Grand Island Community Chorus News Page

Director - Carolyn Lokken
Rehearsal Location
2100 Whitehaven Rd.
Grand Island, NY 14072

"Official Grand Island Community Chorus Website"



Community Chorus Christmas Concert - 2011

The Grand Island Community Chorus will present a Christmas Concert, "Faith, Hope, and Celebration," at 7 p.m. Sunday, December 4, 2011, at St. Stephen Church, 2100 Baseline Road, Grand Island. Admission is free, and a reception and a homemade holiday baked goods auction will follow. For more information, please call 773 5075.





Community Chorus Concert A Classy Affair - May 2007

Christine Stange Photo - Click photo for larger view
   The Grand Island Community Chorus, growing in number by leaps and bounds, presented its third concert on Sunday, May 6, 2007 in St. Stephen's Church, under the direction of Carolyn Lokken. The concert was titled " Swing Into Spring," and was followed by a lovely reception. For the complete membership list (as of today!) and program selections, see "Community Chorus Roster."




Community Chorus Concert May 6th - 2007

Click photos for larger view
   The Grand Island Community Chorus will perform its third concert on Sunday, May 6 at 7 p.m. at St. Stephen's Church, 2100 Baseline Road, under the direction of Carolyn Lokken, choral director at Grand Island High School. Mrs. Lokken was recently named as Educator of the Year by the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce. Admission to the concert is free.




Grand Island Community Chorus Announces Chorus Director - March 2007

   The Grand Island Community Chorus is very pleased to announce that Carolyn Lokken has accepted the position of director of the Chorus.
   Mrs. Lokken is in her twenty-fifth year of teaching music. She has taught vocal music in the Grand Island School District for the past fourteen years, where she directs the Choir, Concert Choir, Madrigal Singers, The Dominant Force (a gentlemen's ensemble) and Vocal Jazz ensemble. She also teaches classes in voice, Music Theory and AP Music Theory.
   Her choirs at the High School have consistently earned numerous Gold and Gold With Distinction Awards at NYSSMA Major Organization festivals. They have performed for the New York State School Board Association, the Buffalo Choral Arts Society and with the Syracuse University Chamber Singers.
   Mrs. Lokken received her Bachelor of Music degree from Ithaca College and has furthered her studies at SUNY at Buffalo, Fredonia and Potsdam, as well as Temple University and Westminster Choir College. She is a member of NYSSMA, MENC and ACDA. She has guest conducted All-County Choruses in Western New York and the Finger Lakes region. She has been named in Who's Who Among America's Teachers and Who's Who Among American Women, and has been nominated for a Disney Teacher Award. In 2004, Mrs. Lokken received the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra/Erie County Council of Music Coordinators Award for excellence in Choral Music Education.
   Mrs. Lokken's vision for the Grand Island Community Chorus is to appeal to all ages and encourage members of the community to participate in the Chorus. New members are welcome.
   The Grand Island Community Chorus is fortunate to have such a talented lady as director. Her first concert with the Chorus will be Sunday, May 6, 2007, at St. Stephen's Church on Grand Island. More information about the concert will be available at a later date.




Community Chorus Resumes Rehearsals - New Members Welcome - 2007
   The GI Community Chorus will resume regular rehearsals at 7 p.m. Sunday, February 11 at Historic Trinity UM Church, 2100 Whitehaven Road in preparation for a Spring concert. All members are encouraged to attend as there will be a brief business meeting during the rehearsal. New members are welcome to attend. "We are still looking for anyone who likes to sing to join us," a spokesman for the group said.




Community Chorus Rehearsal Cancelled - Postponed to February - 2007
   The Grand Island Community Chorus has cancelled the Jan. 28, 2007 rehearsal. Members will be notified of the next rehearsal.




Sunday, December 17th
Community Chorus Offers Christmas Mini-Concert and Sing-along - 2006
   Members of the Grand Island Community Chorus invite the community to a Christmas mini-concert and sing-along at 7 p.m. Sunday, December 17th at Trinity UM Church, 2100 Whitehaven Road.
   For more information about the chorus, email Rosanne McKee.




