Orpheus to Perform 'Music Springs Eternal!' Concert on Sunday, April 24 in Ridgewood

From the Podium

Hail, friends of music!

Reflecting on where the Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus was a year ago, I went back and viewed the flyers from 2021 (shown above).

Do you also remember the videos we put together under the supervision of videographer extraordinaire, Mr. Zigi Putnins?

Starting with America the Beautiful for Veterans Day 2020, Zigi oversaw nearly a dozen virtual OCMC performances, including a 35-minute compilation video for the December holidays. The last ones, Brothers, Sing On! and You’ll Never Walk Alone, hit the internet last spring. Our first in-person rehearsal in almost two years happened this past September. Don’t forget our impromptu version of L-O-V-E for this past Valentine’s Day, shot by a well-meaning amateur. These and our other videos can all be viewed on Orpheus’ YouTube channel.

Yes, far from inactive. Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, the OCMC maintained its presence as a musical force for good not only in Ridgewood, of which we are most proud, but throughout the greater New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. 

As I write this latest edition of “From the Podium,” the OCMC is preparing our latest gala spring concert. Its theme “Music Springs Eternal!” is a general reflection on the promises of spring and renewal. You can view the concert repertoire and ticket information on our website.

In recent decades, the OCMC has purposefully commissioned works for men’s chorus from composers of renown. The latest is this anthem by Mr. Roger Stubblefield with a text taken from American poet Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass and especially inspired by the lines "the party of young fellows, robust, friendly, singing with open mouths, their strong melodious songs." Originally intended for a spring 2020 premiere, we are happy and proud to present it at last after these two long years.

The Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus is not back because we never left. We are proud of our community music making and hope that you will join us on Sunday afternoon, April 24th, as we continue our proud tradition of singing music “for every taste.”

We sing as one!

John J. Palatucci, music director
THE ORPHEUS CLUB MEN’S CHORUS

Orpheus Honors Two Musicians with College Scholarship Awards

Orpheus Club Men's Chorus is pleased to announce the winners of its two scholarship awards for 2022, to high school seniors Yoona Park and Margot Jerkovich.
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Yoona Park is a violist (musician who plays the viola) from Paramus, New Jersey, whom Orpheus honored with the Roland L. Meyer Scholarship Award. “I have a goal to use my talent to make an impact on society,” she wrote in her scholarship application. “I wish to further spread the greatness and the beauty of classical music all around the world by performing and teaching. I also dream to serve the community, as one of the many opportunities that gives me inspiration is community work.”

Margot Jerkovich is a vocalist and actor from Ridgewood, New Jersey. She won the Harriet & Edward Levy Memorial Scholarship Award. “I wish for my music to create an environment where individuals want to feel comforted or seen,” she tells us. “My music can blast on their playlist either hyping them up or allowing them to express their emotions.”

Both Ms. Park and Ms. Jerkovich will perform at Orpheus' spring concert on April 24.

Member Profile: Mitchell G. Shapiro

Orpheus Members Participate in Global Chorus of the Ukrainian National Anthem

Orpheus Club Men's Chorus members Mitchell Shapiro and Sam Shaw are among dozens of singers, throughout the world, who contributed to a choral rendition of the Ukrainian National Anthem. Read more.

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Newsletter editor: Eric Schwarz