Stacy Horn

Shameless self-pr alert: the Kindle edition of my book about the history & science of singing on sale all June for $1.99. It’s also going to be a Kindle Big Deal between June 12 and June 28!! So if you’ve been on the fence about buying a copy, now is the time. $1.99!!

In the category of I live a charmed life, I sang on the stage at Carnegie Hall over the weekend and at the New York Choral Consortium‘s Big Sing on Monday. The picture below is from the Big Sing. I didn’t take a picture at Carnegie Hall because they don’t allow picture taking. Normally I would sneak a shot or two in anyway, but I really didn’t want to get kicked out—how often do you get to sing on the stage at Carnegie Hall?—so I followed the rules.

While I was on the stage I tried to imagine what it was like for this group I researched called The People’s Choral Union. They were a 19th century choir of middle and low income singers started by Frank Damrosch. At the time, while wealthy people in New York City had endless opportunities for music, poorer people had few. I tried to put myself back in the 19th century, when life was certainly more challenging than it is now, and so much harder for the people in Damrosch’s choir.

I thought they might be feeling something close to what I felt the first time I took the stage for a choir performance. It was in Grace Church. The place was so beautiful, and I was so excited and nervous I thought my head might explode. I couldn’t wait to sing. Carnegie Hall was absolutely brand new when the People’s Choral Union sang there, it must have been glorious.

If you’re going to be in New Haven next week, between June 16th – 20th, you might want to consider stopping by the Yale International Choral Festival. “Each evening will feature a formal concert in Yale’s renowned Sprague Hall, and each day will be filled with lectures, workshops, and masterclasses led by visiting conductors and Yale faculty, including the first Eric Ericson International Choral Centre Conducting 21C masterclass offered outside of Stockholm.”

I’m going to be part of a panel on Tuesday morning, but there are going to be lots of great presenters, including:

Anton Armstrong – St. Olaf College
Jean-Baptiste Bertrand – in terra pax
Marguerite Brooks – Yale University
Thomas Cabaniss – composer, arts educator
Steven Demorest – Northwestern University
André De Quadros – Boston University
Jeffrey Douma – Yale University
TJ Harper – Providence College
Micah Hendler – Jerusalem Youth Chorus
Emily Howe – Boston Children’s Chorus
Lone Larsen – Voces Nordicae
Donald Nally – The Crossing
Francisco Nuñez – Young People’s Chorus of New York City
Julianne Parolisi – Music Therapy Without Borders
Sebastian Ruth – Community MusicWorks
Mollie Stone – Chicago Children’s Choir

Earlier today I crossed paths with Billy on the Street. I adore him but I did my best to become instantly invisible. I’m the kind of person who sometimes needs to ponder my answer, or I freeze, or my mind goes blank. Billy on the Street would scream at someone like me. I’d burst into tears, he’d be on to the next person, it would not be pretty.

I’m watching the new show Wayward Pines, and I’m freaking amazed at the place where it’s filmed. You have to see it. When they’re in the town you see these great big gorgeous mountains in the background, everywhere it’s all very green and lush, big trees, it’s astoundingly beautiful. So I google, “where is Wayward Pines filmed,” and the answer is: Vancouver. Packing my bags.

This is the tree in the courtyard behind my apartment building. I envy the people who live in the back of my building. It’s quieter and greener. The apartments in the front are sunnier and larger, so it’s pretty much even in terms of who has it better, but still. I want it all.

I’m still floating on a “I lead a charmed life” vibe. In part because I have such great friends. One had an extra ticket and took me to the play Hand to God last night, which was hysterical, but dark, my favorite combination. Thank you so much!!

Then there are all the few free things coming up that I plan to do. Weirdly, even though New York is one of the most insanely expensive places to live, it’s also one of the best places to be poor, as long as you’ve found a place to live, I should say, which is the hardest part of course. But after that you can find free or low cost health care, free hair cuts and color, and so on. (Notice the two things I mention, before wrapping it up with “so on.”)

First up, on June 9th, is the yearly Museum Mile Festival. All the museums along upper 5th Avenue, which include many of the best in the world, are free between 6 and 9.

Next, there’s this thing at Union Square on the 13th at 6pm called the Bubble Battle. A bunch of people are going to show up and blow bubbles. Come on! Can’t miss that. Should be beautiful.

Then there’s the yearly Make Music New York festival on June 21st. I’ve participated in this festival some years, and made music of one sort or another, and I’m contemplating doing so again. The one I might join is titled Bach and Sons. Like it says, we’ll be singing the music of J.S. Bach and his sons J.C., C.P.E. and W.F. It’s open to anyone, by the way, as are many other performances (which call for all sort of musicians). For a list look here.

On June 23rd I’ll be running around downtown participating in Night at the Museums. I did this last year, and had such a great time. (A few shots here.)

In short: June is going to be a fun month.

A couple of shots of dedications on Central Park benches. This one took my breath away. I remember having a few of those dawn to dusk, I-could-have-danced-all-night talks myself. The story behind this first one is told here.

Short and sweet, but how many of us have someone like this who will think of us every day when we are gone? So poignant. Says it all.

I can’t believe that I lead the kind of life where I can see outstanding musicians like the Chalfonte Quartet in an intimate and beautiful setting. Last night was the annual benefit for my choir, the Choral Society of Grace Church. The Chalfonte Quartet performed Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor (aka Death and the Maiden).

The place was packed (you can’t see all the people around me, I was sitting about midway to the front and on the right, as you can see in this picture). You can’t seem them but the musicians are: Jorge Avila (violin I) Alexander Sharpe (violin II) David Gold (viola) and Kathy Cherbas (cello). Thank you for a mind-blowing performance.