Considering Matthew Shepard
Craig Hella Johnson
Welcome: Aarush Dey, Eleanor Brown, Luke Stronski
Cattle, Horses, Sky and Grass
Colin Lauri, tenor
Ordinary Boy
Eda Buyuk, soprano
Claudia Levy, soprano
Frank Zingg, baritone
Jacob Fisch, tenor
We Tell Each Other Stories / I Am Open
Rosie Isiyel, soprano
Recitations: Lillian Pereira, Bella Wise
A Protestor
Keep it Away from Me (The Wound of Love)
Lauren Mian, mezzo; Meg Hinchcliff, Jocelyn Kenner, Inès Thieme, trio
Recitation: Yasmin Folarin
Fire of the Ancient Heart
Chaim Sciamma, baritone
Recitation: Teddy Kroin
Stray Birds/ We Are All Sons
Recitation: Selena Zhang
Deer Song
Alexandra Lynch, Lydia Sussman, Chiara Perkins, sopranos
The Innocence
Nicholas Arakas, tenor
Speaker: Ana Petricone
Meet Me Here
Vreeland Tuncer, alto; Zara Khemlani, Lily Leand, Juliette Moore, Arianna Toussi, semi-chorus
Speaker: Lilly Fauci
All of Us
Meg Hinchcliff, Jocelyn Kenner, Alexandra Lynch, Chiara Perkins, Lydia Sussman, In ès Thieme, semi-chorus
Reprise: This Chant of Life (Cattle, Horses, Sky and Grass)
Colin Lauri, tenor
The term "oratorio" typically refers to a large-scale musical work for orchestra and voices, often based on religious themes. Most of us are familiar with the great oratorios of the past Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah pieces that have stood the test of time. Yet, today, we offer something different: Considering Matthew Shepard. This oratorio, while drawing on the forms of traditional works, tells the story of a young man whose life was brutally taken from him, simply for being who he was. Matthew Shepard, born in 1976, was only 22 years old when he was murdered. His story is profoundly tragic, yet the work itself is not just about grief. It is about reflection, resilience, and the unwavering belief that love can prevail, even in the face of unimaginable loss. It speaks directly to the questions we wrestle with as we navigate a world filled with hate and fear. How do we hold on to hope? How do we keep love at the center of our lives, even when so much seems dark and broken?
As we gather today to celebrate the 30th annual Festival Chorus Concert, we are reminded of the complex and ever-evolving landscape of our shared history. This year marks the 10th anniversary of marriage equality, a milestone that has reshaped the lives of countless individuals and families. To many of the students here today, a world with marriage equality is the only world they've known. We are also acutely aware of the fragility of progress. The 2022 Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade after nearly 50 years of legal precedent reminds us that what may seem established can be challenged or undone. History is more fluid that we realize and always in motion.
We live in a time where hate and violence seem to be on the rise. It's easy to feel overwhelmed, to question where hope and love fit into such a fractured world. But this is why we gather, and why we sing. In the face of darkness, we need to hold on to the light. We need to make space for love, for kindness, for the hope that we can change the world one heart at a time. One of the most powerful ways we can express this hope is through music.
As you experience this concert, let us remember that the struggle for equality, for love, for human dignity, is ongoing. But it is also a struggle that has brought us to a place where we can stand together, raise our voices, and affirm the possibility of a world where hope and love triumph over hatred and fear. May this music uplift your spirit, and may it inspire each of us to carry forward the message that love is always worth fighting for for All of Us
~Mary Marcell
If you would like to give to Rye Country Day School in support of this wonderful community event, please visit www.ryecountryday.org/FestivalChorus or use this QR code
SPECIAL THANKS TO Keith Burton for many sectional rehearsals
Pavel Bogomyakov and Keith Burton for their magnificent rehearsal accompaniment
Mary-Lou Montagna for the poster design and program cover
Jac-que Robinson for sound
Robin Kietlinski, Audra Hart, Helena Day and the Friends of the Arts for the luncheon, reception and more
Dania Abu-Shaheen, Kaitlin Boyer, Trinity Sells and Stephanie Huie for publicity and promotion
The RCDS facilities crew for transporting the needed equipment
So many individuals who helped on the “fly” you know who you are!!