Community Chorus Holiday Schedule Of Concerts - 2006
   The Grand Island Community Chorus lists the following schedule of holiday appearances:
• Performing with other interested Island singers at the annual Thanksgiving ecumenical service, St. Timothy Church, 7 p.m. Sunday, November 19.
• Knights of Columbus event at 2:30 p.m. December 3
• Town Hall at 4 p.m. December 9 for the annual Grand Island Tree Lighting service.
• Chamber of Commerce party, Launch Club, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 12
• Trinity Church, 7 p.m. Sunday, December 17 for Christmas mini-concert and sing-along.
   For more information, email Rosanne McKee




Community Chorus Recruiting Members - 2006
   The Grand Island Community Chorus is recruiting anyone who likes to sing and can meet on Sunday evenings at 7 p.m. at Trinity UM Church, 2100 Whitehaven Road, for brief rehearsals. There are no auditions.
   The Chorus will present its next concert 7 p.m. on Sunday, December 17th at Trinity Church. "The theme is Christmas (well, for heaven's sake!) and we'll have a short sing-along with our very talented audience," a spokesman said this week. There will be no admission charge. The Community Chorus will also perform during the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce meeting on December 12.
   Chorus members who are available will be singing at the Thanksgiving ecumenical service at St. Timothy Church (Staley and Stony Point) on the Sunday evening before Thanksgiving. If anyone would like to sing at the ecumenical service with no obligation to join the community chorus, they are invited to join one-hour rehearsals at Trinity Church at 7 p.m. (Nov. 5 and Nov. 12) for the next 2 Sunday evenings.




Community Chorus Resumes Rehearsals, Welcomes New Singers - 2006
   The Grand Island Community Chorus will resume rehearsals at 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 1, 2006 at Historic Trinity Church, 2100 Whitehaven Road. Everyone who likes to sing is welcome. "All that you need to bring is your love of singing. We provide the music and the fun," a spokesman for the chorus said this week.
   The Grand Island Community Chorus is preparing for a Christmas concert to be held on December 17, 2006 and also for a spring concert. The Chorus gave an exceptional performance at its inaugural concert on September 10th.




Huge Crowd Attends Community Chorus Inaugural Concert - 2006
   A crowd of well over 300 people poured into the Trinity UM Church for the 7 p.m. performance of the Grand Island Community Chorus on Sunday evening, September 10, 2006. Titled "America - A Celebration in Song," the concert selections ranged from Rodgers & Hammerstein show tunes to American folksongs and featured many beautiful, solo voices.
   Refreshments were served in the Trinity Church family room after the concert and there was no admission. Conductor Tom Pollard and his wife and accompanist Kathy Pollard received gifts of appreciation from the 50+ chorus members at the end of the concert. Rehearsals for a winter concert to be held in February 2007 are being held at 7 p.m. beginning Sunday, October 1, 2006 in Historic Trinity. New singers are invited to attend. For more information, call Jim Watz at 773-5075.
   Chorus Members: Ellen Baker, Sue Blanton, Joann Brown, May Chou, Joyce Cline, Alice Gerard, Dorothy Ginsburg, Joyce Good, Peggy Koppmann, Gwen Lummen, Rosanne McKee, Judith Mydzian, Candy Rieker-Bouley, Ellie Robinson, Carol Rurkowski, Dorothy Wiswall, Linda Yund, Luise Zelonis.
   Also, Paula Cramer, Kathy DeLoughry, Beatrice Hall, Nancy Kanavel, Magdalen Kennedy, Marty Kennell, Cindy Lin, Candy Padowski, Libby Ponton, Marijane Smith, Ruth Starr, Adele Upton, Sharon Watz.
   Also, John Cline, Adrian Martinez, Chris Mongielo, John Muerle, Mary Parker, Ron Smith, Bob Smythe, Ken Baker, Tony D'Orazio, Paul Robinson, Jesse Tromanhauser, Barry Tubbs, Maury Walsh, Jim Watz and Tom Wiswall.




