Two words were enough for members of a Green Valley choir to throw their arms toward the sky and burst out cheering. Those words: Carnegie Hall.
An invitation to perform at the renowned New York City venue this spring made a dream come true for the Valley Presbyterian Church Sanctuary Choir.
With an average age of around 70, the choir members' musical ambitions didn't go beyond Arizona borders.
"I was blown away. I couldn't believe it," recalled Kay Albrecht, the music director at the church, who opened the invitation letter. "I was as shocked as everybody else when they asked us."
About 40 of the choir's 115 members will make the trip to the East Coast, where they will perform Antonio Vivaldi's most famous "Gloria" on May 22 with a group of other Arizona singers.
"Everybody who is anybody has performed at Carnegie Hall," Albrecht said. "It's kind of a mecca for musicians. It is the place to perform."
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The show is part of the MidAmerica Productions series called "An Evening of Choral Masterpieces."
The performance will be directed by Jonathan Ng, director of sacred music at Tucson's Catalina United Methodist Church, who also has performed internationally.
This is the second Southern Arizona choir to debut at Carnegie Hall within a year. The Southern Arizona Women's Chorus performed there in June as part of the same series.
Choirs have to be recommended to perform — there is no application or audition process, which makes the invitation an even bigger honor.
When Ng found out he would perform at Carnegie Hall, he had to find 175 singers for the choir.
He invited Valley Presbyterian's choir after he listened to its recordings.
Almost 100 choir members will come from Catalina United Methodist Church. Others will join from Northminster Presbyterian Church and Casas Adobes Congregational Church, both from the Tucson area, along with the Phoenix Korean Ensemble.
Ng chose "Gloria" because it is popular and well-known and there are many ways to perform it.
"If we know the music well we can spend more time on interpretation," he said.
Choir member Beth Ray, who is in charge of fleshing out details for the trip, said she is excited but terrified about the moment when they step onstage and "hear the sound of our voices."
Hard work has catapulted the singers to where they are today, with Albrecht guiding them.
"We do things we didn't think we could do," Ray said.
David Appleton, who joined the choir about 15 years ago, said "never in a million years" would he dream about performing at Carnegie Hall.
"It's the experience of a lifetime. Most people never get to do that," he said. "We are very fortunate to have been chosen — it will be worth every minute."
The five-day stint doesn't come without a price: Each participant will have to pay about $2,500. The chorus will hold several fundraising concerts to help those with tighter budgets.
"We're fundraising so that everyone can go," Ray said. "We're getting them there."
The choir has built a fan base among congregation members and Green Valley residents, partly because of its annual Favorite Anthems Concert, which is recorded on CD and sells about 700 copies, Albrecht said. This year's concert will be performed in February (see accompanying information).
"I'm very proud of the fact that they're going to New York — I always enjoy listening to them," said congregation member Jim Dickey. "They do a marvelous job."
The Rev. John Ross, senior pastor, even plans to fly to New York City so he can attend the concert.
"I'm blessed to have such a dedicated choir," he said. "I'm excited for them."
The Valley Presbyterian Church choir is planning several fundraiser concerts to support its trip to Carnegie Hall. Here's the schedule:
• Vocalist Nancy Davis Booth will perform at 7 p.m. Dec. 15. Tickets are $10 and are available in the church office, at 2800 S. Camino del Sol, from choir members and at the door.
• The choir will perform the Favorite Anthems Concert at 7 p.m. Feb. 26 and 2 p.m. Feb. 27. Tickets are free but required, because seating is limited. The concert will be recorded and will be available on CD for $10.
• The Arizona Repertory Singers will perform at 7 p.m. April 17. A $10 donation will be requested at the door. Admission is free for children under 12.
• For more information, go online to www.valleypresbyterian.net, or call 625-5023.
