From The Podium

Hail, friends of music!

I am delighted to welcome you to the relaunch of “The Lyre,” the Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus newsletter. The Lyre was for many years the domain of longtime OCMC singing member and past president, Mr. Jerry Wyckoff. I am delighted that our current publicity chair, singing member Mr. Eric Schwarz, has taken up the cause of keeping our many fans and friends informed of the OCMC’s comings and goings, especially in these unique times.

The chorus’ last rehearsal was on the evening of March 11. At that time, with the encouragement of some of our members and with the approval of the club’s leadership led by President Vernon Reed, a vote was taken to suspend rehearsals due to safety concerns raised by what were at the time the rising numbers of infections related to the coronavirus. Let it be clearly understood that Orpheus has never, in its over 110 years of existence, ceased operation. We took the action reluctantly but with the firm belief that we would be back to singing with one another and for our devoted audience. As second tenor Jim Matthews put it so well, “We survived the 1918 Spanish flu. We’ll survive this!”

The Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus’ esprit de corps has never waned. In the pursuing months, we have remained in contact with one another, held our first-ever virtual Annual Dinner and successful fundraising events, and our Board of Trustees led by chairman Mr. Bob Husband has worked very hard to keep the entire leadership team planning for what I can assure one and all will be a very bright Orpheus Club future.

Before suspending rehearsals, we were in the midst of a yearlong celebration of our 15-year collaboration with Mr. Ron Levy, our esteemed pianist and assistant conductor.

Once returning to normal operation, we will resume work on the premiere of a composition written expressly for Ron by New Jersey composer Mr. Jeff Scott entitled “Titilayo.”

Also, we are eager to premiere another piece for men’s chorus and piano by another New Jersey composer, Mr. Roger Stubblefield, “America Singing.” This composition, based on a portion of Walt Whitman’s epic poem “Leaves of Grass,” commemorates the recently passed 110th anniversary of the OCMC’s founding.
 
Enjoy this new edition of The Lyre. Thank you, Eric, for your desire to keep the Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus before the public. There is much more to come. Stay tuned!

We sing as one!
John J. Palatucci, music director

Orpheus Honored by The American Prize

Orpheus is a finalist in two categories of The American Prize for performances from 2019-2020:

• The American Prize in Choral Performance, community division.
• The American Prize Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music, community ensemble division.

The American Prize is a series of non-profit, national competitions designed to recognize and reward the very best in the performing arts in the United States—in schools and churches, and at community and professional levels. The American Prize was founded in 2009 and is awarded annually.

Read the complete story.

Saxophonist Kieran Corcoran Awarded 2020 Roland L. Meyer Scholarship

Kieran Corcoran, a saxophonist from Ridgewood, New Jersey, has been named as the recipient of the 2020 Roland L. Meyer Scholarship Award by Orpheus.

He plans to attend the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he’ll study music. He also hopes to play with the jazz and wind ensembles at Holy Cross. The Orpheus scholarship includes a $2,000 award toward his college studies.

Read more about Kieran Corcoran and listen to him play an alto saxophone solo from the Courante movement of Henry Eccles’ Sonata.

Orpheus Receives $2,000 Grant

In May 2020, the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) awarded a $2,000 grant to Orpheus, from the foundation's COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund. The awards support vetted nonprofit organizations serving Bergen County. The grant funds will be used to cover costs that would have been paid from proceeds from Orpheus' cancelled Spring Concerts, specifically insurance and the stipends paid to the chorus' Music Director and Accompanist.

Member Profile

Bill Amazzini, a “bass, possibly baritone sometimes” singer with Orpheus, is the subject of our first member profile.

“One of the best experiences that I had with Orpheus was the night we sang at Carnegie Hall with Ron and the guys. It was awesome.” Read more about Bill. and learn his three favorite choral songs.

Video Recaps

• Three Orpheus members (Matthew Fairchild, Sam Shaw, and music director John J. Palatucci) sing “The King of Love, My Shepherd Is,” arranged by M. Wilberg, as part of the Ocean Grove Virtual Choir Project, led by maestro Dr. Jason Tramm in June 2020.
• Mr. Palatucci plays the CBS Sunday Morning theme “Abblasen” on the euphonium in April 2020.
• Our most recent in-person concert, “A City Singing at Christmas,” brought Orpheus to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, on Dec. 19, 2019.

Donate to Orpheus

• Amazon will contribute one-half percent of the price of whatever you purchase when you use this link.
• TD Bank will make a donation to Orpheus for each checking or savings account held by Orpheus supporters (at no cost to the customer). Complete details.