Randall Dunn, Pam MacAffer and Peter Quagliaroli for continued support of this concert
Jason Charneski, Director of Music; Juan Velasquez, sexton, and the Rye Presbyterian Church for welcoming us to their magnificent space
And all the dedicated performers for their hard work in preparation for today’s concert
The RCDS Music Department is committed to nurturing creativity and confidence at all levels of learning. We honor music as a living art with inherent value. In addition, we are committed to helping students make connections between music classes, other disciplines, and the wider world. Through the teaching and modeling of empathy and collaboration, we seek to have our classes and ensembles embody a unified spirit.
Tia Agarwal
Dominique Alvarez S
Nicholas Arakas P
Bianca Arencibia
Catherine Assad
Eleanor Brown
Eda Buyuk
Nola Coady
Karter de la Fuente
Aarush Dey A
Dorel Dunkley
Maleah Dunkley
Mayssah El-Khayari
Lilly Fauci
Lincoln Feng
Jacob Fisch
Yasmin Folarin
Joaquin Gonzalez
Molly Hart
Kathy Aligene, F
Val Allen, F
Eve Anderson, P
Betsy Block, FE
Robin Campbell F
Jonathan Carter, E
Matt Cavanaugh E
Laura Cramer P
Jihyen Crowley, P
Cathy Dobkins F
Albert W. Dungan A
Ellen Love Dungan APFE
Jim Elkin AP
Joanne Fernandez AP
Katie FitzGerald F
Jessica Flaxman EP
Charlotte Fleischman AE
James Gadsden F
Noah Gittell A
Sunjin Harrington F
Alicia Hiller-Mahmoudov F
Rye Country Day School Concert Choir
Shea Hollwedel
Stella Huber
Rosie Isiyel P
Clare Keating
Zara Khemlani
Julia Kroin
Teddy Kroin
Phoebe Lane
Willow Lane
Colin Lauri P
Lily Leand
Wes Lichtenstein
Lucius Liu
Alexandra Lynch
Parker Maritzen
Hudson Mastoloni
Maya Maymin
Pete Miller
Haley Millowitz
Violin: Fritz Krakowski
Viola: Joe Dermody, FE
Juliette Moore
Ava Morgan
Georgina Murphy
Tojumi Otakoya
Caroline Pereira
Lillian Pereira
Chiara Perkins
Ana Petricone
Jocelyn Rice
Payton Richardson
Alice Rikkers
Gabriela Schlumberger
Chaim Sciamma
Mia Shimada Ling
Caroline Stronski
Luke Stronski S
Dania Suliman
Lydia Sussman
Sophia Tang
Rye Country Day School Evening Choir
Meg Hinchcliffe, F
Jeff Hogan, E
Joanne Fernandez, AP
Constance Holperin F
Meg Hosey F
Barbara Howard A
Stephanie Huie, E
Jocelyn Kenner, F
Isabel Kim AP
Katie Kleiner AP
Melissa Liebowitz, E
Claudia Levy F
Margaret Matsumoto AP
Lauren Mian, A
Ayush Maini, A
Mary-Lou Montagna AP
Mia Montagna AP
Josephine Moore, P
Dan Murray, EP
Hiroe Nikaido P
Kerri Olson F
Mary Olsson F
Naomi Onslow F
Sheryl Odentz F
Buttons Padin F
Sharon Parente F
Dennis D. Parker AAP
Floriane Prugnat F
Stanley Reese, AP
Jen Sandling AP
Jim Sandling AP
Dana Sands, F
Gillian Saunders, A
Alice Schiff F
Judith Sciamma, P
Ru Shen P
Ellen Sluder A
Frances Snedeker F
Karen Shaw Stubbs F
Nancy Thaul F
Inès Thieme A
Onur Tuncer P
Rye Country Day School Festival Orchestra
Cello: Arthur Fiacco
Bass; Marc Schmied
Clarinet: Raissa Fahlman
Guitar: Steve Benson
Arianna Toussi
Juliet Tuncer
Vreeland Tuncer SAAS
Peter Valenton
Donald Webber
Bella Wise S
Charles Yang
Lizzy Yepes
Amaya Yokuty
Selena Zhang
Frank Zingg S
P= co-president
S=section leader
A=area-all state
AS= all state
Emy Vanderpool F
Stephanie Victor AAP
Pen Vineyard, E
Marc Wager F
Jane Wakely P
Heather Weiland F
Laura Wexler, A
Paul Wieman APFE
Chris Wildeman F
A alumni AP alumni parent/ grandparent/ aunt E RCDS employee
FE former employee F friend
Italics denotes 10 or more years in Festival Chorus
Percussion: Luke Short, FE
Piano: Keith Burton, E