POSTCARDS FROM THE USA

PictureStephen Perry Price
The Oneida Area Civic Chorale will present “Postcards from the USA” on Saturday, March 9 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, March 10 at 4:00 PM at the Kallet Civic Center, 159 Main Street, Oneida.  The 95-member community chorus will be under the direction of Kimberly Nethaway of Rome, and accompanied on keyboard by Bernadette VanValkenburg of Sherrill and Heather O’Connell of Oneida, and on bass by Gary Williams of Rome.  Stephen Perry Price of Blossvale will appear as guest soloist and narrator.  The concerts will be cabaret style, with a cash bar and coffee and treats by HipStir Cafe, Oneida, available for purchase.  
The Chorale’s journey across the USA will evolve from a postcard collection described  by guest narrator Stephen Perry Price.  A postcard from West Virginia will introduce the song “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, words and music by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver.  A card portraying “Fishing on the Bayou” will lead to the song “Blue Bayou”, words and music by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson, featuring a solo by Heather O’Connell of Oneida.  The women of the Chorale will perform “Chattanooga Choo Choo”, by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon, and the Chorale men will present a medley of “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Ramblin’ Man”, arranged by Roger Emerson, featuring solos by John Nethaway, of Rome.  A postcard proclaiming “Greetings from the Mighty Mississippi” will prompt the tune “Mississippi Mud”, by James Cavanaugh and Harry Barris, and the song “The Erie Canal”, arranged by Mark Hayes, will illustrate a card declaring there’s no place like home.  Audience members will have a chance to participate in the journey during a “postcard song” sing-a-long following the concert’s intermission. 
In addition to his role as guest narrator, Stephen Perry Price will solo on two of the Chorale’s “postcard” numbers, the American folk song “Shenendoah”, arranged by G. Schroth, and “Kansas City”, from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma.  Price, an Actor’s Equity Association member, was born in British Columbia, the son of renowned soprano Heather Thomson and tenor Perry Price. He studied at McGill University and Western Connecticut State University, and has taken many master classes abroad. Price has been seen and heard around the world in concert, stage, television and film.  He has played roles in such shows as Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the film Isn't She Great, with Bette Midler, “Psychic Detective” on Court TV, and  “Phantom-The Las Vegas Spectacular”.  He currently teaches at The Academy of Performing and Creative Arts in Clinton and  A ViVo School of Acting, Violin and Voice, which Price and his wife, Juliane, opened in 2004 in Rome, NY. 
Price’s two daughters, Charlize and Lily, will join him in presenting the narration for the concert.  Charlize, 8, a third-grade student at McConnellsville Elementary School, is interested in music and dance, and is currently studying percussion and violin.  Eleven-year-old Lily is also involved in music and dance, and studies the saxophone and piano.  She is a sixth-grader at Camden Middle School.  Gary Williams will accompany the chorus on bass.
Tickets for the cabaret concerts are $10, and due to limited seating must be purchased in advance.  Tickets are available from Chorale members, at W.J. Hinman Jewelers, 115 Main Street, Oneida, and by calling 315-655-3007.  For more information, call 315-761-9701 and visit www.oneidachorale.org.

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS 2019

The Oneida Area Civic Chorale is offering a $500 scholarship to an area high school senior who has shown outstanding achievement in music, has participated in school and community performances, and has plans to continue to study music beyond high school as a music major or in extracurricular  activities.  
     Applicants must submit a completed application form, a performance CD or DVD displaying solo and/or ensemble achievements, and a letter of recommendation from a music teacher.  The scholarship will be awarded in May.
     Applications, letters of recommendation, and CDs/DVDs must be received by April 1, 2019.  Applications may be obtained from music teachers and guidance counselors at local high schools,  from Chorale representative Kathryn Warner at kwarner9@twcny.rr.com, or click on "Scholarships" on this website.

NEAR-CAPACITY AUDIENCE ENJOYS “INTERNATIONAL CAROL SUITES”

One hundred six community chorus singers, two professional soloists, and twenty-three instrumentalists took the stage at Oneida High School with OACC Director Kimberly Nethaway on December 2, 2018, and presented INTERNATIONAL CAROL SUITES.  The new work by world-renowned composer Mark Hayes appeared to be thoroughly enjoyed by the audience of over 600.  The masterfully arranged collection of traditional carols from Europe, the British Isles and the Americas lived up to the sterling reputation of Mark Hayes, and provided immense joy to the audience and performers alike.  Soloists Janet Brown, soprano, and David Kolb, baritone, enhanced the choral arrangements as they beautifully performed sections of carols in original languages including Spanish, Russian and Polish. It is always a treat for the OACC to perform with an orchestra, and this concert was no exception, as the twenty-three piece chamber orchestra provided depth and extra interest throughout the performance.  The Chorale thanks all who assisted with the performance, and especially those who attended!  We wish you all a happy holiday season, and all the best in the coming year.

CHORALE HOLIDAY CAROLING GIGS

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 On December 3, 2018, about 30 OACC singers entertained residents of Noyes Manor in Sherrill, NY, with holiday songs and Christmas carols.  The residents enjoyed singing along, and it was agreed that a new tradition has begun.  For many years, the Hazel Carpenter Home in Oneida was the site of the season’s first caroling gig, but this year saw the closure of the beloved Oneida facility, so a new venue was sought and Noyes Manor fit the bill!  Later that evening the group moved on to the Oneida Towers for more caroling, followed by cookies and punch with the residents.  It was fun for all to relax and engage in an informal time of sounds of the season!
December 7 found a large group of OACC carolers taking part in the lighting of the Oneida Castle Village Christmas tree.  After caroling in the gazebo next to the tree, the villagers and OACC members went to the Village Hall for more singing and treats.  Thank you to these organizations for welcoming the OACC and allowing them to spread some holiday cheer!