Grand Island Community Chorus - An Inspiration And an Idea - August 2006
Click photo for larger view
   The idea and inspiration for a community chorus started many months before the first organizational meeting. As usually happens, a call went out across the Island for members of church choirs to join together to sing at the annual ecumenical Thanksgiving service, this year at Trinity United Methodist Church on Whitehaven Road. Tom Pollard, music director for Trinity, directed the ecumenical choir. With the wonderful acoustics in the church, the choir knew they performed spectacularly. After some discussion, Tom and Jim Watz explored the possibility of the choir continuing as a community chorus.
    Thanks to the efforts of Chris Mongielo, Jim and Sharon Watz, Maury Walsh, Ron Smith, Tom and Dorothy Wiswall, and Tom Pollard, discussion continued during the spring. They sought advice and suggestions from other musicians and choir leaders, and the first organizational meeting was scheduled for April 28, 2006. Flyers went out, notice was sent to Isledegrande.com and the Island Dispatch, and everyone interested was asked to speak to any friends who might be inclined to join the group. On April 28, 36 people met at Trinity, anticipating the formation of Grand island's first community chorus. Tom Pollard would direct the chorus, his wife Kathy agreed to be accompanist, and Trinity Church allowed the chorus to meet and rehearse in the historic old church without charge. The group chose Wednesday as rehearsal night and September 10 as the first concert date. Tom passed out a few sheets of music and the newly formed chorus sang together for the first time.
   The first rehearsal occurred on July 5, 2006. Jim Watz and Tom addressed some housekeeping issues such as volunteers for librarian, publicity, social committee, and Maury asked for help with calls to possible donors for fundraising. The group went through "Rogers and Hammerstein on Broadway," a medley scheduled for the opening music for the second part of the concert and "Go With a Song in Your Heart," the closing music for the concert. Tom announced the music schedule for the entire concert and the chorus was off and singing.




First Concert Of Community Chorus Set For September 10th - 2006
"America - A Celebration in Song"
   Grand Island Community Chorus, a fifty-member group of your neighbors and friends, invites you to its first concert, "America - A Celebration in Song" at 7 p.m. on Sunday, September 10, at Trinity UM Church, 2100 Whitehaven Road, Grand Island.
   Selections will include Broadway hits, folk songs, spirituals, and some surprises. There is no admission fee and refreshments will follow the concert. "Come and bring the family for an evening of fun music!" a spokesman for the chorus said this week.
   Scroll up or down for more information about the Community Chorus.




Community Chorus Announcement - 2006
   In its second month of rehearsals, the newly organized Grand Island Community Chorus meets 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 2, 2006 in Historic Trinity Church, 2100 Whitehaven Road. Singers should arrive around 7:15 p.m. Rehearsals are in preparation for the inaugural concert, which will be presented at 7 p.m. Sunday, September 10 at Historic Trinity.
   "Our membership has exceeded our expectations," choral director Tom Pollard said. "We have over fifty enthusiastic, and talented singers. This week's rehearsal will be the last week for new people to join the group for the September concert. Membership will be open again after the concert," he said.
   Rehearsals for the winter concert in January '07 will be held from 7-9 p.m. on Sunday evenings. "We look forward to singing for you in September," Pollard said.
   For more information, call Jim Watz at 773-5075.




7 p.m. Wednesday July 5th
New Grand Island Community Chorus Sets First Rehearsal - 2006
   The newly organized Grand Island Community Chorus will hold its first rehearsal at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 5, 2006 in Historic Trinity Church, 2100 Whitehaven Road. Rehearsals, under the direction of Isle resident Tom Pollard, will be held every Wednesday evening throughout the summer, with a concert of American music scheduled for Sunday, September 10 at Historic Trinity.
   The chorus is open to all and is in need of tenors and basses. For more information, call Jim Watz at 773-5075.




New Community Chorus Off To Good Start - 2006
   At least 30 people attended a meeting April 28th at Historic Trinity Church with a goal of forming a Grand Island Community Chorus. Others unable to attend the meeting, called to show their interest. It was decided that the first official rehearsal will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 5, 2006 at Historic Trinity with rehearsals every Wednesday evening throughout the summer. A concert of American music will be presented on Sunday, September 10 at Historic Trinity.
   Following the informational part of the meeting, those in attendance rehearsed several pieces that will probably use in the concert. "The chorus has a very nice sound, and a lot of potential," a spokesman for the new group said this week. "We need more tenors and basses so I'm calling on the men of the Island, or off the Island, who enjoy singing to come and join us at our July 5th rehearsal," he said. "We are all very excited about this new addition to the community life of Grand Island."
   Those interested in more information, they are asked to call Jim Watz at 773-5075.




Grand Island Community Chorus Forming - 2006
   The first steps for the formation of the Grand Island Community Chorus have been announced with an informational meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, April 28th at Historic Trinity Church, 2100 Whitehaven Road, Grand Island, NY. There is no obligation; only requirement is a love of making beautiful vocal music. For more information, call Jim at 773-5075 or Maury at 773-4105. "Please accept this invitation to a truly exciting event," a spokesman for the group said this week. "Hope to see you there!"
   Click the following attachments. Both are very informative.
"Community Chorus/What's It All About"
"Community Chorus/Invitation"

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