The Song of the Sirens

Instead of making excuses I’m writing before 10 AM; to what do we owe this miracle? I have no idea. I’d much rather be intellectually honest and admit my ignorance than make up a theory out of whole cloth.

I had a choice of five concerts to attend last night. None were on my calendar and in light of the wet weather and my lethargy was inclined to just stay home. Then my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to go to the last one I had heard about, The Sirens of Brooklyn Winter Concert. Kevin told me about it when we were at the Crooked Still show. The Sirens are a women’s choir that perform a mixture of familiar and world holiday songs. Kevin said there were people I knew in it and mentioned Lauren Balthrop and Elizabeth Ziman. I know Lauren through Kristin Andreassen, they did a house concert together and we became Facebook friends. Elizabeth aka Elizabeth and the Catapult has long been in the periphery of my musical world, I have seen her but don’t believe we’ve talked before. The ones I know best in the group are Emily Mure, Neha Jiwrajka, and Amy Helfand. I know Caroline Cotter from a totally different direction, through Chicks with Dip and NERFA. We have marched together in at least one protest.

The concert was in the beautiful and historic Plymouth Church in Brooklyn Heights. It was a stop in the Underground Railroad. The performance started with the choir making an entrance that the conductor, Joy Askew, described as, “spooky.” It was. They walked across the mezzanine carrying electric candles while making eerie music. When in position they continued singing and did a choreographed covering and exposing the candles. The church was kept dark during this and each singer was carrying a bright point source of light. That made them very difficult to see. Thanks to my experience with cataracts I became adept and recognizing people by their outlines and immediately spotted Emily. She has a distinctive silhouette. I did not spot my other friends till they walked through the sanctuary to the stage.

Giving the program, or Programme as it says in the hand-out, is the best way of conveying the variety of music.

Tuning Light Activation …………………………………………………………………………. Cat Martino
A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28 ……………………………………………………….. Benjamin Britten

This Little Babe (Robert Southwell, 1595)
Balulalow (The Brothers Wedderburn, 1548) featuring Lauren Balthrop

Creo En Dios ……featuring Lucy Meissner……………………………………Francisco J. Nuñez
Ergen Dedo (Bulgarian) ………………………………………………………………. arr. Petar Ljondev
Star of Wonder ……………………………………………………………………………………….. Terre Roche
I’ll Be Home for Christmas ….. Walter Kent & Kim Gannon (arr. Corinne’s Grandpa)
Siyahamba ……………………………………………………………………………..…. Andries van Tonder
Hand Me Downs ………………………………………………………………………………………. Joy Askew
Carol of the Bells …………………………….….. Mykola Leontovych and Peter J. Wilhousky
Our House ………………………………………………………..……….. Graham Nash arr. Ed Lojesky
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas ….. Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane (arr. Pete Schmutte)
Winter Wonderland …………………………………………………………………………… Bernard/Smith
Happy Xmas (War is Over) ……………………………………………………………………John Lennon

The last was done as a singalong; the lyrics were printed in the program. This was a wonderful mixture of standards and the unfamiliar. I was of course particularly excited by Star of Wonder as I go caroling with Terre Roche every year and we sing that. I heard the first performance at one of the Roches’ Bottom Line Christmas Shows.

I can’t believe this has gone on for ten years without my hearing of it. The performers I know best, Emily and Neha are newbies so I can’t blame them, Emily started last year and Neha this. Amy, you should have told me! I wonder if Kristin Andreassen used to take part as Amy, Lauren, Emily, and I think Neha are all Miles of Music campers. If she did then I’m mad at her for not telling me about it.

I can’t sing and I’m not a woman so I can’t take part, but I’m going to nudge my many women singer friends from Brooklyn into joining. Next year I’m going to try to talk as many of my friends as I can into joining me when I go. All the people that carol with me will love it. She lives in Chicago, but I kept thinking how much Carey would love being part of the choir.

I was talking to Neha after the show and she said that as an Indian Hindu how much she loves doing Christmas stuff. This Jewish atheist feel the same way. It’s objectively great music. Hearing and singing it makes you feel good. I wish those that think there is a War on Christmas could experience a multi-cultural New York Christmas; Jews, atheists, Hindus, and everyone else is welcome. It’s about peace on earth and goodwill to all men (and women and non-binaries). We’d welcome Klingons if any wanted to join us in song.

After the show I wimped out and didn’t go to Michael Daves Rockwood Residency. It was the 15th anniversary. The weather was bad enough that perhaps it wouldn’t have been packed like a sardine can. Instead I grabbed dinner and went home. I suspect I will not be going out today. I have no music on tap until Saturday. I’ll have to find other things to write about.