Our Newsletter

Dear friends of the Binghamton Downtown Singers,
As we continue to prepare for our 2025 performance of Handel’s Messiah, I want to share some thoughts to encourage you to get your tickets early. Whether you have attended every year or are joining us for the first time, we hope you’ll find something new and exciting to enjoy with this year's concert. We were blessed this year to have over a dozen new singers join us, and we are also welcoming some new soloists to our Messiah family. Most exciting for us is our new home at United Presbyterian Church, which has been so welcoming during our transition. I take joy in knowing that the Binghamton Downtown Singers are once again in downtown Binghamton. 
I have been fortunate this fall to have been able to attend multiple different concerts by local groups, and I was thinking recently about how fortunate we are in this area to have so many opportunities for the arts. There truly is something for everyone, no matter what style you prefer. The arts bring people together in ways that other platforms cannot. The way an audience holds its breath during a moment of tension, or a choir breathes together before a powerful line of music. The way you get goosebumps from a particularly moving section or from everyone standing to join in during the Hallelujah. Music unites us in moments of both joy and sorrow and it affects everyone, child to adult. As a teacher, I am blessed to see young musicians just starting their journeys and experiencing this feeling of unity for the first time. It is evidenced in little things, like witnessing a former student recording a performance so he could listen to it again. Or having a child realize that they recognize a piece of classical music. 
Your ongoing support of the arts in the community is what makes all of this possible. With so much going on in the area and during this time of year, we look forward to your presence on December 20th. We appreciate our audience, friends, advertisers and grant sponsors for keeping the arts thriving in Binghamton! 
Julie Drozdowski, President, Binghamton Downtown Singers

 

Dear friends of the Binghamton Downtown Singers,

We hope you plan to enjoy our 2025 Spring Concert, Glory and Light! Concert titles and themes are a little funny. Sometimes the theme comes first, and you work to find music that fits within that idea. Sometimes you find music you love and build a theme around that. The Downtown Singers has a mission to perform classical masterworks, but within that mission there is some flexibility. With a shift in leadership comes new perspectives and ideas; among them, featuring works in the classical oratorio style by composers that belong to groups that are typically under recognized, including women and minorities. With that idea in mind, this program seemed to name itself once the works were chosen. The spring concert is built around the work Illuminare by Elaine Hagenberg and the images and feelings it evokes. Joined by Vivaldi's Gloria and the Two Psalms by Holst, a vision of a bright future emerges.

The Downtown Singers have truly enjoyed bringing these works to life. Our membership this spring is one of the largest choirs we've featured in many years for a spring concert. Our shared belief that music can heal, can transform, and can bring peace unites us in a common goal of sharing high quality choral music. Just as Illuminare speaks to finding the light through the darkness, the choir hopes our performance will give you a moment of brightness in whatever darkness you find surrounding you.

The Downtown Singers has been blessed with increased concert attendance over the last couple of years, but we cannot continue to survive without the support of our friends. You can also support our advertisers that so generously help fund our program. We appreciate our audience, friends, advertisers and grant sponsors for keeping the arts thriving in Binghamton! Finally, please consider joining us in the fall when we resume rehearsals for The Messiah. Details can be found at www.downtownsingers.org

Sincerely,

Julie Drozdowski and Faith White
DTS Co-Presidents

Dear Friends of the Downtown Singers,

When I joined this choir in 2010, I never could have imagined I'd end up here, penning letters to friends and fans. It's hard to believe I've been part of such a special family for over 14 years. When I began singing with Alan, it was an experience unlike any I’d had previously, but I slowly made friends and found my comfort zone. Eventually I was asked to join the Board (imagine their surprise when I told them I had both music and non-profit backgrounds!) and eventually was asked to step in as co-president. I have sung with the choir under the baton of nearly every conductor we've had, including permanent and guest, and have used the same Messiah score for all of those 14 years.  

