ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Valerie Long can only imagine what Sunday night will feel like as she sits and looks out her hotel room window at prestigious Carnegie Hall.
That venue will be the host to Les Ms., the community choir based in St. John’s, who will participate in a three-day residency of rehearsals and clinics under the baton of Dr. Nancy Menk, culminating in performance by massed choirs, of Magnificat – Music for Women’s Voices on the Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) concert series.
“This is beyond anything we could have ever imagined,’’ Long said on the eve of playing a private show at Planet Hollywood in Times Square.
“This venue was provided to us Thursday afternoon and we will be playing a concert featuring a variety of music that includes Newfoundland folk songs, jazz and classical.’’
Long said people, the majority of them having roots in Newfoundland, will come from far and wide or to borrow a phrase “Come From Away,” to participate in the performance. She said there might even be a few cast members from the Broadway show in attendance on Sunday… but she couldn’t confirm that for sure at The Telegram’s news deadline.
In addition to those possible special guests, Les Ms. will be joined by a shadow group of about 30 people who participate in other choral ventures, such as Let’s Make a Choir and the Holy Heart Choir, who have also made the trip to New York.
This is the second venue change this week for Les Ms., as they were originally slated to play at a studio owned by the parents of Julia Falkenburg, program developer at DCINY, who generously offered the facility to the group after Plan A fell through.
“Finding another spot on St. Patrick’s Day weekend in New York was a tall ask,’’ Long said.
“And yet, here we are, about 10 minutes from Carnegie ... straight down 7th Avenue, into Times Square.”
A limited number of ensembles have been invited to this concert, which is in recognition of International Women’s Day and is planned to take place on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall.
Others who will join Les Ms. include Nancy Menk’s Women’s Choir from St. Mary’s University (Notre Dame, Indiana), Nazareth Academy (private high school, Philadelphia), Mountain Melody Women’s Chorus (California) and Capital Harmonia (Virginia).
Les Ms. was invited in recognition of its dedication to musical excellence, and due to the high quality of its musical achievement.
Long said attending the event will be a superior experience for the choir, but there is a trickle-down effect as well, as it brings great recognition to the city of St. John’s, the province and in fact Canada, as Les Ms. was the only non-American representative chosen.
Anyone interested in seeing the Carnegie Hall performance can still buy tickets at https://www.carnegiehall.org/calendar/2019/03/17/distinguished-concerts-orchestra-and-distinguished-concerts-singers-international-0200pm .
