My entire life has been filled with music. My mother was a pianist, church organist, piano teacher, and early in her life, a singer. I began singing at age 2 and never stopped. I was in church choirs, school choirs, and community groups from an early age. No matter where I lived...in New York, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan, I always found a chorus to join. I was raised in Elmira and lived in the Midwest for 25 years until I came back to Elmira in 1985 to marry my high school sweetheart. I found piano and voice teachers and knew about Cantata Singers but didn't join because they rehearsed on Sunday nights. For me, that was difficult so, though I knew how incredible the group was, I didn't join. Then, about 10 years ago, my mind changed completely. My daughter, also a singer and living in Michigan, asked me if I knew about Dan Forrest's Requiem for the Living. Her group was performing it and she said if I ever had the chance to sing it, do whatever I needed to do to learn it. As it happened, I was at Trinity Church in Elmira, chatting with Susan and Steve Nagle and they commented, "Joy, you should come to Cantata Singers. We're doing the most incredible work by Dan Forrest and he's from Horseheads." That's all it took! I came to my first rehearsal that Sunday night.
I was surprised how many singers I knew and was welcomed with open arms. I knew I'd found a singing 'home'. Will Wickham, the director, is so thoughtful and kind, an amazing musician who makes us work hard, face challenges with the music he selects, and yet, always offering encouragement, insights and nuances into whatever we're working on. When we sing his own compositions, we get a glimpse of this amazing man and his thoughts about life, love, music, and those folks around us. He also has a wonderful sense of humor so rehearsals have quite of bit of laughter! Our concerts are for everyone and our audiences are appreciative, giving us standing ovations as they clamor for more. These reactions are all due to Will's ability to bring out the best we have in us.
One side note on all of this: Will and my Cantata Singers friends are extraordinary. From about 2015 on, when I joined, many of them knew my husband, Matt, had early vascular dementia that began in 2010 and progressed for 14 years until his death in 2023. Who was by my side through this long and terrible journey? Cantata Singers! At every rehearsal, "Joy, how are you doing? Do you need anything? What can I do?" You can't imagine how much that helped me every single Sunday night. Many of them came to Matt's funeral on a cold, blustery, snowy Friday that March. Most had to take time from work to be there to offer me and our children the love and support we needed. I know that for any Cantata Singer who faces and speaks about a personal crisis or situation, the other singers will be there, quietly, maybe behind the scenes, but always there for whatever anyone needs.
Music is the primary focus of Cantata Singers but these other aspects and the personal commitments of Will and all the singers make the group an outstanding asset for our community. I am fortunate and proud to be a singer with the Cantata Singers.
I was born in 1953. Music has been integral to my life since I can remember. My grandmother would play jazz and Christmas music on the honkey upright in the vestibule of her home. My father belonged to glee club in Medical School at UB and I learned silly songs like "Daisy, Daisy". On a 45rpm record player I learned music appreciation with stories like Peter Wolf and Uncle Remus "Songs of the South" (with the Johnny Mercer singers).
As years passed, my parents took me to Broadway to experience greats like the "Unsinkable Molly Brown", "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Hello Dolly" with an all black cast that included Pearl Bailey. I was 14.
My father continued to sing with the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes, the Mark Twain Barbershop group and the award winning Bryn Mawr Mainliners and I attended his concerts.
When my wife flattered me to join about 20 years ago ("we need men and you have a good voice"), I was reluctant. Every member of this group had musical background and training. I don't know one note value from another. (What the heck is a half note with a quarter rest and what about EGBDF? What is that?! LOL)
I love to sing and bring music to the community. To see audience faces when we make them feel amused, astounded, angry or make them cry is worth all the currency in the world and all the effort.
With group support, and rehearsal files created by our director, and the camaraderie of people who explain the parts I don't get, I am part of this culture and hope to be for many years to come.
Being a member of the Cantata Singers has changed my life for the better, and that's no exaggeration. Having studied vocal performance from the time I was 10 years old, at 23 I found myself at a crossroads. I had planned to earn a degree in vocal performance, but unexpectedly, my life took a hard left turn and I instead became a stepparent to two of the world's most adorable toddlers (who are now handsome young men!). Raising kids full time meant that I let other loves, like singing, fall along the wayside. But in 2015 after the birth of my son, I decided that it was time for me to pursue my passions again. Of course this was not easy as a 30-year-old, and I went from chorus to chorus, enjoying myself but never really finding my musical "home". I finally found that home when I joined the Cantata Singers in 2016. I was immediately welcomed in and I found that not only was I enjoying what I was singing because it was challenging and beautiful and meaningful, but I was also forming relationships with the people there and leaving each rehearsal feeling fulfilled as I had never been in any other choral group. I have now had the opportunity to perform music that I never dreamed that I would perform, to thunderous applause and appreciation, creating moments of beauty in the lives of my community members, which is a performer's highest calling. I look forward to many more decades of being part of this amazing group.