Every fall when I open my score, I see notes of Messiah's past. Reminders of previous interpretations, musical context, things I need to practice, and so much more. And every fall I am amazed by this group and the growth it has shown in the last decade, plus. To know that the Downtown Singers is a non-audition, community choir is to truly appreciate the work that goes into our annual performances. Somewhere around 100 singers, coming together every week with the sole purpose of making beautiful music together. Some are classically trained singers and some can't read music, but everyone lifts their voice with the same passion. Through the work of our three permanent artistic directors, the Singers have refined their sound, stretched their abilities, and shared new experiences. With Mr. Manners, our newly appointed Artistic Director, we have continued to work on the smallest details to bring you a constantly improving experience. This year we have fresh, new interpretations of some movements while staying true to our past. We've invited back some of our most beloved soloists and are prepared to wow you with our performance. I do hope you will join us on December 14th for an evening of music and fellowship to kick off the holiday season. We can't wait to sing for you and share our passion and family.

Yours in song,

Julie Drozdowski 

Co-president, Binghamton Downtown Singers 

 

Dear friends of the Binghamton Downtown Singers,

We would like to cordially invite you to our 2024 Spring Concert to share in the Love, Harmony, and Spirit we offer. Our program, featuring two works that are completely new to the Singers as well as an old favorite, is as uplifting as it is emotional; and as inspiring as it is beautiful.
 
It is a goal of the Downtown Singers to always challenge ourselves with our Spring Concert music. Sometimes this challenge comes in the form of singing in a foreign language or with a unique instrumentation in the orchestra. This year our challenge came in the form of new styles of music and the strong feelings that accompany singing about a disease like breast cancer. The second half of this year’s program is a modern, oratorio style work titled Sing for the Cure: A Proclamation of Hope. This piece, which utilizes the stories of real people dealing with breast cancer, takes us on a journey from diagnosis through treatment as told through the eyes of those diagnosed and those closest to them. Sing for the Cure will include narration by Tracy Davidson and will highlight members of the choir through solos and small ensembles throughout the work. There is not one member of our choir that hasn't been touched by some kind of cancer, and we honor those loved ones tonight in our program, both the survivors and those lost.
 
Our concert tonight is not without its moments of joy, however. We will open with The Chariot Jubilee, R. Nathaniel Dett’s arrangement of the spiritual Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, which celebrates life through its text and exuberant orchestration and features tenor soloist Tshombe Selby. This piece has quickly become a favorite of the Downtown Singers and we can’t wait to share it with you. Five Mystical Songs by Ralph Vaughan Williams, featuring baritone Timothy LeFebvre, concludes our first half and ends with the choir singing  a triumphant hymn of praise. This work, performed by the choir in both 2005 and 2014 consists of 5 poems set to music by the composer.

As you may know, the Downtown Singers have been in a period of transition this year that includes working with our Interim Artistic Director for a full cycle to prepare his second concert.  We and the whole Board are so proud of the dedication and perseverance the choir has shown. As a choir, we have added new members, stretched our abilities, trusted the process and given our hearts to the music we have prepared for you.
 
The Downtown Singers would not survive without the support of our friends. We are so thankful to our audience, friends, advertisers and grant sponsors for keeping the arts thriving in Binghamton! We do hope you’ll join us on June 8th for our concert, but also consider joining us in the fall when we resume rehearsals for The Messiah. Details can be found at www.downtownsingers.org

Sincerely,
Julie Drozdowski and Faith White
DTS Co-Presidents
 

Dear Friends of the Binghamton Downtown Singers,

We would like to extend our greetings this holiday season as we finalize preparations for our annual performance of Handel’s Messiah. This rehearsal season and concert mark the beginning of a new chapter for the Downtown Singers as our Artistic Director Emeritus, Marisa Crabb, has stepped back to spend more time with family. After an extensive search and audition process, the Singers have welcomed Mr. Robert Manners as our Interim Artistic Director. While transition is always difficult, Mr. Manners’ enthusiasm and energy has helped ease the burden. We are also thankful to still have Mrs. Crabb on our Board of Directors to keep us grounded in the traditions of our choir.

