do have rotational auditions and we rehearse on Tuesday evenings at Judson Memorial Church.
- [20:12]
B
Okay. And last again, we've been talking about this event that's happening tomorrow. So, Katie, do you want to just fill us in one more time? So where do I meet you tomorrow?
- [20:23]
E
Okay, so at a little bit before 2 o', clock, at 2 o', clock, a little after 2 o', clock, we are welcoming people at 243 Thompson street, which is Judson Memorial Church's side door, right off the park.
- [20:35]
B
Okay.
- [20:36]
E
We're going to divide people up into groups of about 15 or 20 with a couple of our members as group leaders. We will go off in various routes around the village. People are welcome to call whatever songs they feel like singing, feel like hearing. And I think most groups stay out for, I guess, about an hour or so, depending on the weather. Certain group leaders tend to keep people out a little bit longer. And, you know, we get people from all around the city, all around the area. And, you know, we even get, you know, interest from people who are coming in from overseas. We got a couple of emails.
- [21:09]
B
Wow. Okay. At any level. Again, any level.
- [21:13]
D
Yeah.
- [21:13]
E
You know, we have people who I would call classic choral overachievers. You know, they're putting all sorts of harmonies on things.
- [21:19]
B
That's not me, but yeah, I can't.
- [21:21]
E
Carry a tune in a basket.
- [21:22]
F
And all ages, and all ages, we've serenaded kids and toddlers.
- [21:25]
B
I love it. All right, so this is the West Village Corral. We're talking about this event that happens at 2 o' clock tomorrow. This is their third year joining us here in performance. And we're going to go out on, you know, everybody. I think sending us into Christmas week with this is pretty great.
- [21:47]
A
We wish you a merry Christmas we wish you a merry Christmas we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year Tidings be pray to you and your king we wish you a merry Christmas and I'm happy New Year.
- [22:09]
F
Suffering from dry, tired, irritated eyes. Don't let dry eyes win. Use Sustain Pro. It hydrates, restores and protects dry eyes for up to 12 hours. Sustain Pro Triple Action Dry Eye Relief.
- [22:22]
B
Clorox Toilet Wand. It's all in one. Clorox Toilet Wand. It's all in one. Hey, what does all in one mean? The Caddy, the wand, the Preloaded pa. There's a cleaner in there inside the bag. So Clorox Toilet Wand is all I need to clean a toilet. You don't need a bottle of solution to get into this toilet revolution. Clorox Clean Feels good. Use as directed.