As we reflect on what this annual performance of the Messiah means to so many, we are reminded that the core message is one of hope. Part I of the Messiah is a celebration, embracing the joy of birth and the coming new year with its fresh start. The second half, featuring parts II and III and telling the story of the crucifixion and resurrection, reminds us that even in death there is hope and eternal life. Even though parts II and III are traditionally the “Easter section”, hearing the message during this holiday season is just as important.

We do hope you'll join us in a few weeks for the performance, it is sure to be a night of wonderful music and celebration. The Downtown Singers would not survive without the support of our friends and we thank you for your ongoing patronage. Please consider joining us in January as we begin preparing for our annual spring concert. Details can be found at www.downtownsingers.org

Sincerely,
Julie Drozdowski and Faith White
DTS Co-Presidents

Dear Friends of the Binghamton Downtown Singers,

We hope you can join us for our 2023 Spring Concert on June 10th at 7:30pm at Sarah Jane Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church in Johnson City. Tickets may be purchased on our website at https://www.downtownsingers.org/tickets or at the door. Our Messiah last winter launched our 40th year of singing and was absolutely astounding. We are hopeful that our upcoming performance is just as captivating. It is only fitting that we use this concert to get back to our roots of giving back to the community through music. Last spring we remembered and rejoiced and this spring we give you a concert of healing; to honor you, members of our community, and everyone that has been affected by COVID-19.

In our first half, we offer the Brahms' Requiem, sung in the original German. First performed by the Singers in 1990, this piece is a true masterwork. A favorite of many in the choir, we have performed this five times, but always in English prior to this year. This Spring we sing it to honor all the lives lost to COVID. There isn’t a member of our choir who hasn’t felt loss and as we channel that emotion into song, we invite you to remember those that are no longer with us.

After the intermission, you are in for a treat as we present a contemporary work by a local composer. The Requiem for the Living, composed by Dan Forrest, is sung in Latin and intersperses the traditional requiem movements with movements of hope, similar to composer Fauré. While the early sections invoke the stress of the last few years, the end brings peace and rest. Our hope for all who work as frontline health care workers is that, as the pandemic draws to its end, you are able to look to the future with hope and light.

We hope you will be able to join us June 10th to enjoy this performance. The Downtown Singers would not survive without the support of our friends. Please support our advertisers and sponsors and consider joining us in the fall when we resume rehearsals for the Messiah. Details can be found at www.downtownsingers.org

Sincerely,
Julie Drozdowski and Faith White 
DTS Co-Presidents

As the holiday season approaches, The Binghamton Downtown Singers would like to update you on our current happenings and invite you to help us celebrate our 40th year of singing. We will begin our 40th year as a choir with our annual presentation of Handel's Messiah on December 17th at 7:30pm at Sarah Jane Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church. We are excited to welcome back 7 soloists who have sung with us in the past to make this a one of a kind performance.

Our Spring Concert will be dedicated to those we lost from COVID-19 and to the medical professionals and frontline workers who helped so much during the pandemic, as well as to all of us who survived. We will present A Concert of Healing- featuring Brahms' Requiem and Forrest's Requiem for the Living on Saturday June 10th at 7:30pm. We are currently accepting new singers that would like to join us for this special concert and will begin rehearsals in January 2023. No audition is required. Please visit our website for previews of each piece.
 
Tickets for our concerts may be purchased online at https://www.downtownsingers.org/tickets.  If you missed Giving Tuesday, please consider supporting our performance through a donation at https://www.downtownsingers.org/donate.
 
Please continue reading and visit our website for further information about upcoming events, links to news articles and general information about the choir; as well as more details on how to get involved as a singer, patron or advertiser!
 

We are excited to premier our new newsletter to keep our friends and patrons up to date on the Binghamton Downtown Singers. Look for information about upcoming events, links to news articles and general information about the choir. Want even more information? Check out our website for more details on how to get involved as a singer, patron or advertiser!

Our Spring concert "Remember and Rejoice" will be performed on Saturday June 4th at 7:30pm.  Tickets may be purchased online at https://www.downtownsingers.org/tickets.  If you are unable to attend our concert, please consider supporting our performance through a donation at https://www.downtownsingers.org/dbpage.php?pg=donatehs.